Monday, August 30, 2010

It's All Greek to Me

The Peloponnese seaport town of Nafplio in Greece offers scenic views of the Mediterranean Sea, as well as the inner walls and fortifications of Palamidi, a military fortress built by the Venetians during their occupation of Greece in the early 17th century. The fortress stands at the highest point in Nafplio, and served as a symbol of strength during the 1800s when Nafplio became the first modern capital of Greece.

The "Changing of the Guards" takes place every Sunday in Sintagma Square in Athens, Greece. The guards that watch over the tomb of the unknown soldiers partake in a ceremonial switch that involves old-fashioned military uniforms and doing a sort of synchronized dance where often the two guards appear as one.

My cousin Anna smiles for the camera at her house in Greece. Since she is too young to know much English, and I am too lazy to learn Greek, we bonded over taking pictures and showing each other.

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Lost my heart in Galway and the Aran Islands

The Cliffs of Moher in Doolin, near Galway, on the west coast of Ireland. They have become a huge tourist attraction after being used in the films The Princess Bride and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, but unfortunately it is almost always foggy there so it is difficult to get a clear shot of the cliffs.
An overgrown stonewall and door on the outskirts of Kilronan, the largest town on Inis Mor, the biggest of the three Aran Islands.
An alternate view of the Cliffs of Moher that also captures O'Brien's Tower.
A stonewall that divides the property lines and roads on Inis Mor.
Inis Mor, as well as the other two Aran Islands, are covered in tons and tons of stone, so the locals are forced to use it as building materials both for their walls and their houses, as there is no other way to get rid of it.

Click here to get a taste of a Galway music classic

Sláinte!....Cheers for the Irish

My personal favorite Dubliner (sorry James Joyce), Oscar Wilde, a man of many witticisms...
  • "All women become like their mothers. That is their tragedy. No man does. That's his."-The Importance of Being Earnest
  • "I can resist everything except temptation."-Lady Windermere's Fan
  • "There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about."-The Picture of Dorian Gray
  • "Experience is the name so many people give to their mistakes."-Lady Windermere's Fan

My fellow Dubliner-exchange student, Clint Alwahab, enjoys a pint of Guinness at Fallon's Pub in the Liberties.
A little girl dances around her father during a music festival over St. Patrick's Day weekend.

Across the Divide...Northern Ireland

The Giant's Causeway is one of the World Heritage Sites in Northern Ireland and was formed from an ancient volcanic eruption. For tourism purposes, however, the Irish have a legend to go along with formation...An Irish giant, Finn McCool, built the Causeway to link Scotland so that he could prove to Benandonner, a Scottish giant, that he was the bigger one. When Benandonner started to cross the Causeway for Ireland, Finn realized just how large he was and he fled home. When he got home, he told his wife, Oonagh, his dilemma, and, being a woman, she knew exactly what to do. She had him climb into the baby's crib and pretend to be the sleeping baby. When Benandonner arrived at their home, Oonagh welcomed him in and said that Finn was out fishing, but that he was welcome to stay as long as he didn't wake the baby. When Benandonner saw the baby in the crib he started to panic and exclaimed that if that is what the baby looked like, he didn't even want to meet the father, since he was truly be gigantic. As Benandonner fled home in terror, he destroyed the Causeway in case he was followed by Finn.
A view of the cliffs near the Giant's Causeway from the trails above in Northern Ireland.
A familiar scene when passing over the Sperrin Mountains in Northern Ireland- bare hills on one side and dense forests on the other.
A scenic view of the hills outside of Magherafelt in Northern Ireland.
A coastal view of a small village named Waterfoot in Northern Ireland.
One of the creeks that runs through Gleann Aireamh (Glenariff) in Northern Ireland. There are nine glens altogether in County Antrim that were formed by glaciers during the Ice Age.
Another coastal view taken while driving along Northern Ireland's coastal route.
Tyson was our bed and breakfast owners' dog that they adopted after he was injured by a car outside of their house. Needless to say, he is fully recovered and couldn't get enough attention.

Póg Mo Thóin...I'm Irish

Click here to hear a Dublin classic
What I believe is the Lime Walk in St. Stephen's Green, named after the fact that the path is lined with limes trees on each side.
The Department of the Taoiseach (Prime Minister) located on Merrion Square in Dublin.
A fountain in the Iveagh Gardens that were originally laid out by Benjamin Guinness in 1863 and is one of Dublin's best kept secrets.
St. Kevin's Cross in the cemetery at Glendalough monasteries that dates back from the 6th century.The Round Tower of Glendalough stands out among the rest of the monasteries and gravestones.
The Powerscourt Estate was originally a 13th century castle until most of it was destroyed and rebuilt after a fire in 1974. Today it features 47 acres of gardens and lakes, and has been used in several movies, including The Count of Monte Cristo.

One of the statues that lines Triton Lake at Powerscourt in County Wicklow.
The North Bull Island bird sanctuary located on the coast a few miles north outside of Dublin .
A stonewall that lines a residential backyard along the coast in Howth.

I'll be in Scotland before you...




A few scenic shots from the roads leading to Loch Lomond on the western coast of Scotland in March. The loch is the largest in Great Britain and is most popularly known from the song The Bonnie Banks o' Loch Lomond...
O ye’ll tak’ the high road and I’ll tak’ the low road
And I’ll be in Scotland afore ye
For me and my true love will ne-er meet again
On the bonnie, bonnie banks o’ Loch Lomon'.