Glendalough

Beautiful colors!

Make a wish!

Wicklow

Wicklow is a gorgeous area north of Dublin. There are tons of bike trails that wind through the hills and valleys. This is one of the places that I would really like to revisit for an extended period of time. Or maybe I'll just make lots of weekend trips after I move to Dublin....

This lake almost looked like it was plastic, surreal....

Waterfall!

Kinsale

While I was staying in Cork, I took a daytrip to Kinsale, a small port town. According to the locals, the town has been getting a lot of attention lately and has become a home for many of wealthier class. I had wonderful weather and truely enjoyed exploring thisbeautiful town.

I thought these houses were very interesting. Look how close they are to each other!

We made the list....

Ok, I know I need to be posting the rest of my pictures, but I had a small revelation today. Well, I was shocked today. I'm hoping the revelation part where everything snaps into place and I can make astute observations about the ways of the world comes later...

I was bored before lunch so I began reading this youth magazine that the government puts out, it was lying around the teachers' lounge. You know a eat-your-vegetables-exercise-daily-be polite- and-don't-discriminate kind of publication. Well, there was this one article called "Tous Diffèrents Mais Tous Egaux (All different, but all equal)." It discussed racist, or discriminatory assumptions and biases, and why they weren't always correct. As a conclusion the article stated:

"Ben Laden est un terroriste. Est-ce que tous les arabes le sont? Bush a voulu occuper l'Irak, est-ce que tous les américains étaient d'accords? Hitler était un nazi. Est-ce que tous les allemands l'ont été?"

It's not what it literally says that bothers me. That part is dead on, it's what I've been preaching to people since I arrived here. But here's the thing...we made a list in an educational publication that placed Bush's name next to Hitler and Bin Laden. What type of message does that send to young people? I haven't decided how this makes me feel yet. Outrage was first. Now I just feel an overwhelming desire to educate myself and then scream at some French people. The disconcerting problem is that I'm not sure I have an argument...

Cork

This is the old Cork Co. Gaol that has now been turned in to a type of museum. People spent years in this place for stealing bread. Also, people would steal just so that they would be sent to jail and be fed and have a place to sleep.


When the prisoners went to bed at night, they made them take off their clothes and leave them outside the door. The guards felt that the prisoners would be less inclined to try to escape naked.

For exercise the prisoners had to walk around this circle for three hours everyday.

Welcome to Cork home of J.J. Murphy and his famous stout.

This is the warden's house. You can't tell very well from this picture, but there are two crevices on either side of the fireplace. These were where he kept torches to be lit in the fire to light his way around the prison. I thought that was interesting.



This was found between two cells. I small fire would be lit here to give light to both cells. Above is the same opening with it's cover.

Looking up at a church from College County Cork.

Looking down at center city Cork.

Murphy's Stout advertisement.

This is my favorite ad. It was all over the place.

Little does he know it, but apparently my dad owns a suit store on St. Patrick's Street.