🍂 Pictiúirí Póca 🍂

This is the Frank Gehry-designed Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. It was opened in 1997 and houses Modern and Contemporary Art. It's covered in Titanium, and is meant to look like a ship or waves. It houses mainly 20th century art, with installations and electronic forms making up the majority of the forms. They also house themed exhibitions and I saw an exhibition of Russian Art (a bit depressing) and of South American archaeological relics (fantastic!)  Jeff Koons' "Puppy". It's cute, and I like it a lot more than his other work (which ranges from the sickeningly kitsch to outright pornographic), but to me it's a flower arrangement! "Maman", Louise Bourgeois. This is one of the 7 bronze casts in existence.

An ancient Egyptian temple is that last thing thing you'd expect to find right smack in the center of a European city, but it's exactly what you'll find in Madrid's Parque Del Oeste (The West Park). How did it end up there? Well, when the Great Aswan Dam was built in 1960, several archaeoligal sites and monuments were threatened. Abu Simbel was one of these sites. UNESCO made an international appeal to save these sites. Spain was one of those that answered the call, and the Temple of Debod was presented in 1968 to Spain as a little thank you for their assistance with saving the temples at Abu Simbel. The Temple was open to the public in 1972. Oh, and just to let you know - not all archaeological sites impacted by the damming of the Nile at Aswan were so fortunate. Some were deemed to be of little importance and they were not moved, and are now inundated by the waters of the Nile.  (I'll be adding a post about Abu Simbel sometime in the future)

Heron, Dublin Zoo. I don't think this guy is one of the inmates - I just think he likes to live there! Red Panda, Dublin Zoo. It's not actually a panda; it appears that they are a member of the Musteloidea, which include animals like weasels, skunks and raccoons. Koi carp, Kyoto, Japan Daisies, Connemara Corsican pine, Connemara

Dublin City is my adopted home. Here are some of the sights. Hasn't she got the saddest face? It's actually a sculpture of a  young pregnant woman. She totally looks likes she's not looking forward to impending motherhood. Oscar Wilde. When viewed from this side, he's smiling. When viewed from the other, he looks contemplative, even sad. And towards the end of his life, poor Oscar had a lot to be sad about. Isn't this the weirdest topiary you've ever seen? Kinda cute though. Street lamp from Merrion Square The gates outside Roinn an Taoisigh, in Merrion Square. This is where the Taoiseach (our Prime Minister) goes about his daily business of... whatever it is he does. I'd look annoyed as well if I had birds perching and pooping on my head. Nubian Lady This creepy little thing looks like he's just escaped from under O'Connell Bridge.   Gossip girls Tattoo Parlour in Crow Street. We went in for a look and it seems that they special...

Imperial Palace, Kyoto. The day started off nice enough, but halfway through the tour, the skies opened up and doused us in a shower that rivaled anything I've experienced in Ireland or Wales (I'm an expert in these matters, it rains in these places constantly). Everyone was diving for cover but we didn't mind because being Irish we 1. are tough and 2. we're well used to water falling from the sky! It was strange though - it was really warm.  Kinkaju-ji (The Golden Pavilion) Kyoto. The day we visited, it was really dull and grey and overcast. After we got off the bus, we had to walk up a hill for what seemed like forever. I was getting a bit tired and grumpy until we finally reached the top and turned the corner and saw this sight. It was so beautiful, and all of a sudden the day didn't seem to grey and depressing. This is so beautiful -it was so radiant it was like sunshine, and was totally worth the uphill trek. It's a Zen Buddhist temple in Kyoto. It's ...

These Photos are a little grainy because they were taken on film. Is is sadder that I remember film or that I was still using it in 2005? I had an extra treat on my last day there - it snowed

Acer palmatum "Red wine"