It has been over five months since we landed in this malachite country.  What originally was a plan to stay for a maximum of two months, with the pandemic restrictions, we are celebrating a green Christmas in Ireland!

At the end of December, there are the first signs of spring.

Fuchsia has new shoots, the wild garlic is blooming, and the hydrangea is showing healthy maroon buds. The only sign of winter are the long nights, with the sun hiding behind the hills at mid-afternoon. Oh, and the cows are gone from the fields for a couple of months – it is too muddy with heavy rains.

Nevertheless, lack of snow, and pandemic restrictions, didn’t stop the Irish from sharing their Christmas spirit. We were lucky to experience a true Cork family celebration. It was private and small, but oh golly, so beautiful, welcoming, and warm. And food, again, to die for!

Cocktails with garden-grown currents, homemade slow gin, and many home-cooked relishes are starters for the five-course dinner.

Ham and chicken terrine – it is a prelude to the main turkey dinner!

For dessert, we had a classic plum pudding with blue flames!

The Irish are amiable; you can’t walk or drive without waving “Hi” to each person. Not giving a quick wave considered rude. They can see who is new to the village right away. Those do not wave.

Irish are proud of their jade rich beauty. The greenery covers all sides of roads, big factory entrances, and all public spaces. You won’t see much of billboards, or flashy neon signs, just trees and grass. Simple and peaceful. It is amazing how modern and progressive society maintained their connection to nature simply by keeping it close to every house and place.

One of the most unusual sights are defibrillators every fifteen kilometres on the rural road and every five kilometres in the cities. Magnificent!

I love this country, rich with history — ancient, and proud. They write songs about their heroes and tell anecdotes about their enemies and all full of love, care, and wisdom.