Christmas shopping can be stressful and, let's be honest here, extremely boring. After hunting for a parking space for around six hours you become part of a barely moving mass of humanity fighting over socks, aftershave and perfume in gift packs which are only slightly different to what you got last year. Bah, humbug!

Step out of this and head for Lisnavagh House in County Carlow instead ... the Christmas Fair will be held there on Thursday, November 26th, from 5pm to 8pm and on Friday, November 27th, from 10am until 6pm. All proceeds will be in aid of the Irish Guide Dogs Association and, to help you relax, morning coffee, lunch and afternoon tea will be also available.

Stands and gift ideas will include (at the time of writing) the paintings of Phillipa Dacres-Dixon, casual clothes and shoes by Good Going, creams and lotions by Green Angel, organic children's clothes from South Africa by Keedo, Cathy Howell's hats and jewellery, presents for all ages from Magpies, the beautifully hand made cheese boards known as Bunbury Boards and finally, for you relaxation later at home, sumptuous dressing gowns and p.j.s by Silk Connection.

Sounds tempting? Surf over to the Christmas Fair at Lisnavagh House website for more details and instructions on how to get there.

Photo © 2009 Bernd Biege licensed to About.com, Inc.

"Only Our Rivers Run Free" is an old (and by now well past its best-before-date) Irish saying, which came to my mind when our local river really ran free these days. Actually it is not a river, it is a small stream, about twelve feet wide on a good day. Over the weekend it was slightly wider, I'd guess about 300 yards, incorporating field and roads. Yes, we are currently experiencing bad weather and flooding as we have never experienced before in Ireland. With even city centers sinking beneath the wave. Though reports of animals heading towards the ports in pairs seem to be slightly exaggerated.

The Automobile Association and local authorities have advised folks to stay at home ... but what if you can't?

If you really have to drive, take a look at my hints on driving through Ireland's rain and floods. It may save you a lot of headaches and the loss of your deposit on a rental car.

Photo © 2008 Janet Barth, used with permission

Travelers should be aware that the Republic of Ireland is going into virtual lock-down this Tuesday, November 24th - in protest of the governments cuts in spending (on their salaries), around a quarter of a million public sector workers will go on strike. While this may not seem to have an immediate impact on most tourists, anybody wishing to visit museums or heritage sites might feel the pinch. High-profile sites such as Newgrange will be closed.

Photo © 2009 Bernd Biege licensed to About.com, Inc.

Do you know the difference between "you can" and "you are allowed to"? Of course you do - and as you know one may not always be allowed to do all the things one could. Sometimes these rules make sense, sometimes they seem to be a drag. Like, why should I not take my rental car from California into Mexico? Hard to comprehend at times ... it is far easier to understand why the captain of the "Titanic" should not have ignored those iceberg warnings.

Now icebergs are comparatively rare on Ireland's inland waterways and there is no Mexican border. But still there are rules to be obeyed, laid down by the rental boat companies. And a worrying trend is the blatant flaunting of these rules in word and deed. Over the last months more and more "insider information" has been making the rounds on the internet on where to go ... despite the rental companies' ban on going there. Always with a fig-leaf disclaimer that to do so would contravene the rental agreement. A bit like saying "shoplifting is illegal but here are a few hints how not to get caught".

Unfortunately one fact that these pied pipers (and those mindlessly following them) ignore is that getting caught may be the least of your worries. Staying afloat or even alive might be a more pressing concern.

Some examples of "insider hints" recently found on websites and bulletin boards:

• "River X is shown as being off limits on the rental companies' maps, but you may safely navigate it until the stone bridge comes into sight." Now let us not discuss the rather hazy definition of distance here, let us look at why the river is off limits. The reason is simple: it is normally not deep enough for most cruisers and turning around is all but impossible.
• "Despite what rental agencies say, navigation near the Ardnacrusha power generating station is possible." Yes, up to a point - when you try to get away from it and the turbines are running at full power, all commonly available cruisers will go backwards. Despite being on full steam ahead. Sucked into the danger zone.
• "You can go past Ardnacrusha by a system of locks." True again, but then you will find yourself in the Shannon Estuary, which is tidal and has real shipping. And if you then go into the wrong direction your next refuelling point will be Boston Harbor.
• "Unless satellite tracking is introduced, how will anyone notice?" Well, your SOS, Mayday or that Coast Guard helicopter searching for survivors might be a give-away ....

Just in case you should wonder - no insurance will cover you while you are following the pied piper. Apart from this (hopefully) sobering fact, you should consider the reality that any waters rated "off limits" may pose a danger to your health or even life. So ... is it worth the risk? I don't think so.

And by the way: should anything go wrong, don't even think about blaming the pied piper. He'll sit at home, snug and sound, smugly pointing at his disclaimer. Puffing on a tobacco pipe and swearing that he never did any other piping at all, let alone pied.

Photo © 2007 Bernd Biege licensed to About.com, Inc.