Ireland Part 1: Bray

Just when I was convinced that no coast could hold a candle to the Gower and Pembrokeshire coast area in Wales, I visited my friend Kyle in Ireland. Our first outing was to Bray. I couldn't stop taking pictures, or thinking how beautiful it was. As a side note, I CLIMBED A MOUNTAIN.

This is the "mountain" I climbed. It's more of a really, really big hill. But it has this cross on top, and every Good Friday, the faithful make a pilgrimage all the way up to the top. Which, you know, is pretty cool.

2/2 Bishop McGuinness graduates agree: This place is prolly haunted.

Climbing up Bray Head...

Almost to the top!

The last leg of the trip was a scramble up some boulders. Which, you know, I'm perfectly well equipped for, being a beast and all.

Secret #1: Definitely took these pictures as an excuse to take a break.

The top of the mountain!

See that blurry thing? That, gentle reader, is Wales.

This picture made me think of Mom---I forget what you call this particular sport, but we watched this guy for a while. In a non-creepy way.

The Final Night in France

After having taken Paris and the Loire Valley by storm, it was finally time to part ways. However, this could not happen before we took a very cold ride on Les Bateaux Mouches, my favorite touristy thing to do in Paris. It's a boat ride down the Seine, and it gives some of the most beautiful views of Paris you can get, especially at night. Also, the Eiffel Tower is not as big as it looks, as the above picture shows.

Some culturally significant structure...

The National Assembly! It was so cool to see this after having studied the revolution for so long...

Some peeps on a bridge.

Notre Dame from the Seine.

Mom was kind of cold, I guess?

Me and a building filled with old books!

Obligatory.

I know it would be nerdy to point out the irony that this specific picture was numbered "1066" in my files, completely by coincidence, so I won't. Nope.

Amboise at Night...

Our last night in Amboise was spent filling our stomachs at an Italian restaurant close to the Chateau. As you can see, it's an incredibly beautiful city...

The chateau from a cobblestone street...

The bridge and quay area.

See that chick way in the background? Yeah, that's me.

Villandry: The Final Frontier

Villandry, famous for its gardens, was the last chateau we visited before heading back up to Paris. :)