Ireland....Springsteen, Guinness, Jameson, and a Terrible Beauty

This picture comes close to visualizing the "Terrible Beauty" that Leon Uris used to describe Ireland.  These are the Cliffs of Moher in County Clare near Galway Bay.  These cliffs rise to over 700 feet above the Atlantic Ocean.  The walkways are so close to the edge of the cliffs that some visitors have plunged to their deaths when they got too close.

The other reason to visit Ireland...

An even better reason to visit Ireland...

And, our excuse for visiting Ireland - to see the Boss in concert in Dublin!

This was the start of our journey.  In Dublin at the historic O'Connell bridge built in 1734.

Mary next to the statue of Molly Malone, who as the anthem and legend goes, sold "Cockles and Mussels" on the streets of Dublin.  But that's not all...as her dress implies, she was a part-time prostitute at night.

Here's our gang of American expats living in Wiesbaden at the Guiness Brewery, founded in 1759.  The bar at the end of the tour is about 200 feet above ground with 360 degree views of the city.

This caption was written on the glass window in the direction of the Wicklow Mountains where the water comes from to make Guiness so special.  Thank God it's not from the River Liffey that runs through Dublin.

The harp in the logo is facing the opposite way of the Government's use of the harp logo - it was a calculated slam on the "Man" by Mr. Guiness.

Next stop in Dublin was the hallowed grounds of the Jameson Museum.  This is a chandelier made entirelyof Jameson bottles.  Mr. John Jameson's motto was "Sine Metu" - meaning "without fear." 

Ed and Pete after graduating from a whiskey tasting lesson.... Jameson won!

Pete in front of the distillery on Bow Street, founded in 1780.  Jameson was produced on this Dublin site for nearly 200 years, until 1971.

The Temple Bar area is home to most of the Irish music pubs - this one is the namesake bar.

The gang at Temple Bar.



The interior of St. Patrick's Cathedral, the largest church in Ireland.  The interior is 295 feet long, it acts as a tribute to Irish soldiers who died in the 2 world wars.  Ireland was neutral in WWII but over 50,000 Irish soldiers died fighting with the British.  Writer Jonathan Swift (author of Gulliver's Travels) is buried here. 



I have seen so many churches and stained glass windows in Europe, but this one is my favorite.  It's dedicated to feeding the children of Ireland.

This is Christ Church Cathedral known mostly because it's close by...

... Leo Burdock's famous fish and chips.  This hole in the wall, take-out only chipper, has been a Dublin favorite since 1913.  People wait in line for fish bought fresh that day along with good ole Irish potatoes.

And, our final act in Dublin was to see Bruce Springsteen at a local soccer field.  It threatened rain early but turned into a beautiful evening with a lot of sing-alongs. 



The six of us rented a vehicle and took off for the west coast near Galway.  We stayed in a small town called Ballyvaughn.  This picture is a classic view from that area looking over a stone fence towards Galway bay.



Nearby Ballyvaughn are the Cliffs of Moher.  Here I am in contemplation.

Everywhere you looked was an breathtaking scene.  It's difficult for pictures to capture the depth and size of these cliffs.



Another stunning view from near O'Brien's tower.



O'Brien's tower was built in 1835 for tourists to view the cliffs.




Walking home after dinner at a local fish restaurant near Ballyvaughn, this was the scene on Galway Bay.



This is Ireland's own mini-Stonehenge - an ancient Druid burial ground with impossibly huge stones sitting precariously on top of each other.  This is located in the Burren - a large area dominated by stone in the soil.

Here we stand in front of the Blarney castle just after kissing the stone.  We now have the gift of gab or blarney or better known as chatter.

A view from atop Blarney Castle

Our final stop in Ireland was at the House of Waterford Crystal where each piece is still hand made.  This beautiful piece was presented to the rescue workers of NYC in memory of "those who lost their lives trying to save others."

"It's only Castles Burning" - Neil Young

Ok, couldn't resist the temptation to throw in the Neil Young lyric - but today, no castles were burning.  My sister Lisa visited us in early July and we managed to bring her to two castles and attend two festivals - Schierstein Harbor Fest and the Mainz Beer Fest - while she was here for a week.  This beautiful castle on the Rhine - Schoenberg Castle in Oberwesel - is just up the Rhine from Wiesbaden.  Schoenberg, like many castles along this part of the "romantic" Rhine river, are situated on a hilltop overlooking the river.  This is because these landowners charged tolls to any traffic along the river back in the day.

View from the top of Schoenberg Castle looking North

The absolutely charming restaurant within the castle walls with many alfresco dining areas and views of the Rhine

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Another charming spot to dine on a less rainy day!

A patio inside the castle but open to the air.

Mary and Lisa enjoying the view in between cloud bursts.

View along the east bank of the Rhine with another castle looming over the river.

The river is still used for barge traffic but also for tourism.

This stunning view of the Eltz Castle is seen only after a hike down into this beautful valley.  The Eltz family controlled a section of the Mosel River which enters the Rhine at Koblenz.  It was built in the 12th century and has the same charm as King Ludwig's 3 castles in Bavaria.  It's so well preserved because it never got destroyed by enemies or allied bombing.  Where it's situated in the valley protected it from barbarians with fire-throwing catapults.

This charming couple posed for pictures for us.

You get a better idea of the size of the castle from this view.

Inside the castle grounds where the multiple Eltz families were safe from intruders.

A New Family in Wiesbaden



As I was walking through the park about 2 weeks ago, this perfectly symmetrical family stood by the banks of the Kurpark pond, waiting for safe entry for their chicks




Just this weekend, the same family was in the same location.  This time, the chicks were a bit larger and cerainly braver but mama was keeping an eye on the photographer.  I thought I was transported back to South Dakota for a brief moment. 


There is likely some metaphor for this chance meeting of this new family 2 weeks in a row.  It might be about how we miss friends and family everyday while we're here.  Or maybe it's a metaphor for how quickly kids grow into adults.  Or maybe it's a metaphor for a small world - halfway around the globe in the old country, you can find a piece of home.  Or maybe it's just life.

Tschus.

Festival Season in Germany

Kranzplatzfest is held in a small park (about as big as half a football field) and yet they can find room for 2 stages, multiple beer stands, food, hippie culture clothes booths, and plenty of German festival tables.

Festivals in Germany are a piece of german engineering packed with fun.  These are a few of the recent festivals I (Pete) attended with friends in Wiesbaden (Mary is home in the USA working the greenhouse for her umpteenth season).  Apologies for the qualities of the pictures - they are taken with my iPhone - and yes, I do use it as a phone once in awhile.

One of our good friends here from Detroit for a few years - Chris and Sue.  We were enjoying the band and beer on a  Wednesday night before the Ascension Thursday Holiday.  Another reason there are so many festivals in May-June.

 

This act is a Doors tribute band.  They were right on with their keyboard-guitar-drums just like the Doors.  Best was the lead singer who looked like Jim Morrison might look today if he were alive - long gray beard, leather pants, big beer belly. 



This festival - Schlossgrabenfest (literally castle moat fest) is held in a small town near Wiesbaden famous for being the headquarters of Merck pharmaceuticals.  So they have some nice sponsor money to afford 4 stages and 100 bands in 4 days. 

Interesting people watching...

...and outfits.

And great festival food.  This is one of my favorites - plank salmon grilled over a wood fire.  Served in a fresh bun with dill and mustard sauce. 

Even the local bikers have a booth - burgers and Jack Coke.

This one you could smell a mile away... Knobi-Brot.  Essentially baked bread with garlic and other toppings!  Couldn't get myself to try this one.



Just off the grounds near the castle was this interesting bit of architecture.  A modern glass building built around remnants of the medieval wall of the city. 



And fnally, Germans among many things are not understated.  This says it all:  Slush with Alcohol.  Appeals to the kid in all of us. 

London - Spring Break

Our girls took another spring break trip this year to Wiesbaden.  We decided to visit London in the year of the Olympics and the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.  Because of these two events, the city is undergoing a major facelift.  Everything is being cleaned up, including trash.  It is the cleanest we have ever seen the city since coming here a few years ago.  Although they could have considered other warm-weather destinations for a typical spring break, London was unique and the weather mostly cooperated.  The first day, we took a walk to Harrod's - no stop in London is complete without this.  Much to Dad's delight, no bags were needed.  It was a tourist stop only.

The next day, it was a bit rainy, so we jumped on the hop-on, hop-off tour bus for an excellent trip around the city.  We learned about the history of each location and got a better idea of the layout of the city.  During the tour, we hopped off at Trafalgar Square for a visit to the historic church, St. Martin-in-the-Fields.  After that experience, it was time for a proper pub.

When we finally made it around the city, we hopped off again at Buckingham Palace for the traditional changing of the guard.  The next day's weather was much improved so we decided to make the Millennium Mile walking path along the Thames.  We began the walk at the Borough Market, a lively farmer's market near Tower Bridge (the bridge that everyone thinks is London Bridge).  Then we walked along the Thames past the reconstructed Shakespeare's Globe Theater.  We eventually wound our way to the giant London Eye - Europe's largest Ferris wheel.  At first glance, it looks out of place and gaudy, but we had heard many good reports from locals.  So, Emily and Pete braved the heights and went for the ride.  It's amazingly stable and moves at a snail's pace, never stopping to let people on and off.  And there were some amazing views.  Enjoy the pictures....
Tschus!

Inside Harrod's candy pavilion.

St. Martin-in-the-Fields near Trafalgar Square

Katie standing with Eric Clapton in front of Royal Albert Hall where he plays his legendary London Concerts.



Katie dashing in to make a quick call to the Queen Mum



The girls on the partially covered upper deck of the tour bus in the rain

Just below Big Ben and Parliament

Break time at a "proper" pub

Tasting some interesting concoction at the Borough Market

The famous Tower Bridge

On the Queen's Walk (Millennium Mile) along the Thames

Shakespeare's Globe Theatre

Prior to the ride on the London Eye



It looks quite daunting from this angle




In the distance, Buckingham Palace is kissed by the sun.  What a view!!



Going up, Emily is not quite sure...

...Going down, much more relaxed.

Inside the glass bubble, it's a freaky look straight down

At the Top!  Looking down at the next glass pod

One final stop at Carnaby Street - scene of the "Mod" look in the 60's