It Was a Three Umbrella Day, It Was
When I say it rains here, I mean it really rains here! And it comes in a lot of forms. There's the mist, the drizzle, the downpour and the lashing rains. Some days you see all of them, other just one or two. And on St. Patrick's Day it was obvious that the day would be an exceptionally wet one. So of course Wellies and an umbrella were standard equipment for the trek into town to see the big parade.No problem, I keep it with me most of the time. So I headed out.
Something else to watch for though is the wind. It claims umbrellas daily here. After a while you learn to maneuver your umbrella to ward off that wind, which in turn keeps the rain off of you. But just one rogue gust of wind and your umbrella is inside out and done.
It's just a mile or so from the wee house to the town center but about halfway there my umbrella bit the dust and I really began to wish I'd worn a hat. Plus I really liked that plaid umbrella.
Luckily there was the equivalent of a dollar store in the US on my path, so I stopped in and waited in line as a ton or parade seekers donned green sequinned hats and bow ties and decorated baby strollers and such. I picked up a plain old black and green umbrella and felt I'd gotten a deal for €3. By the time I reached the parade route the rain had reached lashing status. And about halfway through the parade I had to duck into a nearby pub just to try and dry off.
And a few pints later as I headed home, that damned wind claimed the umbrella I'd just purchased an hour before. Strike two! But I was very near that same dollar store and figured yet another €3 would at least get me home. Well a €3 umbrella is worth just that....about €3 in the rain here.....so again, halfway cross campus I found myself with another turned out umbrella, looking for a litter bin to ditch it.
Umbrellas aren't quite what I thought I'd be remembering my St. Patrick's Day in Galway for...but a memory is a memory. Plus it gave me a reason to invest in a real umbrella (meaning paying more than €3 for it)....one I hope lasts a little longer than the others.
