MJ has posted some Europe photos on her 365 blog. Here are some blurbs to accompany them.
Ireland (Tip: right-click these links and then click Open in New Window)
Poulnabrone Dolmen, the Burren, County Clare - This is a grave in the Burren that predates the pyramids at Giza. It was pouring rain the day we explored the Burren, with a rather crisp wind tugging at our jackets and freezing our noses. For me, none of this detracted from the beauty of the place. It is rugged, dramatic, simultaneously lush and barren.
The Burren, County Clare - The crevices between these stepping stones go down at least a couple of feet. There's a whole world down there: grasses, ivy, flowers, spider webs, etc. Fascinating. Evidently this vegetation would overrun the stones if not for the steady cropping of the cattle in the area.
The beach at Dooega, Achill Island, County Mayo (3 photos) - The McManamans, half of Frank's half-Irish heritage, hail from this village on Achill (pronounced "ackle") Island. They were hardy stock, I think. It is a spectacularly beautiful place, with lush grazing lands, barren hills, towering cliffs, lovely beaches, and sweeping views of a few dotted islands in the huge Atlantic. But the settlements there reminded us so much of limpets, clinging to the island rather than really being settled on it.
There are sheep everywhere. In the fields, alongside the road, in the road, in the abandoned cabins. At one point, I got out of the car to run over the edge of a (seeming) cliff and down the hidden green slope beyond into definite sheep territory. They were unconcerned with my presence.
The roads on Achill are lined with the de rigeur hedges, but here the hedges are almost entirely made up of 8-foot tall fuscia bushes, which were all in bloom. Gorgeous!
Graveyard, Ardmore, County Waterford (2 photos) - One of many stunning grave markers. The second photo is the road outside the graveyard, with the gate we used to enter the grounds on the left.
Our Irish cows, Whitechurch, County Wexford - This is the field that we could see from the windows of our cottage. It was
so quiet there, and so very dark at night. It provided just the peace and quiet we needed after our busy second week in Italia.
The cottage was kind of neat, kind of funky. It's an old converted granary, and our hosts, Patricia and Roger, and their family lived there first, so it was a project house, with a lot of the renovations done piecemeal. The attic room, where MJ slept, has two twin beds tucked under the sloped roof and a tiny little en suite bath. Our room was on the "first" floor (second floor to my fellow Americans), with a TV/sitting area, the big window where we could watch the cows and the sunset, and our mock-canopy bed. Everything else—entry, kitchen and family room, Chloe's tiny little single bedroom, and the main bath—is on the ground floor. The cottage has a separate driveway and parking lot, so we had nice separation from the main house and the other cottages; we didn't see other people unless we wanted to. You can see photos
here and
here.
One day, I took a walk down the road a ways. I took a random turn from narrow road to
really narrow road, crested a hill, and encounted a cow. Somewhat concerned because all the other cows were behind fences, I wandered back to a nearby farm where the farmer was working on a piece of machinery that this city girl is helpless to identify. His dog saw me coming first, went gaga at the prospect of a visitor, and didn't even seem to mind that I couldn't pet him; he led me on down the road with great enthusiasm. "Excuse me," I said hesitantly to the farmer. "There's a cow loose on the road over there. Is that usual around here?" He smiled a little. "It's pretty usual," he said. "Sixteen of 'em went by a little bit ago." He did a quick headcount in his own field, just to be sure, but explained that one of his neighbors is not very careful about closing gates.
The Cliffs of Moher, County Clare - It's pronounced ma-her, in case you were wondering, not "more". Now you know.
The Burren againHook Head, Hook Peninsula, County Wexford (2 photos) - This was one of my favorite spots. There were gale force winds blowing, so we got tossed around in an exhilarating fashion as soon as we stepped out of the car. In fact, I found one place where the wind was sort of scooped by the terrain so it would hold me up when I leaned into it. Loved it!
I don't know why the second photo looks so calm. Don't let it fool you.
Tintern Abbey, Hook Peninsula, County Wexford - And cow.
Graveyard and St. Declan's Tower, Ardmore, County Waterford - Ardmore was on my must-see list because it is featured in one of Nora Roberts' Irish trilogies. This graveyard did
not disappoint. Lovely, historic, mystical, chilly despite the sun. We expected to see Carrick, Prince of Faeries, appear at any moment. And it's on a hill with territorial views of the village, bay, and cliffs.
The headstones there are fascinating. Many of them include the name of the house where the deceased lived. One of the most ornate was a four-sided monument that had the man's name on one side and his two wives' (both of whom he survived) names each on another side. And we saw one stone for an IRA soldier who died in the troubles, circa 1921.
The adjacent church (not pictured) is roofless now but still interesting from an architectural perspective. For instance, there are some fascinating Romanesque carvings on one side:
http://www.inmagine.com/dp034/dp1824984-photo But perhaps the most interesting thing is that the locals have begun burying their dead inside the church. Some of the graves are marked with huge horizontal slabs, including a couple that are placed in the center aisle to unfortunately resemble big lengths of sidewalk.
On the way to Ardmore, we toured through Dungarvan. This was on Chloe's must-see list. It is mentioned in the trilogy in a bit of fanciful local color ("the pub roof blew clear to Dungarvan"), and it caught her imagination. We actually found Dungarvan prettier in an overall sense than Ardmore. I could easily spend our next Irish trip "stationed" there.
ItaliaTorbole, Lago di Garda - Shopping day!
The lakeside garden of that building I can't identify, Malcesine, Lago di Garda - Chloe
The lakehouse and views therefrom, Lago di Garda (4 photos) - Chloe again, the church, just one of many sailboats, the tiled roofs below us
TrentoNear their apartment - Chiara walking Cora
Downtown (2 photos) - Typically beautiful scenery
ItalFly hangar, Trento airport (2 photos) - Our helicopter waits. Just one of the many planes Frank lusted over inside.
A view from the helicopter - I have many more of these. It was so gorgeous up there!
The Roma and Venezia ones seem pretty self-explanatory.
