kingdom of kerry

been living for six weeks now in kerry + i still have yet to find out how it got baptised as ‘the kingdom’. kerry had always been my favourite destination in ireland. it just never occurred to me that i’d live here one day and for the record, i am already in love with this county!

the sunday just gone was a glorious and scorchin’ one so i decided to take a bike on boat tour to the gap of dunloe. i thought, i’ll cycle around the gap for a couple of hours and come back to killarney before dusk. Somehow.. somehow, i missed the turn to the gap of dunloe + ended up doing half of the ring of kerry. the road was so busy and it was pretty scary but for an absolute rookie in cycling, i think i did pretty well. captivated + allured by the beauty of my surroundings, i took endless stops for photographs and took about mmm.. about 400 pictures i think, a few i’ve posted below. hope u like them! am quite proud to show snaps of the county where i live now. in my head as i took the photographs i pondered, kerry should be a new synonym for beautiful.. the landscapes are just mind-blowing!

let’s go all ‘country’ style with bill hickey with this vibrant country music, kingdom of kerry!

my last post this year…

aww.. 2011 is almost gone and i can’t wait for 2012 to come!! it’s been a great year.. all around great!

i’ve one hour and ten minutes to come up with a new year’s resolution and it’s quite difficult to come up with one when two of my gf’s are playing race with my salt + pepper shaker toys.. not fair, it’s sort of distracting! 😉

2011’s been fantastic.. surely, next year will even be better!

oh.. and i am doing one of this dream/vision board for my flat.. nice!

life is beautiful.. enjoy while it lasts!!

happy new year folks!

my top 11 adventures this year as of 11.11.11

mmm… here goes my list…

1. Desert Safari – Dubai, UAE

the Desert Safari is supposed to be the most popular excursion in Dubai and all over UAE. definitely not to be missed if you’re ever that side of the world. the safari is a spectacular combination of the ancient Arabian traditions as well as modern culture and habits. our 4×4 Dune Bashing was indeed an adrenalin pumping ride, a journey that will leave you pleasurable memories. it did give me the scare of my life but it was most amazing. i especially enjoyed watching the stunning desert sunset and the ride to the desert camp for the authentic Arabian dinner and the belly dancing show. i also managed to indulge myself with a few puffs of an apple-flavoured traditional Sheesha after the dinner and it sure did complete the experience!! it was such an unforgettable experience and certainly is the coolest thing I’ve done this year! Surely, it was the highlight of my Dubai trip…

2. Siam Niramit – Bangkok, Thailand

better than any stage production/musical i’ve ever seen… Siam Niramit is a kick-ass show, a must, must, must must-see show whilst in Bangkok. the visual presentation of the Thai culture was incredible and the effects were magnificent (the sudden existence of a “lake” at the stage and the elephants marching towards the end of the show were just unreal).

3. Oxegen 2011 – Punchestown Racecourse, Co Kildare (IRL)

went for just the last day single day ticket to Oxegen 2011 to see Beyonce Knowles and Cold Play . Beyonce’s performance was unbelievable and so was Coldplay’s. i especially loved it when Christy Moore joined Coldplay for the finale song . i enjoyed everything about that one day event… the uncomfortable but cute wellies i had to wear, the cold beers in plastic cups, the Ferris Wheel ride (which took a lot of courage for me to do), the whole festival atmosphere and the fabulous FUN company of 5 other girlfriends.. it was such an experience!!

4. Elephant Trekking – Bangkok, Thailand

WOW.. that’s all I can say.. WOW! Suri, the Elephant trainer was very professional and nice that he made me feel at ease a few minutes after my ride. i was very scared as the seat on the elephant’s back was a bit wobbly. it felt good that I managed to overcome my small fears on heights, rides.. elephants etc 😛 thanks to Suri!

5. Imelda May Gig – The Milk Market, Limerick (IRL)

Imelda May has one of those voices… rich and powerful. she was outstanding on the night and we sure all did enjoy the gig. the Milk Market as a gig venue was excellent as well.

PS her vintage style rules!

i might see her again and the band next month 🙂

6. Shaolin Warriors – University of Limerick, Limerick (IRL)

i’ve always been fascinated with Shaolin Kungfu.. how could I have missed the internationally acclaimed Shaolin Warriors direct from China! it showcased the rarely-seen Kung Fu masters’ feats of agility, strength and skill and also featured Buddhist meditation and rigorous martial arts training. the show was an extravaganza of gorgeous scenery, atmospheric music, beautiful lights and hundreds of costumes.

7. Killaloe Festival of Lights – Killaloe, Co Clare (IRL)

i refer you to my other post… clare celebrates diwali.. it was a fabulous evening, very well organised and everyone seemed to had enjoyed the event!

8. Africa Day – The Milk Market, Limerick (IRL)

Africa Day celebrated in Limerick was another successful event held in the Milk Market. it was a beautiful day for all ages. the drumming group and the african dance music blasting the speakers all afternoon were very entertaining for all. the very tall men in stilts and the fire-eaters dance show were very amusing too! 😉

9. Spancilhill Horse Fair – Quinn, Co Clare (IRL)

it was a very enjoyable experience to watch the donkey race… the crowd were all excited and thank heavens, the weather was gorgeous too!

10. Mardi Gras Street Party – Limerick (IRL)

Limerick’s ‘Market Quarter’ was transformed into a spectacular and very colourful venue of the Mardi Gras Street Party. it was very nice to see the whole city buzzing that night!!!

11. Riverfest Fireworks – Limerick (IRL)

viewed the fireworks from the terrace of The Curragower Seafood Bar . it was the perfect place to be to watch the breathtaking Riverfest fireworks.

splendid indeed!

vintage cool

Every lovely spot near or far,
You can reach them too in your car,
Or you might be there now if you own a jag already.
~Who (on Jaguar)~

aww.. i want one!

clare celebrates diwali..

went up to killaloe to witness Diwali, the Festival of Lights on wednesday, 26th october and had such a ball.. it was a very cold evening but thank heavens.. it was dry!

it all began in Satmya . Satmya is a holistic centre specialising in Ayurveda & Naturopathy and offers an extensive list of traditional Ayurvedic treatments. it has a herbal dispensary & a shop offering a wide variety of health related products. they had some sweet treats and nutty nibbles too on the night which myself and my pals enjoyed!

shortly after our visit to Satmya, we joined the lantern/candle procession from the Green to the River Car Park.. it was well organised and there was a good turn up too! Killaloe, the quaint, little town is indeed one of my favourite places in Ireland. who can resist the charm of killaloe..?

the ‘Fire Show’ was quite entertaining too…

the sky lanterns were very pretty and the event itself was very special! everyone seemed to had enjoyed themselves 🙂

i am so glad i went.. i almost did not go! i suppose i wasn’t expecting that it would be such a pleasurable event! serendipity..? well.. could be.. i can’t help but smile dreamily whenever i think of how beautiful the sky lanterns were as they flew up high on the clare skies that one chilly october night!

i am doing it again next year!! 😉