Of Ice Cream Trucks and 99's

First, the 99.  It is the UK and Irish national treat as far as I can tell.  It is perfection.  It is ice cream. Specifically, a soft serve sweet cream flavored cone with a small chocolate bar called a "flake" sticking out of it.  A search for the origin of the rather odd name left me flummoxed.  But it is delicious.  It can be served with sprinkles or other bits and bobs on it, or it can be served with strawberry sauce drizzled all over it.  Any way you have it, it's lovely.

Now, on the Irish Ice Cream Van.  Just as in the US, it shows up in your area on any warm day with music blaring and temptation in it's wake.  It plays, here on the Emerald Isle, just one song.  La Cucaracha.  No others, just La Cucaracha.  Now I can't say what a song about a cockroach has to do with food products, but it seems to be the siren song of the Ice Cream Van driver nonetheless.  Here the ICV does have one distinct advantage over its US cousins.  When the Van approaches, the driver pulls into a safe spot - in our case along side the green space directly in front of our house, and stops.  The music of the cockroach continues for a minute or two, then the driver turns off the music.  He waits a few more minutes to see if the bait is going to be taken, and if no potential customers approach, he moves on. In silence.  So, a more judicial use of the music sets the Irish ICV on a pedestal high above the US equivalent.