Ireland is famous for its castles, and no adventure on the Emerald Isle is complete without spending a half-day or so exploring and admiring one of them. But with at least 30,000 scattered across the countryside, travel adventurists must pick and choose which to visit carefully. After all, they are not all hidden gems! At […]
Yesterday was one of those splendidly clear and sunny days so rare for these parts, so I took a short jaunt to Portencross. I've taken photos here before but never really been happy with the results. For this occasion, I held the camera mere millimetres from the surface of a small rock pool. This created this illusion of a loch, of which there is none, and also made the distracting elements ( such as houses, trees, etc.) behind disappear. The bubbles in the foreground were a bonus. No seagulls this time though.
Source Poetry is the song of the heart, molded by the mind. ~Roger W. Hancock -------
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The magnificent Edinburgh Castle is prominently perched on the Castle Hill in the city centre. You can't miss this one. It's Edinburgh's most popular tourist attraction that dates back as early as the 6th century. At one glance, I thought it was daunting to walk up to the Castle Hill. Nothing of that sort. The Castle is situated at the upper end of the Royal Mile where we enjoyed The Fringe, the world's largest arts festival in Edinburgh that takes place in August each year. Our STA Topdeck itinerary gave us the freedom to roam the city till evening when
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Ruins of 'Old' Castlemacadam Church outside Avoca - County Wicklow
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Melrose Abbey, Scotland This was my entry for the Photo Friday challenge "symbol": 5/27/05 Added to the www.flickr.com/groups/cotc/
Some reflections on Catholic Ireland and its exceptional role in regards to the Anglosphere, Protestantism and New Age Neo-Paganism.
Above Image: One of the Stone Tiles The founding of Baltinglass Abbey by Dermot McMurrough took place in 1148. It was established for the Cistercians. The order remained there until the Abbey's dissolution in 1536 under the reformation by Henry VIII. A Protestant Church was built amongst the ruins in 1815 evident today by the remaining Tower, but it ceased use in 1883. The ruins lie adjacent today to St Mary's Anglican Church on the same grounds. Our visit took place on a warm august day when the town of Baltinglass seemed bustling with activity. The town square was full of people and parked cars. Ironically for such a notable Abbey ruin, Baltinglass had only three visitors at that time....Us! Parking was difficult in the town so we took the narrow road down to the Abbey which runs alongside the River Slaney and we managed to park quite near the gates of St Mary's Church. The actual entrance gate to the Abbey remained locked but the gate to St Mary's allowed access to the site. I have to say that the grounds are impeccably kept by the Glebewarden/Groundskeeper. The majestic arches of the Abbey are it's most distinctive feature. There are both squared and rounded pillars standing to the sides of the aisles of the Nave. Some other features are the stone tiles decorated it is said by the master craftsman who also worked on Jerpoint Abbey. Some of these tiles have been placed for display so that you can get a close up view. To the side of the Church wall is a huge plinth with a large stone pyramid atop, which was constructed as a mausoleum for the Stratford family. The Abbey lies in a very sedate and picturesque area of the town on the banks of the River Slaney and we wandered around for about an hour taking in the wonderful detail of the stone masonry. At one point the groundskeeper arrived to cut the grass on the lawns and seemed nonchalant to our presence, but nodded at us when we were leaving. To find the Abbey, take the N81 from Dublin to Tullow and when you reach Baltinglass turn left at the crossroads and go over the Bridge. On the far side of the Bridge take the first left turn along the River. This will lead you directly to the Abbey.
Ranked #5 of 61 attractions in Oban. Been here too? Add it to your map!
see video www.youtube.com/watch?v=MS5nQLODN2s
The East end of Tintern Abbey in Wales
Interior showing the intricate carvings found throughout the chapel. The cubes hanging under the arches are inscribed with symbols believed to contain secret meaning or a musical score. Can you find the Green Man?
The border between England and Scotland offers a number of interesting and unique areas for tourists to discover both historic and modern day attractions.
This old church was an amazing find on the way back from Belfast Castle. It was literally in the middle of a city block, with houses built all around it. It was fenced off, with no visible road or inlet. We walked in between several houses and were able to squeeze through the fence onto the church grounds. When we left, we stopped to ask a neighbor what building this was, and he told us it was the old church chapel for Belfast Castle.
