England (York, Stratford, London)

HORSES, in York.


It RAINED quite a bit at times...


To avoid taxes, very SMALL windows were made.

A ROSE window...somewhere? York Minster, perhaps?

The ceiling of a magnificant ROOM.

Even the hedgework read SHAKESPEARE in Stratford.

The playwright's own BIRTHPLACE.

MOSS-covered gravestones outside Shakespeare's church.

Beautiful STORIES were told in colored glass. (What if you had bad eyesight?)

Anne Hathaway's (Shakespeare's wife--sorry for the confusion!) COTTAGE...

...where the flowers were NOT scarce.

Well hello there, LONDON!

I see you've got a gay pride PARADE going on...

Where did all these people COME from?

Beats me why this shot is taken from so HIGH.

Out on the TOWN after the Phantom of the Opera.

A London BRIDGE!

People LIVE here, at the Tower of London.

Now, what is THIS place?

None other than DIAGON ALLEY...or rather where they magiked the set for the films!

HBP posters were EVERYWHERE in Europe, to my delight.

The British Museum was quite SNAZZY.

I especially liked the old BOOKS.

This would have to be my dream SAILBOAT, bright and made of recycled materials!

Bye, LONDON.

IMPORTANT

I'm contemplating buying these, to fill with my prescription.

Any thoughts?

Scotland (Edinburgh, Stirling)

One thing about Europe--their signs' people look so REALISTIC. No stick figures to be seen.


Everything was GRAY and stately-looking.


Apparently a heatwave was sweeping Scotland, and these two blokes were a bit WORRIED. That's sunscreen they're slathering on their bald spots, you see.

Nonetheless, it was a bit FOGGY.

Wrestling in the WIND...

The CITY, surrounded by green.

It's peculiar to imagine people wandered these STREETS, deliberating who to accuse of witchery next...

A CATHEDRAL--God knows I can't remember the name of it.

So TALL and foreboding.

I wander who walked HERE.

PERFECT.

All the cool kids could be found at the PARKS.

So naturally, that's where we ate lunch (tomato and brie cheese sandwich-yum) from MARK'S & SPENCER'S--This was the view of the Sir Walter Scott monument from lying on the grass.

Hogwarts, anyone? The SKYLINE was magic.

Up, up, up, in the sky atop the Sir Walter Scott monument. 287 STEPS. Spiral steps. Story of my life in Europe.

MUSICIANS could be found often.

Beautiful TAPESTRIES were the norm. (These could be found at Stirling Castle.)

MOSS filled in the gaps of the stone.

After a STEEP trek up to the Wallace Monument, I fell onto the grass and flowers against the tower and watched this dog smile. I only got up when lured away by the prospect of a new plaid bow (I got it).

Hairy COW! 'Nuff said.

Ireland (Limerick and Dublin)

The first thing you notice about Ireland (especially coming from the desert) is the vast GREEN.




Also, the cute COWS and SHEEP.




The Cliffs of MOHER.




Bunratty CASTLE.



FLOWERS, everywhere you turn, stuck in wherever possible.



BIRDS of all kinds.



BICYCLES, everywhere.




GREEN.



WOOD.




FAIRYTALE.



RUBBISH BINS at Blarney Castle



Powers Court GARDENS:



Brilliant COLOR.



PATHS laced with green.



BEAUTIFUL.




DREAMLIKE.




Fish and chips from the evidently famous (a list of patronizers included U2 and the cast of P.S. I Love You) BURDOCK'S in the park outside St. Patrick's Cathedral.

Every DOOR an unexpected color.

I even met a nice GUY. He's a bit older, and there is a slight height difference, but we look pretty cute, right?

home from europe

LOADS of pictures and stories to share. Be excited.