Urban Living

More from the series I took in Grand Canal Square; swans and sunrise :)

Night Life

Taken from the rooftop terrace of the Victoria, in Rome - I loved watching the night life below us, as we sat on the terrace or an evening (the mad Irish - it was too cold for the natives in April)
One of my favourite memories of the Roman part of our honeymoon.

Manneken Pis

One of the things I love about Belgium and the Flemish side of my family is their earthiness; they have a truly bawdy sense of humour that is wholly unexpected in the face of their proud bourgeoise sensibilities. The Manneken Pis to me exemplfies that - I took my husband to see it and he just shook his head and said "This says so much about your family." It does - we can be very much the staid, calm, traditionalists but there's a part of all of us that will laugh our heads off at a statue of a little man pidding in the street. And adopt it as a national emblem.

The Devil's in the Details

I love Gothic architecture and especially the neo-medieval confectionary of the the Brussels church facades; on this church, thousands of detailed statues boast individual expressions and poses, each one a mini work of art. I took a series of the various details, including this one over the main door.

Prayer and Practicality

A shop lantern against the backdrop of one of Brussels magnificent gothic churches (off Golden Sq)

Blooming Bloomsday

I was roped into attending Bloomsday yesterday. I'm no fan of Joyce (I love The Dead but Ulysses is appalling dross) but my friend is a devotee and she begged the other two of us to attend. I must say If I have to suffer Joyce, Davy Byrne's Bar off Grafton Street is the place to do it. The atmosphere was excellent, the enthusiasm of the patrons, many in costume dress and others dressed with more than a nod to the period was infectious. There were songs and recitations, and inevitably, the passage from the offending book regarding Mr Davy Byrne himself. All in all it was a good day out, and I imagine even more so should you happen to like Mr Joyce!

In the Park

A little "pastel" from the photoshop :) I liked the aspect of the shot, it actually reminds me of the Avondale parkland. We spent many a happy sunday in Avondale as a child, just as my mother and her brothers spent in Le Bois in Brussells. I really enjoyed being where they had been, and that it reminded me of being young, seemed very auspicious!

Another view from the Palatine

Another view from the Palatine gardens across Rome, on a sunny April day. I was pleased with the colours, the pink and hints of yellow and the green and terracotta.

I also was pleased that the Rome visible is timeless, the villas are not ostensibly modern, there is little to date the shot, and I avoided the bustle of the city centre.

At the Corner of City and Sky

Another from the top of Castel D'Angelo, Rome. I love the angle of the buildings, red agaisnt white and both set against the lowering thunderous sky.

New Dublin

A shot of the new landscaping at the Grand Canal Square, a resurgent part of Dublin's Inner City. Taken on a misty February morning 2007, as the building site began to yield to the "Urban landscaped Square" The red lights are affectionately known as "Dog's Mickeys" and the green lights are just bright enough to confuse you but useless if you're trying to negotiate the area without skinning a shin!

Weep, Willow

More shots of the park - the daffodils are blooming all along the little stream, along with various wildflowers and plants. There's a bus stop on the far right, out on the road and peopel sit on a little wall and stare in at the park and the daffodils

Springtime, in the City...

This morning the first real daffodils bloomed in the tiny "park" at the end of our road. It's a lovely little strip of land, with a stream running through it and a real oasis in a busy suburban area; i've photographed it in Autumn but never managed to capture the daffodils. They were planted years ago and now have taken on a life of their own and I got a few nice shots while striding past into work this morning.

Mist

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gerbyrne/2119627503/in/set-72157600030377051/

Swan Song

samhain dance

the barriers between the worlds is thin, fire flickers on the Hill of Tara: we peer at the world through a veil.

Dawn in the city 2