Ireland

Finally....I have found a few minutes to post our pictures from Ireland! Mind you, this is the much-diluted version of our pictures. It was tough to pick and choose, but it had to be done (I think we took something like 400+ pictures in Ireland alone.) What a beautiful country. So far it is my favorite that I have visited. I hope we can go back soon and visit with Ben's grandparents again; they were wonderful.

Ben's grandparents' lovely home (and the house my MiL grew up in!)


The view down the street from their house. Now this is a view!


The Irish countryside


Various pictures around town in Letterkenny, Ireland


(Can you read Gaelic?)






The church where Ben's parents were married :) -in Londonderry, Northern Ireland


Beautiful architecture around Londonderry




Entering under the gates of the "walled city" -Londonderry




Guildhall


Can you see the ice on the ground? We had to hold on to each other to not slip!


Walking on the walls around the city


If Ben & I ever get to build our own home, I can assure you our front door will look like this:




A thatched-roof cottage in the middle of the city!!




I loved the colors and the architecture all throughout the city




The crest of Derry


St. Columb's Cathedral in Londonderry, Northern Ireland




Murals on the side of buildings in "Free Derry"--remembering The Troubles








A mini on Benone Strand (Ireland's longest beach)


You can see Mussenden Temple in the distance


I'm not a big fan of my profile, but I had to show off my husband's photography skills


Can you imagine having a waterfall behind your house? How cool


Mussenden Temple--the sky was just amazing this day


Downhill Estate




The entrance to the gardens of Downhill Estate


the ruins of Dunluce Castle


built in the Middle Ages right on a cliff--how did they do this!?




Us, a little squinty, in front of Dunluce Castle


In the 1600's the kitchen fell right off the back of the house into the ocean during a storm--supposedly took a couple of cooks with it!










Bushmills Whiskey Distillery--the oldest licensed distillery in the world








Giant's Causeway


A volcanic eruption (along with other natural events) formed these hexagonal basalt columns.


They were pretty fun to climb


Ben & me at the top



*sigh* I want to go back.