Dispatch From Dublin

Well, our little tramp through Ireland is winding to a close. Tonight I am in Dublin, the capital, at last connected to a free wireless network. For the time being I will forego extensive commentary and simply post a few pictures from the various points I have been. But first a few general words about my first impressions of Ireland.

Having had my first over-seas experience in rural Asia, the prices and extent of development was a bit of culture shock, in an odd way. The Euro is doing quite well and things are expensive anyway in much of Ireland, particularly the remoter parts with all the pretty mountains and rugged coasts. The food is decent; it's certainly not Asia, and its expensive and one is hardly ever filled up. McDonald's commercials have a sort of Surgeon General's warning on them. There is no smoking in pubs; the pubs are still lovely places, at least in the small towns. I just don't go in for what I've seen in Belfast and Dublin. My favorite was a place owned by one of the Chieftans, in the western town of Westport.

The scenery is breathtaking. I can't get over how green it is- spring green, like my home state in March and April. Wildflowers are still in bloom, especially along the coast. There is a smattering of fall colors, but many of the trees are still green, much like home (at least during normal years without catastrophic storms).

I love the old churches and monasteries and castles and such that dot the countryside and towns everywhere one goes. It's marvelous.

So then, on to some photos:

One of the lakes of Killarney. They were quite full, along with all the rivers in the area. I walked down towards the shore the next day, but couldn't get even within sight of it, the water being way up into the woods around. It has rained quite a bit lately. Lovely.
The Giant's Causeway. Magnificent place, and the weather was lovely, lovely: stiff wind off the ocean, about fifty degrees, with occasional horizontal rain. I couldn't feel my nose or my fingers, but I didn't care a bit.
The famed Ben Bulben from the churchyard in which William Butler Yeats is buried.
Some rocks and outrcropping on the shore of Galway Bay.
This scene is from the Burren, which is an odd place that reminds me more of the American West than Ireland. Most of it is covered in barren-looking limestone pavement, with ancient monuments scattered over it very copiously.
Along the coast on the Ring of Kerry.
Parkavonear Castle in the little village of Aghadoe in Kerry.
Me with the Torrs Waterfall in Killarney National Park in the background. The heavy rain made for a good show.