Kells, Co. Meath, Ireland

St Columba's Church and Round Tower


St Colmcille's House, but the gate was locked when I visited today. A sign board on the gate shows "Key from Mrs Carpenter, lower church view 200 yards". Since I have already seen the house 3 month ago, so I decided not going to bother her this time.
I met Mrs Carpenter during my last visit while she was weeding the garden of the house, She was kind enough to show me around and told me the legend story of the book and monks, the secret passage from the house to the church (but still undiscovered). Inside house is pretty empty, there is a shallow ladder to the top of house. a place to make the holly wishes, I did pray and made only one wish, with full of my sincere. but sad enough, it is a wish never able be fulfilled, I only know that after 3 month later...

Market cross is a cross of unevenful fate. It has been moved several times during history, eventually, in 1996, a motorist took a tight turn on cross street, reversed and toppled this 1000-year-old cross. After that, Market Cross has been repaired and moved to the front of heritage centre.

Venice, Italy (Bronzen)

Valese Fonditore
in venezia dal 1913
san marco 793 calle fiubera - venezia
Lavori D'artigianato Veneziano in ottone, bronzo, rame, peltro e feero battuto
(Venetian Artisan Works in brass, bronze, cupper, pewter and hammered Iron.)







泡一杯绿茶，在一个星期一的夜晚，在忘记整个故事之前，将它徐徐倾述在网上。。。。。。

我的威尼斯之行的最后一天是在雨中渡过的，阵雨，没有带雨伞，因而时时需要找地方躲避。下午时分，当雨水又突然倾盆而落时，我随手推开街边的一扇门走了进去。是一间商店，威尼斯除了水之外最多的就是商店了。一个老太太不急不缓的迎了过来，用慢悠悠的意大利腔英语打招呼，她并没有问我需要买什么，而是问刚才我站在橱窗外的时候在凝视什么，我告诉她，我发现她家店的面具很特别，这是我看见的唯一一家金属面具商店，而且更特别的是门槛上的浮雕中其中一个是介乎龙与狮子之间。

老太太很高兴，将金属面具从橱窗中取了出来，一一展示给我看，这儿所有的商品来自一家古老的手工艺铜器作坊，那是第一个铜制面具的出产地，也是老太太出生，成长的地方。那是她的家族产业。

老太太有两个儿子，一个是医生，一个是钢琴师，而她的兄弟大都已经相继去世，活着只有一位已经８２岁了，住在老人院中。作坊卖给了工人，剩下的唯一这间店，已经出售，大概几个月之后，就会改亭换面。

雨继续下着，老太太将门外挂着的狮头浮雕取了进来，用布细细擦拭去雨水，就像抚爱婴儿的母亲一般。

她给我看杂志，书刊上有她的照片，有关于她的家族，这家商店还有铜器作坊的介绍。她很自豪的告诉我，连伦敦的白金汉宫中都有她们家制造的铜器工艺品，她给我看她收藏的门把手，各式各样，琳琅满目，足可辟美博物馆。

雨停了，也是我该去的时间了。想说再见，可是老太太说我们不可能再见面，她剩下的日子已不多了。

终于，我还是离去了，整个店留在我记忆之中的，是一个擦拭铜器的老太太颤颤巍巍背影。

Venice, Italy (shop)

Same as Venice never shortage of water, it is a city never shortage of seductive shops as well.

Venice, Italy (cont'd)

Piazza & basilica di San Marco


palazzo Ducale


Bridge of Sighs (ponte dei sospiri)

Venice, Italy

water, water, water... Never feel any city as feminine as Venice before. Venice, a city full of water...

Verona, Italy (cont'd)

Lovely dog clothes in Italy. :)


The reason I am visiting Verona is Juliet's house is there, the place where Shakespeare's romantic happened. But unfortunately I didn't meet any Romeo at that house. :(

Verona, Italy

Verona
Impressive narrow streets and pink color marble houses...

Turin, Italy

Someone told me the minister was there in the group, but who is him?

Val Thoren, France

My typical day in UPCA Val Thoren

8:00 - 8:30 wake up, hot shower
8:30 - 9:00 breakfast
9:15 - 12: 15 snow-boarding
12:30 - 13:00 lunch
13:45 - 17:00 snow-boarding
17:00 - 17:30 hot shower
17:30 - 18:00 having tea in the bar
18:00 - 18:30 stretching exercise
18:30 - 19:15 go to the bar again, if not, lying on the bed
19:15 - 20:00 dinner
20:00 - 21:00 have some ice cream, then doing nothing
21:00 - 24: 00 party, party, party
24:00 - 4:00 sleeping super exhausted
4:00 - 8:00 awaked with full body muscle pain, so twisted in bed and trying to comfort sore bones

Andorra

Andorra is a tiny country in between France and Spain. It is nothing more than a hill station with lots of shops and a stop for skiiing in surrounding Pyreenes.
Although I am feeling very cold, but most of people said it is a pretty warm winter in Europe. Finally I saw that, as it looks so funny when seeing people skiing without much snow...
The so call capital of Andorra, Le Velle, is a small town with streets and streets of shops. eventhough I am not planning to buy anything but when seeing so many shops... I still end up with a full shopping bag, the last minute shopping for the ski gear.

In a Internet cafe in Tollouse, France now. But it is so painful to type in French keyboard, hardly can find letters I needed. so stop typing by now, train to Lyon tomorrow morning; then bus to Val Thorens afternoon.

Barcelona (cont´d)

Sick of seeing the numerous museums in Barcelona, so only visited one museum (Museum Picasso) and the rest of day is getting lost in the narrow streets.