Collecting Moments

When the customs officer asked me where I was going to stay in Ireland I mentioned Clara among other places. He gave me a weird look and said “Clara? What are you going to do there? It’s in the middle of nowhere!” - “I’ve got a couchsurfing host there,” - I replied. And then he said “Oh, yes, I think I know that guy. I’m from near to Clara myself and there’re a lot of travelers coming to him”. Later people told me that I would see “real Ireland” down here. So… whether it’s real or not I don’t know but I’m really enjoying it.

I walked along the cliffs from Wicklow to Brides Head today to see the old lighthouses. The golf club occupies most of the land along the way so the path is just one foot wide and very close to the edge. When I got onto the main road I looked back and saw the “extreme danger” sign. It’s actually strictly forbidden to walk on that narrow path due to “erosion and unstable ground”. All you need to travel in Ireland is a rain coat and a little bit of craziness :) Wicklow lighthouses (XVIII c.)

I'm couchsurfing at Vinny's place and watching the seal from the window :)

Abandoned cottages in the Midlands of Ireland Every abandoned house has an untold story...

The most beautiful girl in the world - There's no way out of it but death. There's no way out of it but death. There's no way out of it but death. I'm in a cozy warm living room with a huge TV screen and a nice fire place in the rural Irish house. - There are no places in the refuge. There are so many women in similar situations that all refuges are full. They have houses for women but they are all taken. But they told me there was somebody moving out in four days. So I knew I had to survive for only a couple of days more. We are four friends and we just had a very nice dinner with lovely food and wine. - When I thought about what I would take with me I realized that nothing was worth anything. Everything was just useless. I looked at all my clothes as if it belonged to a dead woman. Is it real? - I'm thinking to myself. - I got my payments in cheque but he'd never let me sign it. Since he controlled the money he controlled sex. I always had to give i...

Vote "yes" for the same sex marriage The other day we were driving with my host from a little Irish town to an even smaller one and picked up a hitchhiker. As I've already mentioned there are very few people who live in this part of the country leave alone hitch. He was a guy of about middle age coming back home from the party. - So, did you vote? - Yes, I did. - May I ask?.. - I voted Yes. Later when we were drinking tea in his beautiful timber house in the woods he told us the story of his marriage and divorce. - We split up twelve years ago. - How long were you married? - For twenty six years. And now my ex-wife has a new boyfriend. It's actually a woman. And they seem to be happy together. ************************************* Rindoon castle (Rinn Dúin) - “The Fort of the Promontory” “The fort at Rindoon was first built by ancient tribes that lived in Roscommon, as they could see that it was easily defended from land or water. It was the forerunner of for...

Two months on the road Today I hitchhiked in Ireland. The first lift gave me a very sweet young lady with two beautiful blond daughters in the back seat. They were going from the ballet school to the fiddle lesson. She asked my name, where I was from, where I was heading to and then said: - And... you're hitching here, do you feel alright? - Yes, absolutely. Why? - I don't want to scare you but didn't other people warn you? - Yes, they said it might be difficult and ineffective in some areas. - I mean, there used to be a hitchhiking culture here. I myself spent a lot of time on the side of the road. But then... there were a lot of disappearances. Ten women disappeared. And people stopped hitching in Ireland. Now it's very rare and unusual to see hitchhikers here especially girls... And she took me to the bus stop. So, the next ride I got was with two weird looking men. One of them turned out to be Chechen and the other Polish. I drove with them in the midland...

Walked a looped 15 km trail along the cliffs from Sutton to Howth today.

Среди туристического блеска Синтры стоит полуразрушенный отель Netto, который путешественники уже много лет обходят стороной. Он был построен в конце XIX века и принимал гостей более ста лет. Так про него писали в газете “Англо-Португальские Новости”: “В Синтре, как и в Лиссабоне, большой выбор мест для ночлега. В местной гостинице Nunes во всех номерах есть холодная и горячая вода. В отель Netto проведено электричество, и там гостям предлагаются вкусные завтраки и обеды”. В 1937-м году в одном из отзывов отель назвали “райским местом, которое по красоте и благотворному влиянию может сравниться с санаторием”. В 1941 году здесь жили еврейские беженцы, которых принимала Португалия во время войны. Теперь о былой роскоши напоминает только лепнина на потолках и большие светлые окна. ********************************** Quinta da Regaleira. The initiation wells. "That which is Below corresponds to that which is Above, and that which is Above, corresponds to that which is Below, to accompl...