• 18 things for 2018
  • 2015 Challenge – 52 in 52
  • 2016 challenge – 52 new things
  • 2017 Challenge – 17 things
  • Bucket List – Done and dusted
  • Bucket List – Still to do
  • This is Me – May 2015
  • This was Me – August 2014

RuthsArc

~ Looking forward, looking back & enjoying now.

RuthsArc

Tag Archives: Ireland

Weekly Photo Challenge – Scale

09 Monday Feb 2015

Posted by RuthsArc in creativity, photography, weekly photo challenge

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

art, Ireland, London, photos, Scotland, still life

This week’s prompt is .. scale

The Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland is just stunning. One of natures masterpieces.

IMG_1764

This sculpture by Louise Bourgeois is 9 meters tall.
The photo is taken at Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao but I first saw this spider at the opening of Tate Modern in London.

100_0021

The Kelpies in Falkirk, Scotland is another unexpected yet beautiful sculpture, in daylight or at night. In local folklore, these giant water horses guard the canals of the region.

IMG_2321

IMG_2385

This photo from the Paralympics 2012 reflects the scale of support, effort, energy, joy from athletes and spectators.

100_2300

And to finish off the topic with 2 literal interpretations of the prompt, scale on the fish for our dinner the other night, and scale on a piano.

IMG_4567

IMG_4633

Scale

Different bridges, different angles

27 Tuesday Jan 2015

Posted by RuthsArc in days out, photography

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Amsterdam, architecture, day out, Ireland, London, photos, Seville

Whilst looking through recent photos I realised that I have unintentionally captured a few contrasting bridges.

Tower Bridge, London opened in 1894.

IMG_1280

Blackfriars railway bridge, London, originally opened in 1886 but has recently been refurbished and is now the worlds largest solar powered bridge with the railway station occupying the full length of the bridge. There are stunning views from the trains. Station and bridge re-opened in 2012.

IMG_1637

IMG_1638

These are just a couple of examples of London bridges.

Further afield, The Peace Bridge, Londonderry, Northern Ireland was opened in 2011.

IMG_1868

This version of the “Skinny Bridge”, the Magere Brug, Amsterdam, Netherlands dates back to 1871.

IMG_2626

Puente del Alamillo, Seville, Spain was opened 1992.

IMG_3429

IMG_3434 - Version 2

You’ve got to love the Irish logic

18 Saturday Oct 2014

Posted by RuthsArc in all about me, days out

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

curiosity, Ireland, me

The Irish have messed with my internal compass, with my sense of direction.

The tourist map showed north to the left.

IMG_1946

The first tourist information plinth we saw showed north to the right.

IMG_1696

My brain computes with north at the top. That was my excuse for getting lost occasionally whist walking around the city, and for getting cross with the sat nav lady when driving.

I’m not sure how my internal compass will work when we move to the southern hemisphere. A long undecided dilemma in our family……in Sydney, when walking along George Street, Pitt Street, Elizabeth Street or Macquarie Street , do you walk up to Circular Quay or down to the quay?…….. Up because you are heading north or down because it is downhill?

There were a few other quirky things we noticed in Belfast. We parked on the 2nd floor of a car park, walked down one flight of stairs and arrived at the ground floor…….?The following day we took the lift and it only had buttons for even number floors.

An odd comment came when we ordered two “eggs benedict” for breakfast. The waiter came back and said that they could only do one. We asked what ingredient they had run out of, to be told “poached eggs but we can do fried eggs for you.” That was when I started to worry about the food and how long ago the eggs had actually been cooked. We chose somewhere else for breakfast the next day, for fresh baked scones and muffins.

Northern Ireland – Londonderry – Whiskey, walls and peace.

17 Friday Oct 2014

Posted by RuthsArc in days out

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

architecture, holiday, Ireland, photos

We didn’t have time to visit the Whiskey Distillery during our coastal day, so we drove across country to the town of Bushmills and had a tour of the distillery, learning about and viewing the whiskey making process, the bottling plant. The tour finished in the bar, with complimentary whiskey tasters. What a way to start our day.

We drove to Londonderry. This city was surprising. Our first impressions were of quite affluent suburbs, with the city is spread out on hills sloping down to a wide river. It is a pretty place with lots of church spires. We parked in the city centre and found the tourist information centre, picked up a tourist map.

The Peace Bridge is an impressive footbridge that was completed in 2011. It has lovely lines, curves, with benches towards the middle.

IMG_1865

IMG_1868

Londonderry is a walled city. The walls, built in the early 1600’s, are very imposing as they are up to 8m high and over 9m wide in places. There are several gates giving access to the inner city, originally some would have been drawbridges. There are areas with cannons still in position. The wall goes up and down with the contours of the city. New buildings are built alongside, giving a fascinating mix of old and new. There is a grand Guildhall Building and clock tower between the walls and the Peace Bridge.

IMG_1885

IMG_1887

This part of the old city and the river had a relaxed and spacious feel.

The atmosphere changed dramatically as we drove to the area of murals. It is a long while since either of us has visited somewhere and felt uncomfortable. We did here. From the city wall, we had overlooked a suburb that was openly loyalist, with slogans painted on walls, red, white and blue kerb stones. By the murals, this area was blatantly republican with IRA slogans and flags. Murals depicted several images but notably a fourteen year old girl killed in 1971, and Bloody Sunday in 1972, There were memorials too for Bloody Sunday victims and to hunger strikers in H blocks in the Maze Prison in the 1970’s.

I recognise names from news reports of that time. Bogside in Londonderry, Falls Road and Shankill Road in Belfast, Omagh, Enniskillen, all for tragic reasons. I also remember IRA bombings on the UK mainland, Warrington, Manchester, London Bishopsgate, Canary Wharf, Victoria Station, Hyde Park Barracks and other smaller incidents with offices and stations evacuated, small incendiary devices planted in pockets in fashion shops. We all lived with the underlying threat, coded warnings, disruptions and removal of litter bins in London.

You lose a sense of time with history. It is twenty years since the beginning of the peace process. The Peace Treaty was signed in 1998. During The Troubles, actors spoke the words of IRA leaders during the news reports. I remember hearing Gerry Adams speaking for the first time, although we were used to seeing his image, his actual voice was very different that expected.
This is all recent history and a valid part of Northern Ireland which is recognised as such and included on their tourist maps. One positive aspect of visiting new places is when you want to learn more, know more about the history, the background, the people and timelines of events. We’ve googled while we have been away but I will certainly be reading more in the next few days. As we left Londonderry we passed the “Hands across the divide” sculpture, another visual image of the on going reconciliation in the city.

IMG_1904

IMG_1909

IMG_1861

The drive back to Belfast was across rural areas and moorland, past the “highest pub in Ireland”. It was a fascinating day of contrasts.

We spent our final morning in Belfast driving through some of the areas associated with The Troubles. The republican Shankill Road and loyalist Falls Road are astonishingly close together. There are murals and slogans on the buildings in these areas, flags flying and memorials to the past. Along with the Peace Wall that divided the neighbourhoods, there is now an International Wall, showing the ever changing murals of global conflicts. We spent an hour at the Ulster Museum, which had some interesting exhibits in the mix of history, nature and art zones. After four sunny autumn days, we left Northern Ireland on a grey cloudy day, back to rain again in London.

IMG_1918

It has been an excellent mini break, ticking off things on our bucket list, but it has also surprised us and exceeded our expectations.

Northern Ireland – Coast, castles and giants.

17 Friday Oct 2014

Posted by RuthsArc in days out, one with nature

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

architecture, beach, Giant's Causeway, holiday, Ireland, photos

The coast road that runs northwest from Belfast is striking as it hugs the edge of the land and runs through towns and villages.

The castle at Carrickfergus appears on the skyline as you approach the town. A stone fortress overlooking Belfast Lough as it opens to the Irish Sea. The castle has 800 years of history up to WWII, besieged over time by the Scots, Irish, English and French. Beside the castle is a pretty harbour and marina. It was all very quiet and sleepy, not much happens on a Sunday here.

IMG_1730

IMG_1729

IMG_1723

The road runs inland for a while but between Larne and Cushendall it is right on the edge of the land, with alternative meadows, rocks, cliffs on one side and sea on the other side. The views of the coast ahead are stunning, with headlands, coves, some small beaches, villages on the way. Galloway and the Mull of Kintyre are visible across The Straits of Moyle. I hadn’t realised just how close Scotland is to Ireland. The road cuts across the moors to Ballycastle, a nice little town with park overlooking river and beach, with more stunning views back along the coast.

IMG_1744

Carrick-a-Rede was an unexpected delight. A rope bridge links Carrick Island to the mainland. Atlantic salmon have been fished in this region for over three hundred years and fisherman strung a rope bridge thirty meters above the sea and rocks to get to the migrating salmon. Access is via a section of coastal path, with lookout points, wildlife, plants and some steep steps along the way.

For someone who does not like walking on piers, slatted steps, or anything see-through, the rope bridge was a challenge but worth the effort for the views. I followed the oldies rather than the group of lads who were happy to lark about, jump and sway the bridge as much as possible. The northern coastline is spectacular and we were lucky to have good weather so the blues of the sea and sky were vivid contrast to the rocks, fields and heathland. The most northerly part of Ireland is actually in Southern Ireland, the Republic, in County Donegal.

IMG_1753

IMG_1749

IMG_1748

The Giant’s Causeway was one of our main reasons to visit Northern Island and it surpassed our expectations. Entrance to the causeway is through an informative visitors center. The audio guides provided history, background and myth as we walked the sloping winding road down to the causeway itself. It is hidden for much to the approach, and is simply stunning once you do get there.

The causeway is made up of thousands of basalt columns, mostly hexagonal but some with more or fewer edges. These basalt rocks formed from molten lava that cooled slowly, cracked on the surface but also through the depth of the columns. The columns are at various heights, some with convex surface, others concave. It is just fascinating to walk across the causeway, climb the different angles and columns that make up this natural pavement.

There are similar basalt columns at Fingal’s Cave on the Scottish island of Staffa. Legend tells the story of the Irish giant Finn and his Scottish rival Benandonner, how Finn built the causeway so he could step across the sea without getting his feet wet. However, when Finn saw the other giant he hurried back home afraid and hid, disguised as a baby. Benandonner gave chase, but on seeing the size of the baby, he assumed the father must be a gigantic giant, so he fled back to Scotland in terror, ripping up the causeway as he went.

IMG_1767

IMG_1764

IMG_1762

Our final stop on this northern section of coastline was the ruins of Dunluce Castle. The castle sits precariously on a headland, has medieval history before it was abandoned in the seventeenth century when part of the castle fell into the sea during a storm.

IMG_1850

IMG_1854

Northern Ireland – Belfast – City, ships and craftsmanship.

17 Friday Oct 2014

Posted by RuthsArc in days out

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

architecture, holiday, Ireland, photos, Titanic

We arrived in a sunny Belfast late Saturday afternoon, leaving London in the rain. We explored the city for a couple of hours before dusk settled. The city centre has a mix of Victorian, Edwardian and modern buildings. A grand City Hall is the centre point of Donegall Square, surrounded by wide streets and avenues. The Assembly Buildings, Queen’s University, Opera House and Customs House are other impressive buildings. There are clock towers and the expected churches and cathedrals and the River Lagan runs through the city.

IMG_1694

IMG_1715

Monday morning we walked across the city, over the weir footbridge, past the Odyssey and marina, to the Titanic Experience. It’s in a magnificent building, opened in 2012 in time for the Titanic centenary. The exhibition or experience is brilliant, with enlightening audio guides and interactive displays. It starts by setting the social scene of the times, the industry, life on the city streets, emigration. It introduces the ship yards, Harland and Wolff. It takes a ride through the ship yard as Titanic was being built, the manual and automated jobs, the giant gantries specifically built, the purpose built dry dock.

There is an interesting model of Titanic, one side as a steel hull carcass, as it left the ship yard, the other side once it was fitted out, with completed decks, rooms, propellers. There is a creative three sided visual tour up through the decks. A physical display of a first class cabin compared with second class and basic third class accommodation. It shows samples of wood panelling, carpets, fabrics and emphasises that the majority of third class passengers would not have been used to the warmth and running water on the ship. A spacious area gave the impression of the promenade deck before the exhibition moved to the sinking of the ship.

We followed specific passengers and their fate, as the iceberg hit, during the night of the sinking, the rescue to the aftermath and inquiry. Original photos and personal accounts added to the authenticity. The final section covers the discovery and exploration of the wreck. The experience is well worth a visit.

Outside, the actual size of the ship and it’s sister ship, Olympic, are laid out, side by side, with representation of the percentages who survived and were lost for each passenger class and for the crew. There is a memorial in the city with all the names listed. A separate part of the Titanic trail is the dry dock and pump station. Again here you feel the immense size of the ship, the length and height.

IMG_1803

IMG_1797

We’d noticed a postcard of an interesting looking pub, so we took a taxi back into the city. The cabbie was very chatty, asking where we were from. We said we were having a great time and found everyone to be very friendly. The cabbie commented that locals are friendly, just not to each other. Oh.

The Crown Liquor Saloon is a unique Victorian pub. Italian craftsmen were in Belfast building churches, also moonlighting, working on the pub after hours. Hence, the stained glass windows, decorative woodwork, ornate ceiling and mosaic floor. The pub contains ten different sized nooks or snugs, secluded seating areas with doors labelled A to J. These are along the lines of confessional boxes.

The bar has been owned by The National Trust since 1978, who worked on its restoration. The bar is opposite the Europa Hotel – the most bombed hotel in Europe. It has a great atmosphere, a mix of locals, workers and tourists taking photos. It was a fun place to end our day. As a member of the National Trust we had free entry to the rope bridge and to the Giant’s Causeway. Unfortunately, there were no freebies for NT members at The Crown.

IMG_1840

IMG_1829

Archives

  • January 2023
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
award-free-blog-2

Categories

  • 100 word challenge
  • 52 challenge
  • all about me
  • back in 1985
  • creativity
  • days out
  • fifty something
  • making changes
  • midlife
  • more to life
  • my place
  • one with nature
  • Past Squares
  • photography
  • remembering / musing
  • Uncategorized
  • weekly photo challenge

Tags

5 minutes 52 Things 100 words A2Z Challenge Amsterdam animals architecture art astronomy Australia beach bench series birds boats books Cadiz Cambridge Cars challenge curiosity day out doors Ely emotography family flowers Giant's Causeway Gibraltar gratitude Greenwich happiness Hastings history Hobart holiday home in 1985 India insomnia Ireland Life with Covid-19 London Maastricht macro Margate me Melbourne music Netherlands New Zealand our garden people photos Pull up a Seat quotes Rediscover Tasmania Scotland seasons Seville sky Spain squareodds still life Sydney Tasmania time Titanic trees walks Whitstable work WW Remembrance
Follow RuthsArc on WordPress.com

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 657 other subscribers

Blog at WordPress.com.

  • Follow Following
    • RuthsArc
    • Join 657 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • RuthsArc
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...
 

You must be logged in to post a comment.