Reflecting on Ireland and the Irish

May the road rise up to meet you

May the wind blow always at your back

May the sun shine warm upon your face

And the rains fall soft upon your fields

Until we meet again

So goes the old Irish Blessing.

Glendalough

Ireland, the soft green place of damp air, great learning, amazing friendliness and intense struggle

Monument to Irish immigrants

The Irish diaspora spread all around the world

The contrasts of Ireland so stark

From the halls of Trinity College

To the murals that are are a record of the troubles found in Derry

And of course the contrast is an actual divide

The north and the south, the Republic and the British

Can this divide be overcome?

People of good will can achieve anything

Peace statue Derry

And on the border of Derry and Donegal bikers from both of the border come together to raise funds for a lifeboat in a little village in the Republic

Brittany – Last stops on the continent for 2018

Jutting out into the Atlantic

Brittany has much in common with the Celtic cousins in Cornwall and Ireland

The quaint seaside ports also along the coastline

Reflecting the Brittany’s place as Frances finisterre (lands end)

Brest it’s major city

With its ancient citadel apon the hill

A long maritime history

And beautiful beaches

Ahhh Switzerland

What is it about Switzerland that takes my breath away

The amazing vistas across the lakes

Amazing mountain passes like the old San Gotthard pass with its cobblestone surface

And party atmosphere at the top

Or village of Gletch where the Furka, Grimsel and Nufenen passes all converge

Maybe it’s the white Glacier topped mountains

Or is is the amazing biker culture that see riders of all types out enjoying the Alps

The goulash soup at the resturaunt at the top of Nufenen pass comes close

But maybe it’s the subtle heartfelt welcome that is so Swiss that makes one say ahhh

Sud Tyrol

The rich sediments

The rich culture washed down

From the high alps

Looking back to the Stelvio Pass on Sud Tyrol

A high plateau

Sitting between the Alps of Switzerland, Italy and Austria

Rich agricultural land

Its part of Italy

The main language in German

The houses look as is transplanted from Switzerland

And of course through it is the Reschen passage

Into the Pyrenees – 1 – Cauterets, the Pont d’ Espagna, and the World Cup win

France wins and Cauterets celebrates

In a quite valley

In the Pyrenees

A few sort miles from Spain

Over the Pont d’ Espagna

Cascading

Water

Bringing joy and beauty

On the bridge to Spain

In the Haute Pyrenees

And in bars in Cauterets the faithful watch the world cup being won

And the Gendarme too sounded the victory siren

In Cauterets when France won the World Cup.