Dunmore East, Waterford, Inistioge, Woodstock House

Our first port of call was Dunmore East, a fishing village in County Waterford, Ireland.  Since this is such a small harbor, we used tenders to get to shore.  From there my sister and I took a bus trip to the picturesque small town of Inistioge (pronounced something like IN-ish-teeg) and the famous gardens of the Woodstock House estate.  We passed through the town of Waterford on the way but did not stop; we decided to skip the shore excursion that visited Waterford Crystal because it's no longer a working factory (production has been moved to China).  I was more interested in the countryside anyway, since part of my late husband's family was originally from the area.  The Woodstock gardens turned out to be mainly exotic trees; the estate was at its height in the late 19th century, fell into disrepair after WWI, and is still in the process of being restored by the Kilkenny County Council.  No local food was consumed during this excursion, except for a cup of hot tea each purchased at the small detached Woodstock House gift shop.  (Note that several of these photos were taken from the bus.  And yes, it rained off and on all day.)

Dunmore East:

Waterford:

Dunbrody Famine Ship (reproduction of an 1840's emigrant ship)

Inistioge:

 Woodstock House and Gardens:

"In 1921, the [Woodstock House] property was occupied by the Black and Tans and Auxiliaries, which caused much local resentment, and then by troops of the Free State Army, who were withdrawn from the premises during the Irish Civil War, on 1 July 1922. The house, left unguarded, was burnt down the next day, and remains a derelict empty shell, overgrown with vegetation." ~Wikipedia entry for Woodstock Estate

Juneau and the Mendenhall Glacier

These are photos from Juneau and our trip to the Mendenhall Glacier in the beautiful Tongass National Forest.  Note the salmon nearing their spawning grounds.  Can you spot the baby porcupine napping in a tree?  We also saw (but were unable to photograph) the south end of another black bear heading rapidly north.  The last few pictures were taken at the Glacier Gardens outside Juneau.  The colored patches near the top of the greenhouse are umbrellas hanging from its ceiling.

This was the point in the trip where we broke out our long underwear.  Again, the day started rainy and continued overcast but mostly stayed dry while we were out and about.  I took photos madly  until my (recharged that morning) battery ran out.  I need to buy a backup battery.  :o(

From the side of the Juneau parking garage and library

See spawning and dead salmon

For scale - the dark dots in the right foreground are people.

"The chisel work of an enormous Glacier 
That braced his feet against the Arctic Pole." 
~Robert Frost

The Sun Yat-Sen Chinese Garden

These photos are from our visit to the Sun Yat-Sen Chinese Garden in the Chinatown section of Vancouver.  The garden is small but beautifully designed and maintained.  It was originally built by Chinese workers using traditional materials and methods - for instance, no nails were used in the wood joinery.

"The kiss of the sun for pardon, 
The song of the birds for mirth, 
One is nearer God's Heart in a garden 
Than anywhere else on earth."

~Dorothy Frances Gurney

Ladies Who Brunch

On New Year's Day I invited my sister Sue over for brunch and to watch the Rose Parade on HGTV, which has as commentators actual gardeners who can pronounce the names of the plants and never cuts away from the action for commercials or plugs for their other programs.  She was happy to come, both to watch the parade and to browse the buffet.  She admitted that a hearty traditional breakfast was her favorite meal, particularly if she didn't have to get up early to eat it.  Since I love brunch as well, we've been occasionally going out for a late breakfast together on Saturdays ever since.

Last weekend was the annual Home and Garden show in downtown Phoenix.  Sue wanted to go because she's looking for a reliable contractor to rebuild the watering system in her front yard.  I was happy to accompany her because the Property Brothers (also courtesy of HGTV) were going to be speaking, and who can't use a little eye candy occasionally?  Before cruising the show, however, we stopped for brunch at Cibo.

The full name of the restaurant is Cibo Urban Pizzeria Cafe, which doesn't sound much like a brunch place, but on Saturdays they serve items from their breakfast menu until 2:00, and mimosas, bellinis, and Bloody Marys are also available.  This time we had crepes.  Sue's was filled with a mix of mushrooms; mine was filled with salmon and nested on a bed of watercress and arugula, with a small bowl of fresh fruit on the side.  The crepes themselves were perfectly done - thin and browned with no burning - and the fillings very savory.  The Bloody Mary I washed mine down with was made with plenty of horseradish, just the way I like it.

Cibo is another of the downtown restaurants located in a rehabbed historic home, in this case a 1913 bungalow with exposed brick walls, stained glass, stone fireplace, and a spacious patio with firepit for evening cocktails when the weather permits.  For those who aren't as excited about breakfast as Sue and I are, their thin crust pizzas are also terrific, particularly the ones featuring locally-made artisanal Schreiner's sausage.

Out in the West Valley where Sue and I live, the main brunch options are Denny's and Village Inn.  I'm thinking we need more reasons to visit downtown Phoenix at around 11:00 on Saturdays.

“When you wake up in the morning, Pooh," said Piglet at last, "what's the first thing you say to yourself?"
"What's for breakfast?" said Pooh. "What do you say, Piglet?"
"I say, I wonder what's going to happen exciting today?" said Piglet.
Pooh nodded thoughtfully. "It's the same thing," he said.”
~ A.A. Milne

Spring Has Sprung

Spring may not officially begin for another 11 days, but we made it through February without a killing frost and practically every flowering plant in the greater Phoenix area is already in bloom.  My neighborhood is permeated with the smell of citrus blossoms, and the oleanders in my yard are looking good:

"The flowers of late winter and early spring occupy places in our hearts well out of proportion to their size." ~Gertrude S. Wister