Wordless Wednesday -- Stroll in the Park Blarney, Ireland

Photo Hunt --- Sad

The theme for this week is sad. The following picture to me invokes the feeling sad. Rain on the window and a gray sky. This picture was taken while we were in the UK this past summer. It was cool and gray and I was sad. I wanted wanted sunshine and warm.

Photo Hunt: Wrinkled

This old tree stands inside the walls of Ross Castle in the National Park of Killarney, Ireland. I love how weathered and gnarled it is. I think it fits the catagory of wrinkled very well.

The Green, Green Grass of England, Ireland, & Scotland

Carrie made a comment yesterday about the the pictures I uploaded to Walgreen's -- all 1300+. She simply commented that I had a lot more scenery than she did. That may have been because of where I was seated on the bus.

Due to the fact that Robert is 6'4" tall and has had three back surgeries he needs to be where he can move about on occasion or at least stretch his legs out (I don't know if he really has to do that now, or if it has just become a habit to sit sprawled out) we requested that we be able to sit at the back of the bus all the time after sitting up front one time. The request was granted and we sat on the back seat of the bus the rest of the trip which meant we were there for 9 days.

I was tucked in a corner on the left hand side of the bus with a tall seat in front of me so I could only see to my left and to the right and had no one but Robert to visit with most of the time. With a little bit of difficulty Sheri, who was in front of me, and I could talk but nothing like Robert and Jesse did. They managed to keep a running conversation going for all 10 days we were on that bus. So to keep entertained I took pictures --- lots of pictures of green pastures, green hills, sheep in green pastures, sheep on green hills, streams running through green pastures, bridges crossing the streams running through green pastures, houses on the side of green hills or just houses ---- I think you get the picture, and just in case you don't I'll show you some. Just remember each of these pictures was taken out a bus window while the bus was doing about 60 mph.

Driving from Windsor to Stonehenge (1 of 7)

Driving to Bath (1 of 10)

Just outside of Bath

Going to Bristol (1 of 5)

Between Bristol and Cardiff (1 of 6)

Next two pictures are between Cardiff and the ferry

On to Waterford

Two pictures of ten going on to Blarney

This is the only picture out the window going to Killarney. Much of the scenery was like this and just much to hard to take pictures. Trees, trees, and more trees along the road. Occasionally you could see some sheep, but the trees would be in the way by the time I aimed the camera.

On to Limerick with a stop in Adare.

Between Bunratty and Dublin

In Scotland going to Edinburgh

It was raining so Robert took a picture of me reading and I took one of him lounging. I actually read two and two-thirds books. Thank you, Carrie.

Outside the Firth of Forth

Between Edinburgh and Moffat. There were lots of sheep to take pictures of. (1 of 12)From Moffat on to our final destination Crooksland Hotel before Manchester Airport. That is actually an waterfalls in the center of the picture.

One of the lakes in the Lake District as we got nearer our final night resting place.

Morning drive to Manchester to catch the plane home

Not green pastures, but Greenland as seen out the airplane window. :)

Thursday Thirteen #3

Thursday's Thirteen

Thirteen Cities and towns we visited on our summer vacation with

a footnote about each.

1. London - Not as easy to get around in as you might think

2. Windsor - Darn, the Queen was in residence

3. Bath - Old stuff, but cool pigs

4. Cardiff (a town in Wales) - wonderful little breakfast cakes

5. Bristol - Where our bus driver couldn't find the hotel

6. Waterford - Home of beautiful crystal!!!

7. Blarney - Do you notice how much more eloquent I am???

8. Killarney - Just saying it makes me hear Irish music

9. Limerick - The once was a man from Nantucket ......

10. Dublin - A varied city, one I enjoyed

11. Grasmere - Home of William (or Henry as origanlly written) Wordsworth

12. Adare - the little town where we bought Robert's waxed cap

13. Moffat - a tourist stop for wonderful woolen items

My Summer Vaction -- A Random Look

I've spent two and a half days looking at pictures, labeling pictures, looking up things on the Internet so I'd know what I had pictures of and reading Carrie's Blog to find out where we were part of the time. Now it is time to just bite the bullet and begin sharing the pictures I took. But before I do I would like to say that my approach will not be chronological because last night the young man (OK he's 36) who took care of our lawn for us came by to returned the keys. He asked what was our favorite part of the trip and that got me thinking, "What was my favorite part of the trip?" So here is the answer to Robert's question with picture accompaniments. So I'll jump around and you will get the highlights of my trip.

I loved being in Dublin and seeing "River Dance." What could be better than being in Ireland for that? The Gaiety Theatre, where they performed, is old and has probably seen better days, but I saw "River Dance" in Ireland and sat in a box seat and felt very special.

Then there was the subway ride back from the London Tower which we nearly didn't get to, to begin with, because no one knew how to get around in London -- buses, taxis, and a subway system but we managed to walk up and down the same street several times before finally getting on a bus. I'm positive that Robert and I would be the first to leave on "Amazing Race". The subway ride was fun because we were all relieved to be on the right train headed in the right direction (on the second try "Sorry about that guys.") and just relax. See Sheri's reflection in the glass behind R and J? Then Carrie looking impish. Oh, I found Waterford Crystal factory very intriguing. I had no idea it took so much to make a crystal bowl or vase or nick knack. And I love the nick knack I got as a souvenir. Its like the Seahorse we were shown only much, much smaller. The Seahorse by the way is the city symbol of Waterford and the emblem for Waterford Crystal.

I enjoyed the signs in the UK, too. At Trafalgar Square you are discouraged from feeding the pigeons (be sure to enlarge that sign so you can read what is under the Do Not Feed part), but at St. James's Park they have an area just for that. Signs everywhere cautioned you to MIND THE STEP or when getting on or off the underground MIND THE GAP. Then you don't Exit you take the WAY OUT. And how many of you have been to an award winning public restroom? I could do a list of unusual signs seen in the UK --- maybe that will be my list for Thursday 13.
So begins my favorite parts of my trip. There is much more to tell about. So now that I've decided how to share with you, I'll continue a little each day until you are just plain bored.