Ireland Day 7, Part 2: Inisheer

Inisheer's idyllic pastures and happy cows

As Inisheer came into sight, we spotted on its leftmost tip a lighthouse and, even more excitingly, a hulking rusted wreck of a ship.  There was plenty of opportunity to get out the zoom lens for shots of both the lighthouse and shipwreck, but we quickly decided it was a goal to get out there in person for more pictures.

A few remaining clouds scuttled across the sky as we disembarked, but they were white and soft – promising clearer skies than the storminess of before.  No sooner had we gotten our bearings on the quay than we found ourselves propositioned from all sides by dozens of men of varying ages, arrayed all along the pier in sun- and wind-bleached clothes.  

Ireland Day 2, Part 2: Dublin city

Ends up hotel rooms don’t provide enough mental stimulation to stay awake, so bus into Dublin city it was.  In light of which, by the way, I would fully support a move by Seattle to exclusively double-decker transit.  No more need for awkward seats in the articulating middle, and twice the height of course means twice the excitement when you go hurtling around corners at breakneck speeds.

Having traveled before, Jason found Dublin similar to other western European cities, at least to his recollection (which may be vague, as it's been many years).  For me, it was new but not entirely unfamiliar – bustling street corners, pedestrian-only lanes (which were lovely, given that street crossings have proven to be frustrating and often require very bold jaywalking), and shiny-lacquered shops snugged up against each other with no space in between.  Some sidewalks were wider than the streets (which I know may not be saying much, given the reputation these streets have for being rather narrow - but they were rather wide sidewalks nonetheless), while others are so narrow that two people can hardly walk side by side.