Previously I went on a rant stating I did not like guided tours, tourist trap experiences and many museums, preferring instead meeting the local people as best I could.  (August 23 post)  Here is one such fun encounter with a local.  When I first saw this old man in his 90’s, he was painting his ocean front cottage on a rare, warm sunny day in Northern Ireland.  It seemed as if he was getting more paint on himself and the window panes than on the sashes and frames.  Does he plan to later use a razor blade to scrape the paint off of the window or is this good enough?

An hour later,  returning from photographing along the coast, I asked him about the church in his side yard which he claimed was the smallest church in all of Ireland.  This small place had raised over 100,000 British Pounds for various causes.  Many plaques inside the church attested to this.  He spoke of how he was awarded his US Calvary hat, how he had met Albert Einstein while on a scholarship to Princeton University and the habits of the cows across the bay.  He claimed Albert Einstein hated microphones and would tell others what to say, instead of speaking into the mic himself.  I pointed out a beautiful rainbow to him while we were speaking, but he was not impressed.  I told him he had to appreciate the beauty of a rainbow, but he said it only meant it was raining somewhere.  I wish him well.

(Click on the smaller photos to enlarge them)