Category Archives: travel

Ireland 5: Inishmor, largest of the Aran Islands

Posted on October 22, 2017 | Leave a comment

Aran Islands have always meant to me beautiful cabled sweaters. Now I’ll forever associate the name with the patterns of rock walls (and sweaters as well).

: A road-side scene somewhere west of Spidal, the first time I saw these walled fields. Blew my mind.

: A somewhat rough 45′ trip out to Inishmor.

: One thatched roof for the family, one small one for the Leprechauns.

: Approaching Dún Aonghasa, the ruins of a fort whose oldest parts date to 1000 BC.

: Multi-leveled walls are a distinctive feature.

: About 85 meters down to the ocean floor.

: I was literally lying on my belly to feel safe next to the wall.

: Southward.

: Northward.

: The “7” churches.

: Sweaters sweaters everywhere. Actually less expensive on the island than in Galway or Dublin.

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Posted in Ireland, travel

Ireland 4: Galway

Posted on October 22, 2017 | Leave a comment

It was supposed to be a blustery and rainy day, with the end of “Storm Brian” affecting western Ireland. I have no faith in weather reports, and leave it up to the universe. Almost always not as bad as they say it’ll be.

: My kind of School of Philosophy, involving wine and whiskey.

: This beauty was on the outside of some forgettable historical monument.

: Loved how even the sidewalk sites of urban infrastructure had celtic designs.

: Galway Cathedral, construction completed in mid-1960s

: (Our) JFK visited Galway in 1963. He’s memorialized with a mosaic in the cathedral.

: The final scene in Ed Sheeran’s Galway Girl ends in the far left blue house.

: C loves to visit low tidal flats.

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Posted in Ireland, travel

Ireland 3: Westport to Galway

Posted on October 21, 2017 | Leave a comment

We drove south through Connemara, heading to Galway. First stop area was around Croagh Patrick, though we didn’t have time to climb. Another year. Across the way is the National Famine Memorial, a very moving sculpture of a coffin ship with skeletons forming the rigging. Nearby, the ruins of the Murrisk Abbey. Then through the phenomenal Doolough Valley, where people collapsed and died of starvation while seeking relief during the potato famine in 1849. A very stark landscape. Considered buying a sheep. Decided against it. By the southern end of the valley, we were in pouring rain for the remainder of the afternoon.

: Instructions for how to make the pilgramage work for you.

: Croagh Patrick, about 2500 feet above sea level. Saint Patrick was atop it for a while about 440 AD.

: View northward from Croagh Patrick.

: National Famine Monument, installed in 1997. Artist was John Behan.

: Ruins of Murrisk Abbey, founded originally about 1450 AD.

: Modern cemetery too.

: Entering the Doolough Valley.

: Memorial to those who died crossing the 10 miles of the Doolough Valley, 1849..

: it happened to be sheep selling day in the tiny town of Leenaun.

: Moving a sheep from Point A to Point B.

: You look mahvelous.

: Smells like wet wool.

: view of the Galway Bay from our apartment.

: near our apartment in Galway.

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Posted in Ireland, travel

Ireland 2: Westward to County Mayo

Posted on October 21, 2017 | Leave a comment

After a few days in Dublin we rented a car and drove a few hours west/northwest, ending up in Westport, in County Mayo. Chris dislikes mayonnaise intensely, but now we know that it’s really Contae Mhaigh Eo.

: Chris drove, Diana navigated.

: The excellent Wyatt Hotel in Westport.

: favorite pub, owned by Matt Molloy, previously of The Chieftans.

: pub music.

: the northern coast.

: the ocean in front of Ceide Fields, looking eastward down the cliffs to Downpatrick Head.

: Sketch of Ceide Fields, the archaeological site where the 5000yr old community lies under the bogs.

: walkway through the bog, where the various sites lie.

: the top of an uncovered rock wall.

: Excellent interpretive site.

: blocks of the “bog” fuel being sold at a grocery store; used to supplement household heat

: Ireland loves its hydrangeas.

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Posted in Ireland, travel

Ireland 1: Dublin

Posted on October 21, 2017 | Leave a comment

Ithaca College’s London program has its fall break, so Chris and I have used the extra time to explore Ireland. We flew to Dublin on a Sunday afternoon, hours before Hurricane Ophelia was due to strike the island. Where we were it ended up being just a windy day, but we hunkered down in the pub and had REO Speedwagon’s “Riding the Storm Out” stuck in our head for hours.

: They’ve got the whole world in their feet.

: Lovely Georgian doors.

: Hurricane Ophelia from our hotel window.

: Riding the storm out.

: Trinity College, Dublin. Book of Kells is housed here.

: a representation from the Book of Kells

: the Long Room, 65 meters long and filled with 200,000 old books.

: an Oregon maple tree in the Trinity College quad

: a little Molly Malone admiring the Molly Malone statue

: looking westard up the River Liffey about 10am

: Ha’penny Bridge

: Christ Church Cathedral, whose origins date here to about 1000 AD

: floor tiles in Christ Church

: inside Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin

: St. Patricks

: Tasting from tiny glasses.

: 7th floor of the Guiness building, a circular bar looking over the city.

: Eastward down the River Liffey about 7pm

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Posted in Ireland, travel

Egypt 3: On Land

Posted on September 28, 2017 | Leave a comment

Before and after the diving trip, a night spent in each of Port Ghalib and Hurghada. Enough hours to appreciate that this is one very complicated and interesting place.

: First view of the Nile Delta, looking eastward into it.

: Further south in Egypt.

: How can a geographer not be glued to her airplane window? City of Hurghada in the distance.

: Yes, it’s the same Hurghada where terrorists have attacked tourists.

: After a 3-hour drive, I ended up in Port Ghalib. The first morning from my hotel window, morning #1.

: Shop clerk, sharing some tea and being taught basic Arabric phrases.

: View of Port Ghalib marina/shopping from our moored boat.

: Merchants inside the tourist compound of Port Ghalib, about 50′ from our boat.

: Four signs for Viagra. In case you’ve left home without it.

: A typical morning-after scene in Port Ghalib. Mostly German tourists here.

: On the drive from Port Ghalib back to Hurghada. Creative continents on that globe.

: One phenomenal lunch in Hurghada.

: the main mosque in Hurgada

: view from my Hurghada hotel

: Uninspiring street scene #1

: Uninspiring street scene #2

: View from the airport looking westward. Bye, Egypt.

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Posted in SCUBA, travel

Egypt 2: On board the Emperor Asmaa in the Red Sea

Posted on September 28, 2017 | Leave a comment

Seven nights on the Emperor Asmaa, sailing from Port Ghalib down to the St. Johns area, and back via Fury Shoals and Elphinstone, among other great dive sites.

: the Emperor Asmaa, about 100′ long, with 10 double cabins for divers. The “baby sister” ship of the fleet.

: Making the shark sign. Our group: 9 Germans, 2 Austrians, 2 Americans, 2 Canadians, 2 British, 1 Dutch, 1 Korean, 1 Swede, 1 Swiss (dive guide), 1 Egyptian (dive guide).

: We did a “Southern” itinerary. 1st overnight was a long 12 hrs southward, then we worked our way back up to Port Ghalib.

: Again, the motto for the week.

: When the bell rings, 8 times/day, you feel your hair. If it’s dry, it’s time to dive. If it’s wet, it’s time to eat.

: The pre-dive briefing.

: Lots of equipment.

: I wore a 5 mm-thick “shorty” wetsuit. Water was 27-28 C (80-82 F).

: We did night dives too.

: Compact kitchen from which great things emerged.

: Dining room

: This dinner was “Egyptian” night. Always wonderful food, and this was one of my favorites.

: Of the 3 in the kitchen, 1 is a pastry chef! Everything from scratch, 3x/day.

: Hanging Out Place #1

: Hanging Out Place #2

: Cabin #6

: Bathroom/Head of Cabin #6

: a Loo with a View

: Pictures swung out from the wall as we rocked. Seasickness an issue only on first night.

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Posted in daily life, SCUBA, travel

Gallery

London 3: Pink Floyd, Longitude, and City Life

Posted on September 13, 2017

This gallery contains 15 photos.

Chris said a sobering thought last night, that we’re already 20% of our time being here. A semester flies so quickly… Some days we spend just in our little house in our corner of London, but most days we venture … Continue reading →

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London 2: Brighton, Kew, and around home

Posted on September 6, 2017 | Leave a comment

Last weekend we took the train southward to Hurstpierpoint, a quaint village just outside of Brighton. Our friends Sarah and Martin Williams live there with their almost-to and already-in university children, Emma and Joshua, and we enjoyed delicious food and drink with them in several places. Sarah Williams was Sarah Cooper when Chris and I first met her as a fellow student at Middlebury College circa 1984.

: Church (of England) at the center of Hurstpierpoint

: so many beers, so little time

: C is very skeptical of Granola Ale.

: Small street named after our President’s small hands.

: So many footpaths, so little time

: on a walk through Hurstpierpoint. Beautiful hydrangeas.

: View from Martin & Sarah’s roof

: the view of the South Downs National Park from the top of Devil’s Dyke

: hee hee hee chocolate bars

: C and the colors behind him

: Brighton’s chocolate alley. Mmmmm.

: looking across the English Channel towards France from Brighton

: just like Atlantic City, New Jersey

: Bleak Amusement Opportunity #24.

: Pretty empty beach scene on this day. But beautiful nonetheless.

: Windy and a bit cold. Burned out pier in the background.

: Mmmmm, delicious Japanese restaurant.

: a path near our house where I run.

: one of the foxes that lives in our backyard

: Kew’s flowers, with the palm building in the background.

: Chris for scale.

: inside the waterlily building. See Chris?

: Kew’s Botanical Garden, directly under Heathrow’s flight path. Oh so quiet if not for the jet airplanes passing over every 90 seconds.

: a very cool place

: what the very cool place looks like from the outside

: and from the inside

: LOTS of very big Sweet Chestnut (Castanea sativa) trees in Kew

: For those of us who do well with gluten, sugar, dairy, and fat, what could possibly be better than a scone with clotted cream and raspberry jam? OMG, so delicious.

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Posted in England, travel

Gallery

London 1: New Surroundings

Posted on August 31, 2017

This gallery contains 12 photos.

We’re settling in to this place that is both familiar and exotic. Good weather, remembering to look right as we step off a curb, sipping tea and biscuits. Wifi works well everywhere which makes my livelihood continue uninterrupted, for the … Continue reading →

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Category Archives: travel

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