Ireland Picture Post #5: Inisheer

These photos are from Day 7, Inisheer, where we visited the smallest of the Aran Islands by ferry and saw much of it by horse-drawn cart.  The island is rich with history, from ruins and rock walls to a more recent rusty shipwreck.

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Ireland Day 9, Part 2: Slea head drive

The view along Slea head

We polished off our cheese, bread, and coffee, then headed back to the car for the latter half of the Slea head drive.

I gazed out the passenger window as the low rock wall sped by, looking out to the cliffs.  Bits of land jutted out into the water beyond, tops tufted with grasses so richly colored that they were vibrant, even from afar.  Farther beyond these, in the hazy distance, islands rose up from sea.  One of them, known as the "Sleeping Giant", is true to its name - it looked exactly like a giant on his back, his hands on top of his stomach, napping peacefully amongst the waves.  To our right, the green patchwork of the mountain sloped upward, dotted with the occasional cottage or ruin.  It was hard to know which way to look when surrounded by so much beauty.  

Busy, busy

Working frenziedly on getting more pictures edited and more writing done before work picks up again.   By the way, happy New Year everyone!  Lots of goodness going on this year - here are a few of the things I'm excited about:

1. My sister-in-law got engaged and is getting married this summer.  Woohoo!
   
2. Jason and I (and two of our friends) are going to Iceland at the end of February.  The travel bug bites again!  (Clearly our goal is to hit up all the places starting with "I". I just hope I won't have to start a separate blog entitled, "Five Days in Iceland", because I can hardly keep up with all the photos and blogging from Ireland.)
   
   Seriously, though - if you're looking for a travel deal, Iceland is where it's at right now.
   
3. Yoga.  Because there's never a bad time for it and never not a reason to be excited about it. ;)  (Or maybe I just needed a third item for this list.  The world may never know.)

Anyway, happy 2013 - let's make it great!

Ireland Picture Post #4: The Burren

These photos are from Day 6, Galway to Doolin via the Burren, Part 1 and Part 2.  The Burren was, much like Connemara, absolutely beautiful.  It was also a stark contrast - barren where Connemara was lush.

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Dunguaire Castle, located just south of Galway

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to my readers from the US!

I know, I know, it's not quite Thanksgiving day yet.  But I want to let everyone know that no, I'm not dead, and yes, I'm overdue for a blog update. :)

Work was crazy busy the last couple weeks as we went through a big organizational transition.  Now that that's over with, I plan to pick up with more picture posts, another "Intermezzo", and more writing on our trip after the holiday.  Stay tuned!  And, as always, feel free to leave questions in the comments.  I'd love to answer them.

In the meantime, if you're looking for a few tasty recipes for the holiday, here are some of my favorites:

• Prosciutto-wrapped asparagus
• Perfect brined turkey
• No-knead dinner rolls - I brush these with a mixture of honey and butter as soon as they come out of the oven
• Cranberry orange sauce
• Horseradish mashed potatoes
• Marbled pumpkin cheesecake

Have a wonderful holiday, and I'll see you all soon!

Ireland Day 9, Part 1: Slea head drive

An apple enjoys the view from our room

There's nothing quite like waking up, throwing back the curtains, and gazing out to sea, cows, and greenery.  So far, Dingle has the pastoral, rural elements of Doolin which we were surprised to love so much.  There are even horses right across the street from our B&B, and when a horse-drawn cart goes by from time to time, they all race over to watch it pass.

Yet a mere 5 minute drive down the hill brings you to the sprawl of Dingle shops, and if you follow the rise and fall of the road, it leads you out to a harbor chock full of boats.  In this sense, it has the feel of Galway, where we wandered along the sea walls gazing down at the grizzled sailors in their small fishing crafts.

Ireland Picture Post #3: Connemara

These photos are from Day 5, Connemara Scenic Drive, Part 1 and Part 2.  Connemara is a beautifully wild, Irish-speaking region northwest of Galway.  It was also easily one of the most gorgeous places I've ever seen.

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Barreling down the Connemara back roads