Latest
County Views.127
And now we’re back to County Galway’s lovely Connemara National Park for the rainbows and glimpses of sunshine with which we welcome 2024. May the year bring us all kindness and light in abundance.
Coasting.87
Here we are, already on the last day of 2023. So I’ve decided to throw a few more Irish rainbows and views of one of the most stunningly beautiful places I visited over the course of this year. To end the year on a high note, I’m sharing here any remaining photos of the Sliabh Liag cliffs in County Donegal. My guidebook tells me these are much higher than the more famous Cliffs of Moher, down in County Clare south of Galway. I’ve left many similar photos in the gallery below, so that you get a sense how colors and contrast on the cliffs and sea change as the clouds scuttle past in the – at times frighteningly strong – winds.
City Lights Video Bonus
Islands.47
Soon, I’ll actually start more carefully sorting and curating my Ireland photos. Any day now, I promise. For now, we’re grouping the relatively-appealing shots I took in a given location into larger posts. Here, a historic and religioussite of importance on Inishmore (Aran Islands) called The Seven Churches / Na Seacht dTeampaill.
From The Air.37
Mountains.27
Ah, Royalty.17
I’ve decided it’s time to stop clinging to my remaining photos from that lovely high-summer visit to Paleis Het Loo, now that we’re more than six months later and emerging from the year’s shortest day here in the north. Above: Amsterdam’s Royal Palace from the same morning as the last couple posts. This building is used as the capital’s royal reception hall for guests some of the time, and as a museum the rest of the time. (In NL, the seat of both government and state, i.e. where the PM, King and parliament all ply their respective roles is The Hague…but everyone agrees Amsterdam is the capital nonetheless.) Apparently this building began life as a Town Hall in 1655, and was made over into a residence for royals in the 19th century. Now that my bike ride to work takes me past it both coming and going, I do expect and hope to get in for a visit. Below: all those remaining mid-summer photos left from that lovely afternoon which led to the first post in this series.
Holiday Cheer.16
Holiday Cheer.15
Moreover, though they do a good job of neighborhood lights here, there’s no culture of holiday decorations in anywhere near the over-the-top manner you’ll see if you click that December 2020 link. (The image below shows you what they do on the central plaza that hosts both Dam Square & A’dam’s Royal Palace – see, just not such a thing, eh?) But on a day-trip to Brussels shortly before I flew off for that exhausting trip to Southeast Asia, I did have the distinct honor introducing my dear friends Howard & Gene to the national symbol of Belgium, already decked out in his seasonal finery on that last (rainy, naturally) Saturday in November. They’d never known of the existence of this unusual national symbol of that neighbor nation-state to the south! 🙂
Those paying any attention may notice an unusual theme in these two posts which’ll go up on the 25th – the prior post being an entrance my cousin Sam & I were a tad surprised by while walking to a movie theater during his visit. It’s just coincidence, friends, not a commentary on my mental state. Or, to the extent it is, let’s just say I and most colleagues I’ve spoken with will not be sad to see the end of 2023. Here’s my first of many wishes for a kinder, gentler 2024.
(so much world, so little time....) 