Amsterdam in vignette: Albert Cuypstraat Market

The Albert Cuyp market is a menagerie at this time of day, bustling crowds zigzagging this way and that across the narrow street, ricocheting like pinballs between the covered stalls' various delights.  

Iceland Day 2, Part 1: Arrival at Keflavik airport, Rekyjavik exploration

6:45 am.  It’s pitch black outside as we touch down in Iceland.  The plane flight took us up and around in a northeasterly curve, flying first into deep twilight, and then full-on night.

Customs is a fast and groggy affair.  We fight our way outside, leaning against icy rain droplets and blistering wind to the bus pickup area.  It’s a 40 minute drive and still dark outside, so we close our eyes and rest.

Between a bus transfer point for other riders, and stops at different hotels, it’s almost 9 am by the time we’re at the Hilton Reykjavik Nordica.  The sky has gradually grown lighter, giving way to spartan, businesslike buildings and a flat landscape.  The combination evokes thoughts of the American Midwest, were it to be combined with Scandinavian-inspired architecture and a generous helping of umlauts and other diacritics.

Ireland Picture Post #2: Galway

These photos are from Day 4, Galway City Part 1 and Part 2. Click any image to view it in the photo gallery. Enjoy!

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Galway town from across the water

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 4, Part 2: Galway city

Back at the B&B, we switched into better walking shoes, grabbed a cup of tea, and set out again in the opposite direction to what’s known as the Salthill Promenade (or “Prom”, for short).  About a 10 minute walk away, this path goes all along the water as far as the eye can see before the road wraps around and out of sight.  Even in the face of the blustery wind and dark clouds building in defiance of the earlier sunbreaks, plenty of people were out walking, jogging, and even biking.

Salthill Promenade, before the dark clouds began rolling in

What at first appeared to be a long pier intersecting with the Prom was actually a small road to Mutton Island: an area mysteriously blockaded off from outsiders at about the halfway point, with the rest of it stretching off into the distance beyond the padlocked gate and ending at the island.

Ireland Day 4, Part 1: Galway city

This morning began with our first ever Irish breakfast, made fresh by our hosts at the B&B: a sunny side up egg, two slices of bacon, balsamic tomatoes, and a really fantastic sausage, all on a plate artfully dotted with homemade basil oil. 

An amazing breakfast at the B&B