A Cottage in Ireland

My wanderings have taken me from Toledo to Tokyo, Pittsburgh to Paris, Vacaville to Vienna, Charleston to Cologne. I have marveled at the wonders of the world, made my home in exotic locales, and forged bonds with people of many nations.

Of all my journeys, none has resonated with me as deeply as my recent trip to Ireland. I made a soul connection with the place and her people. This should probably come as no surprise to those who know me well. After all, I have an abundance of Irish DNA surging through my veins. The connection is cellular. I'm also an enthusiastic storyteller and conversationalist (a nice way of saying I have the gift for gab).

Still, I was surprised by my immediate affection for Ireland. I had only been there a few days when I began daydreaming about buying a cottage in Kenmare and opening up a bookstore/tea shop on her quaint, colorful main street. I envisioned spending my days chatting with customers about Wilde, Joyce and Yeats, and evenings in a boisterous pub listening to trad music and sipping Bulmer's. When the south winds rattled my windows, I would hunker down beneath my thatched roof and write novels. Maybe I would even write my memoir. My opening line: I have a cottage in Ireland at the head of Kenmare Bay. (It worked for Meryl Streep in Out of Africa. "I had a farm in Africa at the foot of the Ngong Hills.")

There's usually one spectacular tour, museum, or site that attaches itself to my memory of a journey; one thing that makes a place truly unique. In Ireland, there were two things: her people and her coastline. I will write about her warm, friendly, beautiful people another time. Today, I would like to share my memories of her spectacular coasts.

Better writers than myself have tried to describe Ireland's majestic land and seascape. I'll spare you the poetic waxing and instead share some of my photographs with you. Unless otherwise stipulated, these photos were taken on the Dingle Peninsula.