My Irish heritage

So apparently, along with my iron liver and fair complexion, I also inherited my fondness for jaywalking!

Jameson Distillery

How could I visit Ireland and miss this?!

Seen on the streets of Dublin

Love the jacket :)

Dublin, Ireland

Dublin is as it was in my mind: winding, walkable streets lined with old churches and bustling pubs, bathed in soft gray drizzle. It's a city made for wandering (and drinking!) I had a great lunch at Fallon & Byrne, also the site of a food hall and wine bar, and a delicious dinner at the Gallic-influenced Green Hen. Live music in pubs was a let down (covers of "blurred lines", ugh) but I saw an excellent Irish play at The Project Arts Center for only 16 euros. I didn't have enough time to visit the many museums (which are free!) save for the Chester Beatty Library, which had some exquisite Islamic miniaturist paintings (not what you look for in Ireland, but a pleasant surprise!) And of course I sampled some local beers and whiskeys!

Temple Bar - a cobblestone street lined with shops, theaters and of course, pubs. 

Trinity College

Dublin Castle

Christ Church Cathedral

Strolling along the River Liffey

Pedestrian only streets

Typical architecture

A rare dose of color

Havana by night

The city's faded grandeur is particularly seductive after dark.

Cars!

Cuba - Art everywhere

The patios of Cordoba

The residents of Cordoba don't view gardening as a mere hobby, but rather a fiercely competitive sport! Neighbors decorate their interior courtyards (patios) and compete for annual awards. For a few euros, one can obtain a map of the best patios. We knocked on doors and were proudly ushered in by the inhabitants, who told us about their homes, their plants and how many times they had won the coveted award. One sweet old lady actually had green hair, perhaps in an attempt to best her competitors in her devotion to plants!

Metropol Parasol

Seville's stab at contemporary architecture. This flowing structure serves as a modern landmark, urban park and viewing platform.

Seville

The Giralda, originally the minaret of a 12th century mosque, later reconfigured as the bell tower of the Cathedral. 

The view from the Giralda, currently the city's highest viewpoint, overlooking the enormous Cathedral. 

This former tobacco factory and its 'cigarette girls' inspired Bizet's Carmen. It's the second largest building in Spain.

Plaza de Espana, built for the 1929 international fair, now serving as an ostentatious monument in the Parque de Maria Luisa.