Saturday 31 July 2010

Thursday 29 July 2010

Trains In Spain

Top photo: This old retired locomotive is now "Street art" in Aguilas
Bottom photo: Tourist "toy train" runs along the beach promenade in Puerto de Mazarron

Tuesday 20 July 2010

The Day My God Died


I posted a few videos on Youtube and somebody commented on my "Summer in Dublin"(Bagatelle). I had a look at his Youtube site and he had posted this documentary. It is a heartbreaking, sad, distressing account of how young girls, some just children are kidnapped and sold into prostitution in Asia. There is an organization called Sunlaap which is struggling to free them and help to rebuild their lives. I also read a book recently called "The Road Of Lost Innocence" by Somaly Mam on the exact same subject. It is an incredible book written by an incredible woman who suffered horrific abuse and who now helps others to escape from a life of misery and unbelievable pain.
I tried to watch this documentary but only got halfway before I had to swich it off because it was so distressing. Watch it but be prepared to cry!

The Trouble With Ducks

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On Sunday I strolled along the banks of the river Liffey at Islandbridge. There were lots of ducks on the river and some people were feeding them bread. I tried to get a nice close-up shot of a duck, but every time I aimed my camera Mrs Mallard swam furiously out of frame - or started cleaning duties...
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... went under water ...
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... eventually I succeeded in getting a reasonable shot! Thank God for digital cameras, because in the old days this would have cost me a roll of film.
 
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Monday 19 July 2010

I have a theory...

 
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..that if you are good at - music... sport... acting... prose... poetry ...singing... art...
you can go anywhere in the world and be successful... rich... famous...
(it will also help of course if you have looks like Robert Pattinson (man) or Beyonce (woman)!).
I believe God bestows gifts on certain people, and this young artist painting a mural on the Cobblestone Bar in Smithfield on a Sunday afternoon is perhaps not aware of how blessed she is.

I love art and artists - they give so much happiness to us mere mortals!

Sunday 18 July 2010

The Old Jameson Distillery

 
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The Jameson Distillery was established in Bow Street in Smithfield, Dublin 7 over 200 years ago. The popular Whiskey is now distilled in Cork and Bow Street is a popular Visitor Centre which attracts many thousands of tourists. I sometimes take a short cut through here and it always seems to be buzzing. As you can see from my photos there are people milling around and the cafes are busy. The new apartments overhead have a great view. The short cut is through the quaintly named Duck Lane. I like that name!

Friday 16 July 2010

The Book of Love. Peter Gabriel



I heard this song for the first time on my car radio today and I immediately fell in love with it. It was written by Stephin Merritt who performs with a band called the Magnetic Fields and is sung here by Peter Gabriel (ex Genesis).
(With thanks to my good friends Abi & Louise who were married in January)

Wednesday 14 July 2010

Two St James' On James Street

James Street in Dublin 8 is best known as the home of "the black stuff" and much of the street is taken up by the Guinness brewery which was established here in the 1750's by Arthur Guinness when he acquired a 999 year lease. There are two interesting churches on the street one hundred yards apart on opposite sides of the street, both called St James.
In my top photo is St James former Church of Ireland, now sadly a Lighting showrooms. And in the bottom photo is St James Catholic Church, which is still in use as a place of worship. I like the architecture of both churches and they are perhaps unusual in that they do not have tall spires. Indeed in the top photo you could almost imagine that the builders will be coming back after their lunch to continue construction...

Sunday 11 July 2010

Monday 5 July 2010