Delight in this series of Green stories written by our Authentic storyteller, each crafted uniquely for you, our customers, to inspire your travel plans. Enjoy!
The Miracle Sitting in a Pub
Friends walk out of a Dublin pub at midnight, laughing. (They’d finally booked the trip they’d been dreaming about for ages.) The old fisherman who sat at the bar joins them. They’re happy for his charming company, and ask if he’s a local.
“What brought you to Ireland?”
“I was kidnapped by pirates! Brought here, oh, about 1,600 years ago, give or take a decade.”
They stop walking, look into his face, and he holds out his hand. “Call me Patrick.”
St Patrick and Notes from the Sky
(The traveling friends had named him the Miracle, and they picked up their conversation with him just outside the pub.)
“You’re the Patrick? Saint Patrick? How did you . . .”
“Time is squishy. Every now and then I wake up sometime else.”
Patrick told his traveling friends about the miracle of the number three. His personal favorite was the shamrock, a symbol of the Holy Trinity.
“While you travel through Ireland,” he said, “check out ancient sites—some are older than the Great Pyramids. All have carved symbols with three parts. The oldest ones are about nature—the power of earth, sky, and sea.”
The youngest woman was about to ask a question, when Patrick stood, looked to the sky, and dusted off the seat of his pants. “Those Druids! They’ve sent me another note, written in the clouds. Catch you later!”
The Healing Shamrock
(In the previous story, St. Patrick took off to meet the Druids. What wisdom did they have for him? Read on.)
“These days, neon shamrocks hang in the windows of pubs. This small clover, called seamróg in Irish, was important to us, the Druids, and to the ancient Celts.
“The shy shamrock had the mystical properties of weather prediction and healing. High blood pressure, strengthening the ability to stay well, and meeting the world with joy—the shamrock did it all. What a gift of green!”
We at Authentic Vacations encourage you to be well, joyous, and grateful.
A Healing and a Discovery
During the Middle Ages, in the British Isles and Ireland, many children had to leave their mothers and become domestic servants. During the fourth week of Lent, they were allowed to go home. This was a time to celebrate nature, a time for feasts, a time for mothering each other. This became Mothering Day.
Let’s be comforted in the knowledge that we are nurtured. Mother Earth, this lush green planet that glories in rivers, oceans, and waterfalls is home. Magnificent mountains and fields, ripe with bounty, are our deep source of wonder.
We’ve had to slow our pace. It’s not easy, but perhaps there is a grace to be found. Let’s surrender to the pleasure of travel memories. Let’s dream of future adventures and experiences—they’re just around the corner. Let’s do our part and nurture each other while preparing to discover, with new eyes, this extraordinary home, Earth.
The Gaelic Wild and Wellbeing
We want to bathe in the green glory of forests, tumbling rivers, and purple heather. Our minds are seduced by their wonder, and the health benefits of being in nature are mighty. Consider the natural worlds of Ireland and Scotland when it’s time to renew and reconnect.
Imagine stepping into a place that was 300 billion years in the making. A place that has moved from the South Pole through the equator and to the North Atlantic, and the past is written in stone for you to see. Now think about roaming reindeer and a golden eagle catching a thermal and soaring above. A celebration of solstices and seasons. You are in Scotland’s Shetland Geopark, and you want to stay there.
Listen now. There’s a calliope of birdsong rising to the skies from 250 species of birds. What conversations they’re having! Climb up the 24-ft. tall observation deck for a nest-like view of Ireland’s Wexford Slobs and Wildfowl Reserve. You might glimpse the magnificent Gyrfalcon. We also love the Raven Reserve. Evermore.
Research tells us that forest walks strengthen our immune system, reduce stress levels, and help lower blood pressure. What our heart tells us is this: Let’s go discover the earth. Let’s recover our wild side. Let’s plan travels to the wildest of the wild, Ireland and Scotland, and let the scent of pines fill our senses until we arrive.
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