As things cool down and the frequency of the storms increase, I’ve been thinking back to last winter when we had just been in Ireland for three months. It was the usual: some people thought the weather was the worst it had ever been, some people thought it was too warm, the snow was late, the snow […]
nature
Berries in Amsterdam
You might have picked up on the fact that I really like plants. So when we were in Amsterdam this time last year, I couldn’t help photographing all of the different berries on display. Never having been in Europe over autumn, I might have gotten a bit carried away. Here they are in their colourful glory. If you’re […]
Rocky Bay
In good weather, Rocky Bay can get busy. People might bring those little disposable barbecues with them, beach towels decorate the space and small children work away with a spade in the sand while the brave ones hop in the waves with their hands up. When the tide is low, there is more beach to go round […]
Coumduala Loop, Nire Valley
In the Nire Valley, Waterford, there are four different hikes you can do through valleys, over mountains and to lakes. We thought it would be a good idea to do the Coumduala Loop in the rainy season. It was cold, and there was a lot of bogginess to get through, but the scenery was rewarding and it […]
Red Barn Beach
It was midday when we stopped over at Red Barn Beach near Youghal, but it almost looked like dawn. The brooding clouds diffused the light really nicely and the colours and reflections were muted and gentle. It was a really good day to have my camera with me. There’s so much space on this beach […]
Hore Abbey
If you didn’t notice, the photo above has a cow in the foreground that is unfortunately making a wee. They just have a knack for doing that kind of thing when there’s a camera pointing at them. It’s not my favourite photo but I thought I’d just leave it there for effect (whatever that […]
Forest & Lough
Not far from Baltimore is the beautiful Lough Hyne with the lush forest of Knockomagh Hill set behind it. The lough is a marine lake. That just means that it is connected to the sea but has a lower salt content because some of the water is rainwater (I didn’t know what a marine lake was until right […]
The Cliffs of Baltimore
I would not have visited Balitmore in South West Cork when I did, if Megan & Eddie didn’t recommend it (they’re a lovely couple that we met here in Cork who’ve since moved back home to the US). The scenery didn’t disappoint. The town itself is a little drive (or walk) from this exact spot that we explored. […]
Doneraile Park
If you’re looking for a great place for a walk, take a drive up to Doneraile Park, situated on the the River Awbeg. It’s open all year round, entrance is free and if you’re located in Cork, it just about a forty minute northerly drive (about ten kilometres outside of Mallow). There’s plenty of space […]
The Cat Shepherd and his Flock
One of the cats, named Bodacious, is the lead shepherd; they call him The Cat Sherpherd. He guards over a flock of beautiful sheep in the countryside near Kilkenny. They aren’t just ordinary sheep, they’re a breed called Zwartbles originally from the Friesland area of the Netherlands. They were mainly used for diary, but they went through a […]