Ah, Ireland

My best friend Evans is getting married in Ireland on Monday. AB and I are taking a quick jaunt across the ocean to be there (as I am the best man), and we leave tomorrow.

They are, cleverly, keeping a blog of their journeys while there, which serves to only get me more excited about returning to the Emerald Isle. This is from a post from earlier today by Evans' bride-to-be, and it reminds me of why Ireland is such a lovely place:

On the way up the coast, we stopped by a little cafe for sandwiches and soup -- the sign said that they served sandwiches and soup-- but when Evans went inside, it wasn't a cafe at all, but a little old lady's ACTUAL HOUSE!! And, she heated us up some beef vegetable soup, and made Evans a ham and cheese sandwich, and we chatted while we warmed up with some delicious hot soup and it was WONDERFUL! If that was in the U.S., we'd be like, "Uh, no, I think I'll pass on your soup, crazy old lady..."

This is the kind of things that Real People can do when the social fabric hasn't been worn down by crime and abuse. There must be places like this here in the States. Can anyone name some?