We are off to a great beginning with our trip through southern Ireland.  We left on a three-day drive in the south of Ireland and had a lovely time when we stopped in the colorful city of Kilkenny. I am not even sure what this alley full of umbrellas was all about, but it sure caught my attention!  At the time we were there, some sort of rugby competition was going on between Ireland and Wales, and everyone was wearing the town colors (black and yellow) and were walking around looking like big bumblebees.

We had been years ago, but felt we had to return to the crystal making factory in Waterford.  The tour there was fascinating.  Watching the skilled craftsmen work with the hot leaded crystal was awe-inspiring.  Somehow lumps of glass are formed into shapes and then blown, cooled, heated again in kilns and then magicked into vases, bowls, glassware, trophies, and other items.

On the tour, one is guided through the various stages of how prestige crystal pieces are formed, etched, and carved.  The fellow in the photo above is cutting grooves in a crystal bowl.

This was my favorite piece.  It is called The Four Seasons Bowl.  Each quadrant of the piece is etched with designs that represent a specific season.  That is Fall that you see above.  You could have this bowl to decorate your table for around $1500

I had to get a photo of this magnificent piece to show Eva.  It is Cinderella's Coach.  It is hard to see the scale of the piece in the photo, but it is about 24 inches long and maybe 8 inches tall.  

We ended the day by taking a drive out to see Hook Head Lighthouse, the oldest working lighthouse in the world.  Located at the end of a narrow finger of a peninsula at the southern tip of Ireland in County Wexford, it has been keeping ships safe for 800 years.  

We are having lovely weather, as you can see.  What a pleasant change for us, as when we left our area of California it was 99 degrees.  It has been in the low 60s here! 

Hope you are all having a wonderful week.