Recently in Travel Category

Did the mountains in China's Zhangjiajie National Forest park inspired the floating Hallelujah Mountain Range in the movie Avatar? Our world has some of the most strangely gorgeous places.

I think I've mentioned before on my blog that I've fallen in love with Arizona. The desert is such a mysteriously beautiful place. As I recently tweeted, I visited Page, Arizona, for my New Year's celebration. Regrettably, my numerous tweets on this trip did not go out as, unlike Verizon, AT&T had no 3G coverage at all in Page, and their Edge network rarely worked for me anywhere.

I went to see and photograph Antelope Canyon.

The small Page airport was wonderful--like stepping back in time. They have one car rental company: Avis, which was closed on January 1st; so, a car couldn't be rented. But when we landed (all 6 of the people on the Great Lakes Airlines plane from Phoenix) a man was at the Avis counter. He said that, even though it was his day off, he came in to do some paperwork, and decided to come in when the flight arrived in case anyone needed to rent a car.

Wow! Now that's customer service.

The Page city council should do something nice for this guy. As a result of his extra effort, Page took in more revenue. Instead of being stranded at the hotel until the tour guide arrived the next day, having a rental car, I was able to get out, see the sights, and spend some money. This guy is Page's unofficial ambassador. He also recommended some great places to see!

Be sure to view the larger versions of the photos below. Simply click a photo to see the larger picture which has better color depth. From any large version, you can view all of the photos in this post by simply pressing the "n" key for "Next."

I shot several pictures at Horseshoe Bend (above and first two below). This place was magnificent! The air was completely still, so I timidly, slowly, haultingly inched up to the edge of the 1,500 foot precipice for several shots. (I also kept the tripod in front of me as if it would somehow magically keep me from plummeting to my death.) There's nothing to stop you, nothing to prevent you from falling over, nothing to catch you if you did. You would drop 1,500 feet straight down to the Colorado river bed below.

The view near the edge is astounding and terrifying at the same time--breath-taking in more ways than one. Just thinking about it makes my knees weak and my skin crawl again. Frankly, it was scary as hell! I'm including a shot or two of some young guys who just walked right up to the very edge as if falling to your death were an impossibility. They were crazy insane!

Carol Bigthumb's son and a friend of his were our tour guides through the Lower and the Upper Antelope Canyon as well as Owl and Rattlesnake Canyons. Carol was delightful, and I recommend her tour guides.

I just thought we would walk straight into this large canyon (sort of like Petra, Jordan), and, at the upper canyon, you do. But the lower canyon begins as a small crack in the ground. Her son hopped into the crack, barely wide enough for your feet. I didn't realize that he expected me to follow until it suddenly started going deeper into the ground.

There were a few places near the entrance where I had to squeeze through with my camera backpack on my back. One of the guides, a thin college student who runs 4.30 miles, then wore the backpack for me for the remainder of the day. They were incredibly helpful.

All of the canyons were different and astounding. The lower canyon had numerous steps and ended with a large number of stairs going back up out of the canyon. At that point you realize how deep into the ground you are. I'm not overly bothered by heights, but I couldn't look down. I just grabbed the rails and went: up, up, up... Dear god, would we ever get to the top?! My leg muscles are still killing me from the stairs, hiking up and down, and the constant squatting down to peer through the camera viewfinder!

Eleven young people (twenty-somethings), were killed in the canyon a few years back. They were told to leave the canyon as flash floods were on the way. Seeing no clouds in the sky, they went back in. (Only one body was ever recovered.) Astoundingly, the violent rushing water completely fills these deep canyons all the way up to the top. The flash floods are what carve the smooth, gorgeous walls of the canyon from the rock.

The photos are exceedingly long exposures (many well over 60 seconds) because of the interesting and ever changing lighting conditions in the canyon. I shot for HDR (3 to 5 exposures per shot), so you can expect to see an incredible HDR gallery as soon as I have the time. For now, enjoy just these few single exposure shots.

Our Navaho guides spoke of the canyons as sacred. I can understand why. These were etherial, mystical, enchanting places that were cathedrals to nature, energy, harmony, and the quiet balanced spirit.

I will be back.

So apparently, the wretched experience that is international travel just got even worse: no getting out of your seat for the last hour of flight, no electronics for the entire flight, and only one carry on bag, every passenger gets a full body pat down. Who the hell wants to put up with this! I'm sick of the hassle! It's time to stop international travel. Maybe that's what George W, I mean Orwell wanted all along.

What will the new restrictions be when someone does something else stupid?! Strap all passengers into straight jackets before boarding?? Traveling in the nude?? Body cavity search?? Where will it stop?!

Last night I was blasting through the TV channels here at the hotel trying to find something of interest to watch. I stumbled upon a reality TV show playing the surveillance video from a convenience store where a bat-wielding thief came toward the man at the cashier demanding money and threatening to kill him.

The cashier reached down and pulled up a double barrel shotgun aimed directly at the thief, who immediately dropped the bat, dropped to his knees, and began pleading for his life. The would-be thief said he just needed food.

Astonishingly, the cashier, shotgun in hand, took $40 out of the cash register, got a gallon of milk and a box of cereal, plopped them on the counter and told the would-be thief he had better never see him again in his store. The would-be thief took the money, grabbed his bat, thanking the cashier many times, and fled.

I was rather astounded by this: One human being whose life was being threatened as he was being robbed, and instead of blowing the thief to bits, in kindness, gives him money and allows him to leave without calling the police.

I was reminded of my father who, back when I was a teenager, gave two men $10 when they asked him for $1 while standing on the sidewalk at an outdoor shopping center. I was so aggravated with my father, because we always had to be so frugal to live simply. I challenged him, saying that he had just wasted that money because the men were just going to go buy booze at one of the two liquor stores a few blocks away.

Without any hesitation, my father simply replied, "But, maybe not." That was enough for my father, who was always a kind-hearted soul.

My sister understands that space that occupied my father's heart more than I do. She came to visit me in Atlanta about 10 years ago. I'd grown accustomed to the homeless problem in that city, the beggars that litter the streets panhandling. My sister, from a much smaller community, came upon someone begging at the stop light. She lowered the car window and gave the man some money.

I was appalled. As we drove off, I challenged her, saying he was just going to buy drugs or alcohol with that money. She was quick to reply, "Even so, maybe that's all it will take to get him through today."

I have grown more sympathetic and understanding as I've aged. I've shed much of the insensitivity that is the judgmental hatefulness of the extremist rightwing religious agenda. I'm not sure I will ever reach the point of compassionate understanding in my heart that my sister has and father practiced.

Yesterday, some poor man who was out collecting for the Salvation Army was killed by two attackers who wanted the money people had given. Face to face charity is still a challenge to me.

Ever wondered what keys to the castle actually look like? Well, here they are: full size scans of the key to the room at Ashford Castle and at Dromoland Castle.

Not exactly what I was thinking, either... Although the Ashford key is cool. And I do like "Distinction since 1543" on the Dromoland key.

A banker reminded me recently that capitalism creates more wealth than any other economic system. It just creates it very unevenly.

I think that it also treats disenfranchised people with little to no kindness at all--harkening back to that whole notion of "survival of the fittest." And as jobs have been outsourced abroad to those willing to work for wages well below what a typical American can sustain in the average American market, wage earning capacity is dropping to precipitous levels. I suspect that, rather than passing along cost savings to consumers, corporate execs have enhanced their own wealth aggregation with corporate jets, fat pensions and bonuses, etc.

I worry that the capitalist machinery of this nation has lost its moral compass, and the situation will only get worse. As markets explode in Asia, the fact that they are drying up here in the USA is of little concern to corporate America who sees a new cow fat for the slaughter house. Is it possible that, in time, America will in fact become the largest third world nation on earth as people lose their homes, their jobs, their spirit, their influence on democratic government, their voice, their access to news and critical information...

While in Ireland I noticed local villages took a very dim view of corporate ownership. "Buy local!" the signs read.

When you know the face of the wo/man who made/purchased the product or provided the service, it's more difficult to take advantage of her/him. You have an ancient social contract with them, as old as "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

Corporations have mastered the art of hiding their faces, have become inaccessible and unaccountable for their egregious conduct, are perpetuating a growing divide between those who have more than they will ever need and those who need just to survive.

I'm paying far more attention to my own purchasing habits. I want to "buy local" more than I want to support big box impersonal corporations whose first allegiance is to the bottom line. Doing so generally costs me a little more, but is this the price for taking better care of people, of attending to community?

I kept forgetting as I traveled that my Canon 5d Mark II will shoot HD video! However, at a few dramatic moments, I remembered. You will see that the 75mph wind gusts were just impossible, I couldn't hold the camera steady, even when it was affixed to an immovable surface!

The video, though short, is presented almost in HD and may therefore take a few moments to load depending on your connection speed. Duration: 2m:42s

I don't know what I did to cause this pano to be so blurry when viewed full screen on a large monitor, but it is what it is.

Every photo is it's own challenge, and this one had many! Just as I was almost set up in front of the ocean for the pano shots, the weather degenerated quickly into an all out down pour with no end in sight. I started packing it up while getting drenched. Half way back to the car, it stopped. I hesitated. Back I trod.

Now, while shooting, people and a dog come into the scene. O well, as I said, it is what it is. Then the ocean surf became particularly aggressive, coming up to the camera/tripod.

I just started shooting the pano as quickly as possible. (I don't think I even thought about focus at all!) Next I noticed one of the tripod legs had sunk into the sand and the careful balance needed for the perfect pano was to be hopeless.

I doubted the stitching software would even be able to generate the pano file. Amazingly, it did it and extremely fast!!

But the scene was too gorgeous not to share. So even though the pano lacks sharp focus, enjoy it!

Dublin is a very busy city. As I was out and about last night, I noticed how very young everyone was. But, I just thought that I was in the city centre area near Trinity College. I was just in college town. However, I've been told that, astoundingly, over 50% of the population of Dublin is under the age of 25!!

The catholic influence against no family planning combined with the booming economy before the economic crash (so the children stayed in Ireland) is credited with this astounding fact. However, the catholic church is losing its influence here. Businesses are open on Sunday. Abortions are performed. And a highly anticipated, national, reputable report (The Murphy Report) was just released stating that the leaders of the catholic church and the police were both in collusion to keep an enormous pedophilia scandal all quiet for decades resulting in its continuing unchecked. Heads are, as they should be, beginning to roll in Ireland.

The number of homeless people begging for money on the streets here in Dublin is concerning. Organizations such as the YMCA are on the streets asking for donations to address the homeless crisis in Dublin. But what I found very disturbing is the significant percentage of the homeless that are teenagers and young people in their twenties.

Capitalism in its present form does not work for too many people. Something must change! The divide between those who have more than they could ever need or want and those who lack basic needs is staggering and immoral.

The cold here in Dublin has been biting, bone cold! The pedestrian street traffic has been incredibly intense. The Irish don't seem to mind the cold so much, some even wearing short sleeves!

Rain was, yet again, in the forecast. But, astoundingly, it didn't rain today!! [Follow up correction:  It rained later that night; so, it rained every day I was in Ireland.] However, it was really foggy. Here are some pictures from the day in Dublin.

I've never spent the night in a castle before this trip to Ireland. In fact, I've never even seen a real castle before this trip. The experience was most interesting.

The castle grounds are spectacular. The heavily wooded spaces (virtual forests), and the green grass (most typically golf courses) were expansive beyond belief. Driving beyond the massive stone and gated entrances for some time before seeing the enormous castles in the far distance, surrounded by water, was truly impressive. The grounds are indeed something to behold. Hidden deep in the woods, one finds a variety of gardens: sunken, formal, trellis, and carpet.

The buildings themselves were also just massive--not only in physical size, but the materials used for construction. Even though the river was literally lapping up against one of the walls at Ashford Castle, I had some sense that the water would never make in inside because of the permanence of the thick stone construction.

The interiors were very different. Dromoland Castle was more divided up, probably as a result of the modernization of the interior. Ashford Castle was more open and expansive inside [See above photo.].

I knew castles used heavy curtains to keep the cold outside during the winter. I didn't realize just how heavy and thick these curtains would be. The numerous, enormous fireplaces burning wood and serving a significant function for heating as well as display were also lovely. The extensive use of wood paneling, especially in Ashford Castle, pictured above, was warm, ornate, and gorgeous. The molding (balustrades) at the top of the heavily decorated ceilings was ornate and intricate beyond belief. Who were the original owners that could live in such luxury?!

The Irish people are so warm and friendly by nature, but their sense of hospitality and service in the castles was a calling card of pride. They appeared to thrive on being asked about something which they promptly then volunteered to do for you. The heat was stuck in the full on position in the sitting room of the hotel room in Ashford Castle. When hotel maintenance promptly arrived to fix it, they were so apologetic I felt bad for having asking them to take care of it.

I personally don't like the smell of alcoholic beverages, but most people aren't like me. After having been outside in the cold and rain, when you walked in the main entrance of the Ashford Castle, they were heating wine, which they immediately offered everyone. The hotel stationery (isn't that a thing of the past?) stated "in residence at" and the name of the castle. You don't just feel at home. You feel attended to in so many ways. These brief visits were a glimpse into a time and place, a way of living, a lifestyle I can not begin to imagine: incomparable privilege and position.

If a person actually lived in such a space, s/he would have to have large staffs just to maintain the massive physical space both inside and out. I'm thinking a maintenance budget the size of Texas.

The hotel rooms themselves were smaller rooms with considerably small bathrooms. They were probably renovated years ago when luxury hotel bathrooms were not the same as those of today.

As I was leaving Dromoland Castle, I saw the falconer working with his bird. Had I not been driving off when I saw him, I would have stopped and taken pictures. The attire. The bird. The ritual of it.

I really wouldn't want to live in such a place as these. But an overnight visit is a must. One could easily get lost in time very quickly. Pamper yourself. These places have mastered the art of welcoming, serving, and entertaining noblemen and gentry for centuries.

Today was primarily a travel day--from the west coast of the island to the east. It rained the entire drive. So, not a lot of photos were shot today.

This morning on the way out of Cong, the village nearest the Ashford Castle, I shot a few pictures of some old church ruins and the associated cemetery. You can get a sense of the flooding from one of the pictures.

These last four shots are from the main shopping district in Dublin tonight. The first is the candle from the restaurant table. Dublin is overrun with visitors this weekend: a major shopping weekend for the upcoming holidays, and a huge rugby game is in town.

Entrance onto Castle Proper

Peering through the Entrance

Wood Carving on the Side of the Fireplace in the Reading Room

Eagle over the Front Door

Engraving over an Outside Wooden Gate Below

Coat of Arms High Up on the Back Castle Wall

Corner Tower

Peering through the Window in the Back Tower Wall

Back of the Castle from the River's Edge (Outside the Castle Wall)

Coat of Arms over a Fireplace in the Sitting Room

Today the weather provided periods of sunshine (and sudden downpours), so... back to the Cliffs of Moher with wind gusts of up to 120kph (almost 75mph!). I can't describe this place: the view, the wind, the cold, the drama of nature.

One of the guys who works at the park told of a man who got lifted off of his feet by the wind and blown "like a rag doll" about 20 feet into the air! Another spoke of people getting blown off the edge before the slate wall was installed 6 years ago. This place is serious.

I know I keep mentioning this, but Ireland is rather astounded by all of the rain. And with their road infrastructure, this is a huge problem. While driving through 5 of the 8 flooded areas on their roads, I was seriously worried the car would stall. Luckily, it didn't. But with no real knowledge of where you are or any alternate routes as the roads are few, rural, and far between, travel has become a very difficult issue.

Here are just a few pictures from the 355 I shot today. (I've also been shooting some HD video which will be posted before the end of the year.) Click any photo to enlarge it.

The Cliffs of Moher in the Far Distance

Cemetery in Clariecastle (on the way to the Cliffs of Moher from Dromoland Castle)

View along the Atlantic Ocean Just North of the Cliffs of Moher (in Doolin)

View along the Atlantic Ocean Just North of the Cliffs of Moher (in Doolin)

View along the Atlantic Ocean Just North of the Cliffs of Moher (in Doolin)

The Cliffs of Moher As Seen by an Ocean Side Cow (from the North in Doolin Looking South)

The Cliffs of Moher As Seen Ocean Side (from the North in Doolin Looking South)

View along the Atlantic Ocean Just North of the Cliffs of Moher (in Doolin)

The Cliffs of Moher in the Sunlight (with Reverse Waterfall--Waterup??)

The Cliffs of Moher in the Sunlight

Tonight I'm staying in a castle, the Dromoland Castle, built in 1543, just a few years before Pensacola, Florida, my hometown, was first established. I can't wait to shoot pictures of it tomorrow.

Also, the heads of government around the country of Ireland must be reading my blog and took immediate action [this of course is my sense of humor.]. Today, after posting about the horrible litter problem in Ireland yesterday, I came upon several cities with anti-litter campaigns: "Keep it tidy with a Tidy Town!" I really am glad. This is such a beautiful country!

To quote The Irish Times: "The word unprecedented is a bit overused. But the amount of rain we have had is truly unprecedented." And the wind was as well, with gusts up to 70kph, which is almost 45mph.

This morning, at 7:00am a huge, very old tree next to the hotel, blew down with a thunderous, earth-shaking noise.

The 3.5 hour ride from Killarney to the Cliffs of Moher included a ferry, somewhat rough seas, and lots of wind and rain.

I love how the Irish have structured the visitors' center at the Cliffs of Moher. It's built into the hillside so you don't even see it. They have also built a hidden stone wall (about 4.5 to 5 feet high) along the cliffs's edge so people don't fall to their deaths. I've seen pictures shot before the stone wall was in place that absolutely terrified me of this place!

However, the wind gusts were unparalleled in my entire life experience on this earth. I'm rather confident they significantly exceeded the 70kph gusts that were forecast back in the Killarney area. A couple of times, I simply could not stop or walk. The wind blew me so hard, I was forced to begin running and leaning back and down into the wind, or I would have been blown completely off my feet without doubt. If the stone wall had not been in place, I would have been terrified beyond belief!

The distance to the ocean below is significant, as you can see. (Unfortunately I'm not posting any pictures with people in them right now.  That would give a sense of scale.  Just think "tiny dots.")  Yet the wind blew the foaming, frothing ocean up the sides of the cliff where it rained down on everyone. At first I couldn't figure out what it was: snow? ice? Then a giant piece of the foam landed in front of me. Also, the wind would actually blow water up the side of the cliff and onto everyone. You can see it prominently in two of the pictures below. Amazing!

This was a spectacular display from Mother Nature!

Here are a few pictures to whet your interest for the Ireland photo album. Click to enlarge.

Ireland surprised me a lot today. With the exception of the cliffs on the west coast, I had a mental image of the country as pastoral, relatively flat, and rather green. Today I saw mountains (or giant hills with lots of goats, sheep, and cows), coastal areas along the Atlantic Ocean that reminded me of California's famous Highway 1, the beautiful and heavily wooded Killarney National Park, numerous lakes (all flooding their boundaries--the most rainfall in 20 years!), and a healthy number of rainbows.

This area, a circular drive called the Ring of Kerry, is gorgeous! 

Reminding me of the USA before the 60's litter campaign, I must say I am dismayed that the Irish seem to lack the concept of litter. They seem quick to discard their trash, without any hesitation at all, from the window of their cars along the roadsides or in the water ways, even in the most gorgeous areas. I didn't see any trash receptacles (not even one) anywhere. Ireland needs a very aggressive national litter campaign and a funded systematic roadside trash disposal system. To spoil such beautiful land and water is so sad. (And this is the off season for tourists!)

The weather was a bit of a challenge. Rarely was the sun actually lighting the vistas before me, and at times is was raining intensely. But I managed to shoot over 150 pictures today. Here is just a small sample. 

I must say, the Irish do seem to enjoy their drinking and singing.

And Ireland's birds start singing their hearts out around 2:00AM in the dark of the night.  It's just the oddest thing!

Today was a very interesting travel day: from Kilkenny to Killarney.

My travels first took me to town center Kilkenny to see the Castle Kilkenny, which is situated immediately next to a river. Immediate access to water seems to feature prominently in the ruins I've seen thus far. I recalled a professor's comment at Emory: "Everything in human history is about geology."

The town, perhaps once home to the peasants who served the castle, is now a thriving community filled with energy on this Sunday morning.

I recalled reading Indian Givers, the story of the impact of the American Indian civilization on the world, in which the author said the potato, which made its way to Ireland to become the "Irish Potato" because it grew so well here, created the middle class and ended serfdom.

Next, I was off to see Jerpoint Abbey in Thomastown. The abbey was first started around the turn of the last millennium--not century. I've been fascinated by the ancient ruins of Catholic churches and abbeys. They abound here in Ireland.  Often by ancient graveyards, these entire structures are now a tomb of an ancient way of being.

I want to know the stories these places tell.

How could such a prominent, expensive structure often in such rural areas, places that at one time had to be a center of community, if not survival, fall into ruin? How did these places become irrelevant to the people around them?

Then I was off to Cashel to see the Rock of Cashel. Unfortunately, I arrived 3 minutes after they closed for the day. But I really wasn't too upset about this. The weather was quickly becoming impossible. The wind has been astounding to me since I've arrived in Ireland. As I was leaving the Rock of Cashel, the walk became treacherous. The road was a very wet and steep descent back to the car park. I seriously worried I would be blown off my feet!

I've only worried this would happen twice before in my life: at Point Lobos, California, after a storm came in from the Pacific Ocean, and atop Dalsnibba, Norway--one of the more terrifying, yet beautiful, places I've been.

On the way up to the ruins, a group of about 5 or 6 boys was playing foolishly close to the edge of the wet rocks. As I was coming down, fearing I would be blown off of my feet, I happened to notice these same young daredevils had the sense to cower all huddled up near a huge rock that shielded them from being blown down the precipice.

Then the weather really turned foul. The sky became so dark, combined with the wind and the rain, I had to abandon photography shortly after shooting this shot of a nearby abbey in ruins.

A Garmin GPS has successfully steered the course on this trip. Today, however, was a bit of a nightmare!

In a previous post, I've mentioned that the constant rains have caused significant flooding all over the country. The roads in Ireland are mostly rather small. Actual highways seem to be fairly new--some seem to be very new indeed. So the GPS has often placed me on very small roads, like the one I shot below--completely unaware of the new highways. (I would never incriminate myself and suggest the photo was shot in a moving vehicle through the windshield and is therefore a bit blurry.)

Yes, that's one of the actual roads the GPS had me taking! They are cute. They are quaint. They are perilously narrow. They have a speed limit of 60kph!  (Dear god!  Who in their right mind...)  And, they are all too often flooded!

Think of a rectangle with Kilkenny in the top right. My destination is Killarney on the bottom left. Tiny little roads much like the one pictured above, cut diagonally across. The GPS chooses these roads. Off I go.

It's now dark and rainy as I come upon my worst nightmare: "Road closed because of flooding!" I have no idea where I am. It's pouring rain. The roads, even the large ones, rarely have lighting.  (Think  r e a l l y  dark!!)  I turn around hoping the GPS will reroute me. It does--via a quick tangled web of roads, it puts me in touch with another road closed due to flooding. All told, I found three of them, all in the dark middle of no where!  I was beginning to feel like I was trying to escape some twisted horror movie.

The GPS would not take me south to Cork and then west to Killarney as that was so out of the way. Yet those were far bigger roads. Those roads were passable.

After much trickery, I ended up in Cork, first heading for a ferry (oh god, no!). Cork's road's, in town at any rate, were jammed as much as the roads in Rome. I barely squeezed through between the parked cars on the sides. I felt like an embolism squeezing through a clogged capillary.

What a nightmare! I finally arrived in Killarney in one piece, safe and sound, about 4 hours later than I should have.

For me, the worst part of traveling an extended itinerary (both distance and duration) is actually getting to the destination. From LAX to Dublin, via Atlanta, was a bit of sitting. And, in my dreadfully customary way, I couldn't sleep at all on the plane. I arrived dried out (think: eyes stick shut), exhausted, and grumpy.

On arrival in Dublin this morning before the sun came up, the weather was very gusty! It seemed we had to land with a good bit of speed to compensate. By contrast, customs in Ireland is a breeze. :o)

The sun came up to find me waiting under a little covered outside area for the car rental shuttle. The wind was blasting the misty, drizzly rain in every direction, yes, including upside down. I was cold and wet. Everyone's greeting, and these are amazingly friendly people, was the same, a cheery, "Lovely morning we're having today."

I named the car "Droplet" because it looks like a little tiny bubble or water droplet--a very rounded and red Nissan something-or-other, cute really. [The car is a Nissan Micra. I checked.] Upon immediately getting lost trying to get out of the huge car park, a lady at the entrance of what looked like a construction site, came out into the miserable rain and gave directions in the most lovely Irish accent. "Yes, love, you turn right, then right, then left, then right, then right. Do you want me to right it down for you, love? I'd be glad to." Again, very friendly and helpful people.

Kilkenny, about 90 kilometers from Dublin, was destination one. The 170 acre, Lyrath Estate Hotel is a lovely spa and convention center sitting on beautifully pastoral acreage. [In the photo to the left, you can see the house, which is part of the hotel, in the distance on the left. In the photo in the center below, the house is in the center.] Apparently the original estate was purchased by a local photographer who pulled together a group of chemists back in the 1970s to start a photo developing lab that became a world wide business success. This hotel/spa and conference center is one of his investments. (I learned all of this from one of the 3 people who attempted to get the room phone and internet connection working. They never did, but seeing the camera equipment in the room, we all had a delightful little chat.)

Fortunately, even with a 10am arrival yesterday morning, they had an available room. The doorman, an elderly gentleman with old world charm: a jovial, welcoming, gracious face framed in his top hat, overcoat, and gloves welcomed this weary traveler to the estate. (I had hoped to get his picture later today before leaving but wasn't able to do so.)

After a 3 hour nap, the weather had cleared, the sun was out, and I was heading back about 50 kilometers to shoot the skeletal remains of an old cathedral I noticed off the road in Castledermot on the drive in. The weather changes quickly and often here.

I also was treated to an interesting view along a ridge: the rain clouds were moving rapidly over the ridge at sunset with the sun casting a unique orange glow through the wind-dirven drizzle and rain atop the ridge. To the south of the clouds hovering along the ridge was an area of clear sky with the moon prominently showing in the blue sky at 4:30pm. I was only able to get one picture through the car windows as the weather was just not going to allow me to get out of the car. They have had so much rain this year, according to the local papers, flooded areas abound. I saw several of them.

The Fox and the Geese Pub was the selected authentic local dining experience. Obviously a popular community pub (the place was huge as if 2 or 3 businesses had grown into 1 at this location) though I ate there earlier than the locals. Only 4 or 5 families or groups were in the pub around 3:30pm. I had fried cod, mushy peas, and french fries. I haven't had mushy peas since I was last in London.

I returned to the hotel to engage with the staff for some time about the phone and internet connection before retiring early (around 6). One last thing, before trying to go back to sleep in an effort to get on local time: I purchased 2 wool base layers from REI before making this trip. This is the softest wool I've ever felt! (By the way, sheep are everywhere here!) Warm, not hot, and delightfully comfy! Tim likes!!

A few pictures from my Santa Barbara day trip this past Wednesday. Downtown is wonderfully quaint.

Avalon

View from high above Avalon

The jagged western coast

Western coastal pano

The Avalon harbor

I am delighted to report that United Airlines lost a whopping 21% last quarter! I couldn't be happier after the way they treated me: charging me more for my bag to return home than they charged for the entire ticket. I swore then, and I have gone out of my way to keep this promise, I will never fly on United again--even when it has been less convenient for me.

The US airlines that created the largest, most redonkulous and abusive fees this year lost the most money last quarter. Airlines with low or no fees lost the least.

link: Airlines that charge fees lost more money than airlines that didn't - Boing Boing

But I'll tell you a few other reasons why the airlines are bleeding revenue. Have you flown lately? Flying is nothing short of misery, literal, true misery.

• The seats are so jammed in close to one another seating is actually unsafe in my opinion.
  
• The flights are consistently overbooked making every single seat occupied.
  
• The airlines still run horrible delays even with far fewer flights.
  
• Advertisements abound--even on the tray tabletops on some airlines.
  
• Going through security is frequently absurdly time consuming and demeaning. I've seen literally hundreds of passengers in one line when the airport had the equipment for 6 lines! This week they repeatedly yell at everyone to put their shoes in the tray. Next week they yell at everyone to take their shoes out of the tray and place them on the belt.
  
• And then, let's talk about badly behaved children who are too young to even be on the plane...
  

Meet Owen, and yes, that's his real name.

As we boarded the flight, Owen, who was probably between two and three years of age, was being held by his mother in the seat across the aisle and immediately behind me. He distinguished himself immediately. His mother couldn't keep him in her lap. Owen was screaming. He wanted to roam around I guess. His screaming grew louder and became unbearable.

The pilot refused to take off with the child in such an unruly state, so the stewardess came back and told the mother that the father had to come up and trade seats with her to keep their little precious under control, or we would just sit on the runway.

The father took the child, and all hell broke loose!! Owen began screaming louder than any child I've ever heard. Now, he wanted his mother. He screamed and screamed at the top of his lungs. He was spitting, gurgling, and sputtering mucous everywhere. He was kicking and twisting violently, literally non-stop. The man seated in front of Owen had to lean forward with his earphones on blasting music so loudly into his ears I could hear it across the aisle when Owen was forced to breathe. The stewardess said nothing to him probably thinking if he turned the music off, he would turn around and kill Owen behind him.

Owen's mother, seated somewhere in the back, began singing, as loudly as she could, in the hopes Owen would hear her (absolutely impossible), "Itsy Bitsy Spider" while the the child raged uncontrollably. The child screamed non-stop for over 30 minutes as loudly as he could--so loudly that he was losing his voice. His muscular father strained to keep the child in his arms. He was constantly kicking the seat of the man in front of him.

By this point, I was so angry, along with the other passengers, I was ready to take my phone out and shoot a video of this unimaginable scene--when, to everyone's horror, Owen defecated in his pants. The thick, inescapable smell permeated the entire plane. If the use of electronic devices had been permitted at the time this was going on, you would be watching a video of this outgrageous situation.

The tension on the plane was so thick you could touch it. Everyone was stone silent except for "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and Owen's incessant gurgling and wailing.

When we reached 10,000 feet, the stewardess came back and told the father that this could not continue. I was shocked that Owen hadn't completely exhausted himself by now and collapsed. But he was going strong. I've seen very badly behaved children in my day, but I've never seen anything like this.

The stewardess suggested the mother take her daughter's place next to the father and hold Owen to see if this would calm him. The stewardess had to place herself between me and the father when he stood up with Owen to keep me from being kicked by the child.

When his mother took him, he finally collapsed in exhaustion. No one can offer me an excuse I will accept for this situation. It is completely, and in every way one can imagine, inexcusable. I was so angry about this situation, I had to wait over a week to publish this. Prior to today I was unwilling to sanitize the words I used to describe Owen.

So why are the airlines bleeding revenue? Few transportation experiences are as miserable. People are simply avoiding the horrid misery.

Just a few weeks ago, I blogged again about my trip to Norway.

I wonder if previous generations of Americans feel the way I increasingly feel about the United States. I don't much like living here. This isn't the nation of my youth. More and more we allow the bullies, the thugs, the thieves to run rife in the media as if they speak for us all. We allow businesses to become "too big to fail" and play the labeling game with anyone who thinks people matter more than corporations.

Certainly my standard of living is not as high as my father's was.

The Norwegians have such a sensible world view. So do the Canadians. Well, the peoples of so many countries seem to better understand what matters than my fellow Americans.

The annual United Nations human development index, released today, names Norway the best country in which to live. The list of 182 countries is based on 2007 statistics on life expectancy, literacy, school enrollment, gross domestic product, and other criteria.

The top ten countries listed on the index are: Norway, Australia, Iceland, Canada, Ireland, the Netherlands, Sweden, France, Switzerland and Japan.

The United States ranks 13th, down one spot from last year.

link: The Best Countries to Live In – Neatorama

I'm so glad I had the opportunity to visit Norway in the summer of 2006--just over 3 years ago now. That country has such a pastoral serenity during the summer months. I reflected on my visit because I stumbled upon these two marvelous panos from one of my favorite sites, 360 Cities.

Here are a few of my pictures presented below. You can also visit my Norway gallery if you wish for more of this breath-taking 2006 trip. This post ends with the two panos from Norway that prompted this journey down memory lane. When viewed in fullscreen on a huge monitor, these panos are stupendous!

Click any image below for a larger view.

Solestrand

Loen

Balestrand, Norway

Balestrand, Norway

Balestrand, Norway

Hardangervidda, Norway

Borgund Stave Church, Borgund, Laerdal, Norway in Norway

Ferry Cruise Hellesylt - Geiranger, Geiranger Fjord, Norway in Norway

Even though this pano has some serious stitching issues, it's just too beautiful not to share!

Bar le Tapecul in France

Rock Church - Helsinki, Finland in Helsinki

Their criminal conduct should be prosecuted!

Former Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge says he successfully countered an effort by senior Bush administration officials to raise the nation's terror alert level in the days before the 2004 presidential vote.

[Source: Ridge: Bush officials sought to raise terror alert before '04 vote - CNN.com]

My cousin and I walked down to the Gulf during a recent visit home. There just is no more beautiful beach on earth!

This 10 day trip, officially now referred to as the "Trip from Hell," has been filled with travel issues: Delta!

Most of the flights on which I flew were late. One flight was horribly late. First we had to wait on the airplane to drive over from the hanger. (What was that about?!) Then we had to wait while the flight crew piddled around on the plane for an extended period of time. (What really was the issue?) Then we finally boarded only to sit and wait for paper work. Then we sat for about 45 more minutes waiting for the independent fuel contractor to fill the jet with fuel--followed by yet another paper work delay. (Odd they wouldn't have anticipated the need for fuel!) Then something in the cockpit quit working, and we had to wait for maintenance to arrive. They worked on the issue for about 45 minutes and feared we would have to all get off of the plane. Fortunately they fixed it--finally! Then my luggage wasn't on the flight when we finally landed, hours delayed, around 1:00AM! At least, during all of this delay, we had air conditioning on the plane unlike a previous flight delay on another leg of this trip in which we sat in sweltering heat on the runway with no air conditioning.

Today I've had two flight delays. This delay is significant: about 2.5 hours because of a delayed inbound flight.

As far as I am concerned, this is all just rotten management on Delta's part. I've had a significant increase in flight issues in the last 3 months. Delta always wants to blame someone else: like the "independent fuel contractor." But ultimately, in my mind, it all boils down to rotten management!