I recommend County Cork.
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| Aerial view as we departed Cork, Ireland (2019) |
Why Cork? My employer had an office in Cork and my team planned an in-person meeting there. My travel costs would be paid by the company. It was the perfect opportunity to spend a few extra days there and bring my husband along.
We landed in England on the 4th of July. That was no coincidence. I did that on purpose. It was a symbolic expression of my feelings about US politics. We spent three lovely days exploring London, then flew to Ireland.
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| Carma & Oliver ride the London Eye |
We did the Hop On Hop Off double-decker red bus tour of the city, the London Eye, and a day trip to Stonehenge and Bath. (The henge has been photographed enough, not featured here.)
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| Westminster Abbey (click images to enlarge) |
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It's a long walk from the Visitor Center to Stonehenge!
Be prepared for summer swelter - bring more water!! |
I did not make it to Stonehenge. Overwhelmed by the heat and dehydration, I stayed behind while my husband made the trek alone and took photos of a site that was overcrowded and has already been sufficiently photographed.
Bath was a great destination! It is an ancient city where Romans went to soak in natural hot springs.
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Head of a Roman Statue in Bath, England
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| View of from a bus: Bath, England 2019 |
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Why was a skeleton on a bicycle? Answer: Tourism 🤣
(And yes, I lost weight intentionally since 2019) |
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One of the carvings that interested me on Bath Abbey,
why not?
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Enough about London. Three days is not enough. We would like to go again, except there are many other places to go and things to do. Alas, Earth is amazing!
On to Ireland. May I say first and foremost, the most lovely people I had met, until I went to New Zealand -- now it's a toss up! Kiwis win because of how they took care of me when I had an accident. But that's a different story.
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| A favorite moment in Cork, Ireland |
The above photo represents the one moment that captivated me and encapsulates my experience of being in Ireland. I would gladly live anywhere in County Cork. It is lush green. It obviously gets plenty of rain (and I love rain). These dainty dancers are a type of fuschia plant I have not seen anywhere else. I am charmed. Spellbound.
We also had a lot of laughs at the antique jail in the downtown Cork area, and a comedy show.
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| prisoners' etchings on the jail wall |
Blarney Castle was worth it. The gardens surrounding the ancient structure are too vast to photograph, feature many unique flowers, and one of the gardens is all poison plants. Most intriguing!
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Oliver & Carma at Blarney Castle & Gardens
(taken in front of a small whatchmacallit near the castle) |
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| View of another part of the castle from the top of Blarney Castle |
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| View of part of the castle as seen from the top |
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Under the castle is a cave visitors may enter.
As to exiting, that's anybody's guess. |
We rode a city bus out to the rural countryside and back. Here's one of my favorite pics.
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| Scene from a bus |
I was listening to these two gentlemen seated in front of us, snapping photos of scenery along the way, and became amused with the symmetry of his hand gestures reflected on the window. I have about a dozen shots similar to this, different hand and finger positions. This is how I amuse myself.
I love their accent.
I have too many snapshots of Ireland. These are a few of the memories I cherish. Traveling with my husband is a joy -- he is the nicest companion! He is full of wonder and loves to ponder all sorts of mysterious and quirks of the day. I look forward to our next trip, and hope my travels inspire you to enjoy life! Each day presents a new possibility.
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