I am return-ed from the land of my ancestors– Ireland– with tales to tell that must never be spoken and woolen souvenirs that must never be washed in hot water!

I can testify that  the Emerald Isle is as good as its name. Prettiness everywhere you look, enough to fill this old cynic’s heart with tears. And you can’t throw a stone without hitting a castle, either (although there is a €25.00  fine for doing that).

But before we get to the slide show, I just want to show off my newly healed/permanently effed-up finger!

Two months ago I bollixed the ring finger on my left hand just after getting the stitches out of the index finger on my right hand (Give up, God! I’m picking my nose whether you like it or not!) Anyway, the splint is off now, and apart from being left with a sharp angle in that previously level finger, I also grew a wicked Fu-Manchu nail which is now being dissolved by my stomach acid. Always look for the silver lining!

But back to my vacation. If I was not clear, Ireland is a gorgeous land filled with green, rolling hills and pretty country roads every damn where. If you visit, I recommend you drive them while sitting next to a mother who sucks her teeth and clutches her heart every time you take a curve at more than two kilometers an hour. It’s fun!

Onto the pictures…

A little slice of Middle Earth right here in North-West Earth.
Not even Photoshop’s saturation tools can convey how pretty this river was.
Did I already use up my Middle Earth joke? Oh, right. Well, you get the idea.
A cave that looks like it was designed by H.R. Giger.
Beautiful and spoooooky.
Can you believe all that came out of just one of my nostrils?
Ireland only has one nuke, but it’s a beaut!
I like how the dog’s head looks like the shadow puppet of a dog. But why did the dog poop out a campfire?

Ain’t it quaint? In Ireland, their greatest social woe is chewed gum (oh, and a crippling recession).

And the remainder is…. RUIN POOOORRRRNNNN!

Okay, I’ve got a graphic novel to finish.