"Wandering re-establishes the original harmony which once existed between man and the universe."
—
Anatole France
It’s getting to be about that time…
October 13, 2011
September 29, 2011
“To doing better for ourselves.”
“By ourselves.”
The culmination of my two weeks in Ireland was our trip to Inis Mór, the largest of the Aran Islands off the coast of Galway. The west coast of Ireland is truly the most beautiful place I’ve ever been and the Aran Islands were no exception.
Somewhere between the torrential wind and rain blowing into our faces as we pedaled our rented bikes up and down the beaches, the steep hike to the lighthouse and the most brilliant view from the top, stumbling into a pub drenched and beaten, and downing two pints of Guinness before cycling back to the Harbor, we thought to ourselves… Yeah, life is pretty good.
And absolutely nothing beats that feeling.
September 24, 2011
I’m really excited about finally posting these pictures.
Though everyone I met in Ireland looked down upon going on a tour, I must say I would not have traded that €20 for anything else.
I never thought I’d see anything more beautiful than the west coast of the United States, but… Sorry, California. I still love you, but the west coast of Ireland has won me over.
We took the Cliffs of Moher & The Burren tour with Galway Tour Company and went on one hell of a ride. A sick baby, a detour, a missing person (they found her eventually), old Irish folk songs, and meeting a fellow Trojan in a small town pub kept Micah and I sufficiently entertained, even if we got back to Galway two hours later than expected.
We drove to the coast, passing miles and miles of limestone in the enormous Burren. The abundance of limestone is so great that every church and wall is made of it, not to mention it’s impossible to grow crops because the grass there is growing on top of deposited limestone. (/geology) Also, apparently J R R Tolkien was inspired by the Burren, which makes me happy.
The Cliffs of Moher are incredible, you guys. Climbing up to the cliffs and sitting along the edge gives one a feeling of being so small, especially in the face of such an astonishing place in nature.
September 19, 2011
"Remember, remember, this is now, and now, and now. Live it, feel it, cling to it. I want to become acutely aware of all I’ve taken for granted."
—
Sylvia Plath (via paperlover)
I create pictures in my mind, in all the times I don’t take pictures, and much more importantly, I imprint the feelings there and hope that I will be able to feel this way always.
(via teachingliteracy)
September 18, 2011
Dublin
Do: Go to Messrs Maguire off of O’Connell Street and get their tester tray of home-brewed beers to wash down their fried breaded brie.
Do: Take the DART train to Bray, walk along the coast, and then hike up the mountain to the concrete cross at the top. (The view is incredible)
Do: Take advantage of the free museums around Dublin, including the Hugh Lane Gallery, the Chester Beatty Library, and the national museums. (There are four!)
Do: Eat chips. All the time. The more vinegar, the better.
Do: Visit the shops in Temple Bar south of the Liffey River and watch people singing classic rock from the pub windows.
Do: Drink a pint of Guinness every day. (The signs say it’s good for you)
Do: Eat at Supermac’s, Ireland’s answer to McDonald’s.
September 18, 2011
"I don’t think we should be climbing on a national monument."
—
Micah
I will be updating soon on all the epic things I’ve been doing in Ireland! :)
September 12, 2011
"
When it’s over, I want to say: all my life
I was a bride married to amazement.
I was a bridegroom, taking the world into my arms.
When it’s over, I don’t want to wonder
if I have made of my life something particular, and real.
I don’t want to find myself sighing and frightened
or full of argument.
I don’t want to end up simply having visited this world.
"— Mary Oliver, from “When Death Comes” (via bookoasis)
(via teachingliteracy)
September 8, 2011
“I don’t give much advice, but I want to tell you two something. Anything you want, go and get it. You women have the power to change the world. I’m afraid of you.”
New York City, I love you.
I’m not paying $25 for a sandwich, though.
September 6, 2011
Anonymous asked: None of your pictures load for me! Am I a fool, or are they simply not uploaded yet? xoxo
Whoops, thanks for the heads up! I’m working on fixing that problem :)
edit
They should all work now! Thanks again <3
September 6, 2011
“We don’t need to go to Home Depot, there are enough tools in New Jersey.”
Liberty State Park, Jersey City, NJ
Today started out slow, but we managed to get out the door and take a drive down to Jersey City, my first actual experience out in Jersey. Our first stop was the Liberty State Park, across the Hudson River from New York. My favorite part about being on the east coast or in Europe is being surrounded by history, just by being a part of the environment. It’s just not the same in California.
The weather out on the waterfront was cool and breezy as we walked to the edge of the park, the back of the Statue of Liberty bright against the cloudy sky.
Central Railroad of New Jersey (CRRNJ)
We drove further north to where ferries take tourists to Ellis Island, where there was also the CRRNJ, an old (and no longer running) train station that was once connected to all the railroads in the country and served 50,000 commuters a day, not counting the number of immigrants coming into New York daily. (How about that for history?)
Standing in front of the CRRNJ
I found it fascinating that the ground was paved with wooden bricks.
In general, being in Jersey City was a sobering event. The presence of the Statue of Liberty was joined by relics of 9/11, giving way to feelings that were (are?) perhaps enhanced by this Sunday’s ten year mark. Though I have my own story to share about my experience on that day, I think that east coasters are right in saying that it was just a completely different experience to be so close to the towers. There is, I think, something to be said about being so far removed from this side of the country.
“Empty Sky,” September 11th Memorial for New Jersey’s lost ones
At the bottom of the picture, you can faintly see the engravings on the walls between the two towers. They are names. Viewed from the other side, the memorial looks out across the river to where the towers stood.
—
We hopped back into the car and drove to Hoboken, a city just north of Jersey City that reminds me of trendy areas of Los Angeles. Young demographic, lots of shops and restaurants, and parks where people ride and run. I really enjoyed the vibe of the city as well as the downtown area that was perfect for people-watching (including the bros who walked by our lunch table who were loud and obnoxious and dropped a beer bottle on the sidewalk and left it there, garnering them the title of this post.)
We had lunch at Johnny Rockets before tracking down the Cake Boss’ bakery Carlo’s Bake Shop, where I had my first cannolis! We expected the bakery to be crowded, since there were barricades placed outside, but we were in and out with the goods in no time.
Tomorrow, Mary and I are going to the infamous Jersey Shore and I just cannot contain my excitement.
RSS feed: http://avoirladalle.tumblr.com/rss
1 of 7
Next page
