Peat and repeat were in a boat...

What is peat, anyway? Peat is decayed moss and other plants that accumulate over time (centuries to millenia) in Irish bogs (Not just in Ireland, but the subject of this blog post is our trip to Ireland, so...).

This organic muck (a.k.a turf) is dug out of the bog, traditionally with a special shovel. The picture above shows some dug by tractor.

The peat is dried and then stacked, first in small piles to finish drying, then in larger stacks for storage.

The dried turf is then burned like firewood in fireplaces, etc. It has a distinctive smell - kind of like pipe tobacco but less sweet, more spicy. We frequently caught a whiff on the breeze during our hikes and drives through the countryside.

And, like many other surprising items, you can buy Irish peat on the internet. I now have two small bags of peat chunks for use in barbecuing. It smells just like I remember. Some of you may have the chance to share the experience at our next cookout.

As is often the case, peat smoke is now the "smell of Ireland" in my mind. The scent takes me back to our trip. I can't wait to smell it again!