Happy St. Paddy's Day...

Confession: I hate St Patrick's Day.

There, I said it. I like the idea of St. Patrick's Day, because I generally love the Irish, and the island of Ireland. I think the people here are welcoming, friendly and fun, with a wicked sense of humour. But for some reason the 17th March brings out the worst in them; there are drunken louts in parks, riots in the streets and a general feeling that anything goes.

This year I thought I'd give it a chance. I took the day off work and went to watch the parade in town for the first time in years. The atmosphere was friendly enough, but I wouldn't call it carnival. Big improvement on the last time I was there though, there were loads of kids around so it had more of a family feel. I haven't heard of any trouble yet, so fingers crossed it'll just get better and better.

Here's the obligatory picture of a small child dressed in green enjoying the parade :)