Howth (rhymes with "both") and the city
Note: Pictures galore are posted at http://smarie.phanfare.com/ for this and all previous posts...
Sunday 10 sept
Explored "Ireland's Eye", a small island north of Howth Harbor and reachable only by "ferry", a large, no frills and well worn dinghy that seats up to 30 (snugly, I imagine). In Celtic times the island was called Eria's Island. Eria was a woman's name and this became confused with Erin, the Irish name for Ireland. The Vikings substituted the word Island with Ey, their Norse equivalent, and so it became known as Erin's Ey and ultimately Ireland's Eye. Its The island is "host" to a Martello tower c1800 and a ruined church said to date from the 6th century, and serves as a sanctuary to a variety of seabirds, including thousands of guillemots, razorbills, fulmars, gulls, and gannet (and a plethora of rabbits as well).
From its highest point there is a beautiful 360 view of the surrounding land and water, and the island itself surprises with "Nature's Sculpture", several rock formations (the most spectacular is the huge freestanding rock called the Stack), along with lichen-based "paintings" among the rocks, a bit of heather, and fields of fern like growth and blackberry brambles reaching 3-5 feet in height…a bit of a jungle exploration at 4'10". Visitors are free to explore all, with comings and goings dictated by tide and weather.
Lots of sailboats showing their stuff in the brisk winds of the day, and a salty spray laden ride back to harbor through white caps and wind on the return trip.
Howth hosts a Sunday farmers' market, a tasty punctuation to the day's island hiking, with fresh produce, cheeses, meats, breads and a craft or two. Many an organic vegie found its way home with me today!
Sunday eve...
Into the city center for the Fire Installation on George's Dock. From the blazing "chandelier" over the River Liffey to globes and garlands of firelight, this "luminous landscape" opened the 2006 Dublin Fringe Festival, 3 weeks of music, art, comedy and performances. Check out http://www.fringefest.com/ for more info; the fringe festivals occur in a variety of cities, including Orlando, Florida.
The "lights" are medium sized flower pots filled with parafin, lit with lantern oil on rag wicks, enough to heat and ignite the oil for a warm and unique firelight display of lights. The lighting is a bit like watching slow motion long lasting fireworks. Dramatic and beautiful (and quite toasty!).
Saturday 9 sept
Out to Howth Summit to "cliff walk", a series of pathways high and low on the water side of this island like extension north and east of Dublin proper. Beautiful, restful, exhilarating, and WINDY!
Descended into the village of Howth, to chat with locals and peruse the harbor, home to recreational and fishing vessels. Tides vary greatly here, and trawlers tied at the east pier quay were actually laid over on low tide….amazing to see.
A fisherman recently in was feeding harbor seals (they’re HUGE)….an au naturale version of Sea World…
Tuesday thru Friday 5-8 sept….
Days at the office planning tasks in detail for our two refurbishment projects, time at the sites, successfully resurrecting water and power to both (Yay!), and still waiting for the keys to wheels to facilitate tool and supply purchase and delivery (translation: no car yet, so the streets of Dublin are still free of our anticipated learning curve with stick shift/opposite of the car and road driving!).
Bits ‘n' pieces…
Terms:
You follow = understand?
Straight away = ASAP
Tipper = dump truck
Canteen = cafeteria
Aluminium = aluminum
Hire = rent
Rampai = ramp = speedbump
No bother = we’ll work it out = no worries
Meet vs meeting
A proper shop = shopping trip or provisioning
Phrases:
How’re ya keepin’
I’ve done me work
That’s crack = awesome, fabulous
Craic = conversation
Oddities and observations:
· Less superstores, nothing really like the "convenience" of Walmart or Kmart
· Texas/Tennessee/AND Kentucky fried chix seen so far : )
· US----more choices, greater quantities, more variety (except in the "crisps" (potato chips) selection….if there's a flavor you can imagine, they seem to have it here!)
· Litter runs rampant in the city…not as clean a city as I’d imagined
· Mad as a hatter was coined from the malady incurred by hat makers exposed to chemicals that made them, well, you know, MAD!!
Sunday 10 sept
Explored "Ireland's Eye", a small island north of Howth Harbor and reachable only by "ferry", a large, no frills and well worn dinghy that seats up to 30 (snugly, I imagine). In Celtic times the island was called Eria's Island. Eria was a woman's name and this became confused with Erin, the Irish name for Ireland. The Vikings substituted the word Island with Ey, their Norse equivalent, and so it became known as Erin's Ey and ultimately Ireland's Eye. Its The island is "host" to a Martello tower c1800 and a ruined church said to date from the 6th century, and serves as a sanctuary to a variety of seabirds, including thousands of guillemots, razorbills, fulmars, gulls, and gannet (and a plethora of rabbits as well).
From its highest point there is a beautiful 360 view of the surrounding land and water, and the island itself surprises with "Nature's Sculpture", several rock formations (the most spectacular is the huge freestanding rock called the Stack), along with lichen-based "paintings" among the rocks, a bit of heather, and fields of fern like growth and blackberry brambles reaching 3-5 feet in height…a bit of a jungle exploration at 4'10"
Lots of sailboats showing their stuff in the brisk winds of the day, and a salty spray laden ride back to harbor through white caps and wind on the return trip.
Howth hosts a Sunday farmers' market, a tasty punctuation to the day's island hiking, with fresh produce, cheeses, meats, breads and a craft or two. Many an organic vegie found its way home with me today!
Sunday eve...
Into the city center for the Fire Installation on George's Dock. From the blazing "chandelier" over the River Liffey to globes and garlands of firelight, this "luminous landscape" opened the 2006 Dublin Fringe Festival, 3 weeks of music, art, comedy and performances. Check out
The "lights" are medium sized flower pots filled with parafin, lit with lantern oil on rag wicks, enough to heat and ignite the oil for a warm and unique firelight display of lights. The lighting is a bit like watching slow motion long lasting fireworks. Dramatic and beautiful (and quite toasty!).
Saturday 9 sept
Out to Howth Summit to "cliff walk", a series of pathways high and low on the water side of this island like extension north and east of Dublin proper. Beautiful, restful, exhilarating, and WINDY!
Descended into the village of Howth, to chat with locals and peruse the harbor, home to recreational and fishing vessels. Tides vary greatly here, and trawlers tied at the east pier quay were actually laid over on low tide….amazing to see.
A fisherman recently in was feeding harbor seals (they’re HUGE)….an au naturale version of Sea World…
Tuesday thru Friday 5-8 sept….
Days at the office planning tasks in detail for our two refurbishment projects, time at the sites, successfully resurrecting water and power to both (Yay!), and still waiting for the keys to wheels to facilitate tool and supply purchase and delivery (translation: no car yet, so the streets of Dublin are still free of our anticipated learning curve with stick shift/opposite of the car and road driving!).
Bits ‘n' pieces…
Terms:
You follow = understand?
Straight away = ASAP
Tipper = dump truck
Canteen = cafeteria
Aluminium = aluminum
Hire = rent
Rampai = ramp = speedbump
No bother = we’ll work it out = no worries
Meet vs meeting
A proper shop = shopping trip or provisioning
Phrases:
How’re ya keepin’
I’ve done me work
That’s crack = awesome, fabulous
Craic = conversation
Oddities and observations:
· Less superstores, nothing really like the "convenience" of Walmart or Kmart
· Texas/Tennessee/AND Kentucky fried chix seen so far : )
· US----more choices, greater quantities, more variety (except in the "crisps" (potato chips) selection….if there's a flavor you can imagine, they seem to have it here!)
· Litter runs rampant in the city…not as clean a city as I’d imagined
· Mad as a hatter was coined from the malady incurred by hat makers exposed to chemicals that made them, well, you know, MAD!!
posted by Sheila | 11:36 AM
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