Waxhaw Antique Mart

Waxhaw, NC  2023

 

Maxwell's Tavern

Waxhaw, NC 2023

 

Waxhaw Women's Club

Waxhaw, NC  2023

 

Antiques at Night

Waxhaw, NC  2023

 

Downtown Waxhaw from the Bridge

Waxhaw, NC  2023

 

Christmas in Waxhaw

Waxhaw, NC  2023

 

Merry Christmas

Waxhaw, NC  2023

Merry Christmas to all my readers.  May all your days be merry and bright.

 

Christmas in Waxhaw

Waxhaw, NC  2023

 

Village Gallery

Waxhaw, NC  2023

 

Town Well

Waxhaw, NC  2023

 

Historic District

Waxhaw, NC  2023

 

House Portrait

Waxhaw, NC  2023

 

Shed

Waxhaw, NC  2023

 

Detour

Waxhaw, NC  2023

 

Re-purposed Cans

Waxhaw, NC  2023

What is it that they say?  Once man's junk is another man's treasure.  

 

Clowns

Waxhaw, NC  2023

 

Food Trailer - Even Layer Cakes

Waxhaw, NC  2023

 

Food Trailer - Shaved Ice

Waxhaw, NC  2023

 

Still-walking Scarecrow

Waxhaw, NC  2023

I believe this stilt-walker is actually a lot more stable than he appears.

 

Autumn Wreaths

Waxhaw, NC  2023

 

Autumn Treasures Festival

Waxhaw, NC  2023

 

Titanic Experience, Belfast, Northern Ireland

 Our final two nights in Ireland were spent in Belfast, Northern Ireland, which is ruled by Great Britain.  The city has a troubled past being on the forefront of strife during a time in Irish history, referred to as "The Troubles".  There are constant reminders around the city of these times but peace has prevailed since the Good Friday Agreements of 1998 ended most of the violence.  

Belfast is also the site of the shipyard that built the Titanic. There is a great exhibit there that tells the story of Belfast and the building of the Titanic.  It is well worth visiting if you get the chance.  The museum itself is pictured here.

Belfast, Northern Ireland  2023

The building looks like a giant star from above.  This point of the star is built to the same dimensions of the bow of the Titanic, giving visitors a sense of how big the ship was. 

This is the site of the slip where the Titanic was built.  The outline of the ship can be seen marked by a metal rail.  Just to the right of this slip,  there was another slip where the Olympic was built.

Finally as a point of interest, next to the Titanic Experience are Titanic Studios, shown here.  This is where the TV series "Game of Thrones" is filmed.  

That's all from Ireland, for now.  I'll return to regular programming tomorrow. 

Giants Causeway

County Antrim, Northern Ireland  2023

It is estimated there are over 40,000 columns of basalt in this geological formation.  The columns formed 40-60 million years ago by successive lava flows and cooling.  It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1986

 

Celtic Cross

Drumcliffe, County Sligo, Ireland  2023

 

Yeats' Grave

Drumcliffe, County Sligo, Ireland  2023

The great Irish poet, writer and dramatist is buried in Drumcliffe, County Sligo, Ireland.  He was one of the foremost figures of 20th Century literature.  He received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1923.  The epitaph comes from his poem "Under Ben Bulben",  the flat-topped mountain pictured below.  Yeats had a deep love of this area and asked to be "planted in Sligo" after first being buried in France after his death in 1939

Medieval Wall and Gate

Londonderry, Northern, Ireland  2023

 

The medieval wall built in was built in the 17th Century to protect the city of Derry, also known as Londonderry.  It is pretty much intact today.  Also pictured is the Shipquay Gate, one of gates into the city.

Guildhall, Derry (Londonderry), Northern Ireland

Derry (Londonderry), Northern Ireland

 The Guildhall is the city hall for the city of Londonderry, Northern Ireland.  It is the prettiest city hall I think I have ever seen.  

Slieve League Cliffs

County Donegal, Ireland  2023

 These are some of the highest sea cliffs in all of Europe.  At their highest point, they rise to over 1100 feet.  They are more impressive than the Cliffs of Moher shown earlier this week.

Galway Street Scene

Galway, Ireland  2023

 

Cliffs of Moher

County Clare, Ireland  2023

This is a huge tourist destination in Ireland with over a million visitors a year.  The cliffs at their highest rise about  700 feet above the Atlantic Ocean.  

Dovecote

Adare, County Limerick, Ireland  2023

A dovecote is a circular building designed to house doves and pigeons.  This one was built by the Trinitarian Monks, probably in the mid 14th Century and was rebuilt in 1850.  There are holes in the roof for the doves to leave and enter and served as a source of food for the monks.

 

Thatch Roofs

Adare, County Limerick, Ireland  2023

The village of Adare is said to be the most picturesque village in all of Ireland.  It is famous for a number of well preserved and maintained thatched-roof buildings, like these businesses here.  

 

Trinitarian Abbey Church, Adare, Ireland

Adare, County Limerick, Ireland  2023

 

St Mary's Cathedral - Kilarney

Kilarney, Ireland  2023

St. Mary's Cathedral is the cathedral church for the Diocese of Kilarney.  Compared to a number of other churches we saw on this trip, this cathedral is very young, having been built in 1842-1855.

 

Ring of Kerry Scene II

County Kerry, Ireland  2023

Ring of Kerry Scene

County Kerry, Ireland  2023

We spent an entire day traveling along the famous Ring of Kerry, a 111 mi circular route in southwest Ireland.  The tourist route is famous for some of the best scenery in all of Ireland along with a number of quaint Irish villages.
 

Blarney Castle

County Cork, Ireland 2023

Blarney Castle was originally built sometime before 1200.  The current castle dates from 1446.  This is the  site of the famous Blarney Stone, which if one can kiss it, will give the "The Gift of Eloquence", more commonly referred to as "The Gift of Gab".  You can reach the stone after climbing 120 steps to the top of the castle and hanging upside down out a window over 80 feet above the ground.  You can see the opening in the center of the photo below.  I made the climb, and did my best to kiss the stone.  It's not for the faint of heart.  I'm still waiting to receive "The Gift of Eloquence".

 

River Nore, Kilkenny, Ireland

Kilkenny, Ireland  2023

 

Kilkenny Castle

Kilkenny, Ireland  2023

Our first castle on this trip.  Kilkenny Castle was built in 1260 and after a few changes in ownership was occupied by the same family for 500 years.  The last occupant was the family of George Butler, Earl of Ossary who sold the contents in 1935 and moved to London.  The castle fell into disrepair  and in 1967 was sold by then current heir of the property to the Castle Preservation Committee for the ceremonial sum of £50.

Ruins at Glendalough, Wicklow, Ireland

 The ruins pictured here were built by a monastic community, in the 6th Century, founded by St. Kevin.  The buildings that remain date from  10th  through 12th centuries.  It was destroyed by the Normans in 1214.

Round Tower

Cathedral

Priest's House and Round Tower

Glendalough, County Wicklow, Ireland  2023