8/25 through 9/1

Here's a few pictures of where I've been so far.

This first picture, a cathedral in Kildare, blows me away with its age. The site is 800 years old, and what was striking was how naturally those eight centuries suit the place. It's only a fuss if your own home is only about 250 years old.

The second and third pictures are of a beach in Bray, nestled into the cliffside of the coast. The water was freezing even in August, as you can expect from the Irish Sea.

The fourth photo is from the top of a 108-foot stone tower in Kildare (next to the cathedral, actually). The climb was tortuous, but the view of the gleaming Irish countryside ... you can see how it was worthwhile.

The fifth picture is from the grounds of the Killruddery House, at the home itself. The gardens were about as ornate as the house, which to this day houses the latest generation of the Brabazon family.

Photo #6 was taken at the mouth of the beach in Malahide. An old man asked me what I thought of the view, and as a Texan representative I had only inadequate words.

The last picture is the view off the coast of Dalkey. The island pictured is Dalkey Island (groundbreaking name, I know), where I will need to return soon. This coastline provided the landscape for a few writers you might recognize: G. B. Shaw, Hugh Leonard, Maeve Binchy, and James Joyce (for less than a week, apparently).