Robert's Ramblings

Last leg or last legs?

There is a real feel of travel weariness pervading the air. Hours of travel seem to have reduced the excited expectations of reaching a new or a final destination to nothing more than silent anticipation.

... soon now.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 547, Last Leg' 3.2 f/16 ISO800 15mm

Changi Airport Singapore is renowned as one one of the worlds busiest transit hubs.

Quiet moments like this are however just as common when transits take you through the early hours of the morning. Most shops are closed, and a weird sense of serenity invades the daily mêlée transforming the cosmopolitan feel into that of a country town bus station. Even in this image I see one weary traveler has found a cosy bed for the night, shoes on the ground and bags for a pillow.

Next destination, Adelaide.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 546, Almost Deserted' 0.3 f/9.0 ISO320 15mm

My favorite seat when flying is an aisle seat but on the short flight from Cork to Heathrow having a window seat made for great cloud gazing.

There is something magical about being above the clouds. With land and sea now out of sight, all sense of being in a plane seems to vanish and the world is some fantastic place not of this world. For this flight at least the windows seat will suit me just fine.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 545, Flying Home' 1/250s f/11 ISO100 40mm

It seems somehow fitting to leave this beautiful green isle with a final gorgeous sunset.

We came here to an Ireland of blue skies and sunshine (the locals reckon we brought the sunshine with us) to get married. We created history and memories which will remain with us, our families and our friends. As my new brother-in-law complimented us so eloquently, "you played a blinder!", and we did!

Ireland, ... we will be back again soon.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 544, One Last Irish Sunset' 1/60s f/18 ISO400 200mm

Well stocked indeed but there is something obvious missing.

Where is the bartender? Where are the guests? There is a simple answer to odd state of affairs. It's the end of a big night out and we have out drunk all the patrons who have left. The bartender has finished for the night and asked us to leave when we are ready by the side door entrusting us to lock it behind us.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 543, Well Stocked' 30s f/9.0 ISO160 15mm

Once upon a time in Blarney there were great woolen mills known as Mahony's Mills which manufactured woolen products and employed hundreds of locals in all manner of roles.

Nearly 150 years from the day it was built the mills ground to a halt due to declining demand and production. 500 people lost their jobs in 1973 on the the day it closed. Two year later a former shop floor employee of over 22 years, Christy Kelleher, purchased the property and converted it into a souvenir shop and hotel.

Now known as the Blarney Woolen Mills it is the biggest Irish products store in Ireland thanks to Christy's vision.

This old loom remains in the centre of the store as a reminder of another era.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 542, Blarney HeirLoom' 1/40s f/4.0 ISO1600 40mm

In every town we visited or passed through we found a grotto with an effigy of the biblical Mary.

While traveling through the town of Charlieville I noticed something different, this single statue in the courtyard of an old church. In it I saw a small child playing and leaning over the edge of a stream or river, its guardian angel ever present.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 541, Guardian Angel' 1/2000s f/2.8 ISO100 200mm

Down the tower steps, on to the plush red carpeted guests landing and finally those grand banistered red stairs down to a kingly Irish breakfast.

We have brought back many wonderful memories of Dromoland Castle but by the way this image brought those memories flooding in I'd say red carpeted stairs will will always be special to us now.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 540, Red Carpet Stairs' 8s f/11 ISO100 15mm

If this were a Grimm fairy tale I could imagine myself calling up to my beloved Rapunzel to let down her golden hair so that we might be together.

But this is not a story book tale. It is my gorgeous bride standing watch for my return from the the old tower of Dromoland Castle. The call would not be a whispered shout from the garden below but a text message on a mobile phone announcing I would be climbing turret stairs back to our room for the night.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 539, My Rapunzel' 6s f/9.0 ISO640 25mm

Walking through the main doors of the Great Northern Hotel is like stepping back in time.

62 years ago Jennifer's newly wed parents Gerard and Nuala stepped through these very same doors on their honeymoon. I wonder if they thought the very same thing conjuring up images of the late 1900s. Years even before then it was here that Jennifer's grandmother was proposed to and accepted.

Now all these years later it still feels like the grand old hotel it always was. I am proud we also honeymooned here and made the Great Northern Hotel part of our history as well.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 538, The Great Northern Hotel' 1/1600s f/3.5 ISO100 110mm

Jennifer first brought me to the bustling seaside town of Bundoran 11 years ago.

Then as now we experienced blue skies and sunshine. This time we got to linger a few days and explore and even take one or two photos.

Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 537, Bundoran' 8s f/10 ISO100 15mm

In quite a dramatic departure from the beautiful Irish landscapes I simply had to capture a scene from the bar.

Some might call this landscape equally as beautiful except for the odd one out! Despite the offerings on tap (pun unintended) we chose to round off the evening with hot Irish whiskeys instead.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 536, Odd One Out' 1/10s f/8.0 ISO320 15mm

Just a few kilometers east of the popular northern seaside town of Budoran a very special meeting is taking place.

When this swimmer emerged from his evening dip in the the cold North Atlantic sea he looked up at me and yelled, 'how did you find me?'. He could very well have been having a short respite from the tensions of the G8 meeting just up the road. I suspect though he was just having a bit of craic!


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 535, North Atlantic Swimmer' 1/160s f/8.0 ISO160 15mm

An old castle had to turn up sooner or later.

It seems almost every large Irish town has a castle of note and Mallow is no different. I'm not sure how old the ruins of this old castle are but at least they are maintain well enough to create a safe environment to walk through and pond waring clans of another time.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 534, Inside The Old Walls' 1/100s f/9.0 ISO160 15mm

I feel a certain reluctance to post my day's next image when the last was especially dear to me.

This time, especially hard but of course the next day comes and the one after that and so on and so on.

This image captured some of the incredibly beautiful roadside flowers in full sun in the outskirts of Mallow. Aside from our wedding day which rained we were blessed with sunny days and blue skys much to the delight of the locals and visitors alike.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 533, Roadside Blooms' 1/400s f/11 ISO160 40mm

Our gorgeous wedding bands were hand made by Benjamin Manning for our special day, the 14th June 2013.

Mine is white gold formed over my late father's gold wedding ring while Jennifer's is white gold formed over her grandmother's rose gold wedding ring.
From the outside they are simple, beautiful and uniquely ours, while inside, the original hallmarking reminds us of our loved ones.

Thank you Ben for re-creating these treasured heirlooms for us.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 532, Our Promise' 8s f/22 ISO320 100mm

The Hibernian Hotel in the main street of Mallow was where I stayed the night before the big day.

Even at nearly 11 o'clock in the evening the sky seemed surreal with the brilliant royal blue of maritime twilight.

I love the old world feels of buildings like this one with their colored panels, dark frames and hundreds of layers of built up paint from a lifetime of maintaining. It seemed a fitting place to stay for the night before.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 531, The Night Before' 1.3s f/11 ISO320 15mm

I did not get to explore this building any more than wander past the outside and capture some images.

I can however imaging how once these stables on the Longueville House property held beautiful horses which would have been used both for recreation and for hunting.

Looking up I can't help but wonder the last time the stable bell was rung. At least sometime has maintained the clock!


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 530, The Stables' 1/50s f/8 ISO100 15mm

Auntie Nellie's Sweet Shop in the main street of Mallow reminded me of old period movies where children would frequent candy shops transforming a few pennies into yummy morsels of candy, liquorice, and jelly beans in big brown paper bags.

For my own memory 'Willy Wonka' comes to mind but sadly I am not old enough to have experienced such childhood delights myself.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 529, Auntie Nellie's Sweet Shop' 1.3s f/11 ISO320 15mm

The courtyard of Longueville House is a beautiful place in its own right.

As both the service entrance and guest access to the grounds it is a lovely place to linger in the grounds and watch the comings and goings of the property operations.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 528, The Courtyard' 1/50s f/11 ISO100 15mm

My first really nice sunset in Ireland was simply amazing.

Not only was it a novelty for me to see the sun set over a grassy green landscape, but the colour was amazing and refraction minimal compared to our coastal sunsets at home.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 527, An Irish Sunset' 1/40s f/20 ISO100 200mm

Richard Turner was a true innovator of the 18th century. The Dublin born iron-founder and manufacturer of glasshouses was the first to introduce curved structures into the construction of glass houses and conservatories.

The Turner Conservatory (part of the Longueville House estate in Mallow, Ireland) is one of the few examples of the best of his work still in original condition complete with its wrought and cast iron framework and both curved and flat glass panels. The roof of the conservatory has been covered in an awning material to protect the irreplaceable curved glass panels and to soften the lighting inside.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 526, The Turner Conservatory' 1/400s f/8.0 ISO100 15mm

Preparations in order in the Turner Conservatory at Longueville House.

This beautiful, light and airy space is also steeped in history creating an ambiance all of its own.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 525, Preparations' 1/60s f/7.1 ISO160 15mm

Once I could not have passed by a dandelion without picking it and blowing its seeds into the breeze.

Now I feel no compelling need to interfere with these beautiful flowers other than to find creative ways to capture their image.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 524, Dandelion Sunset' 1/1000s f/14 ISO640 40mm

This stone sentinel keeping a watchful eye over the Lavally countryside was not so watchful when I discovered him face down in the water of the bird-bath.

After restoring him to his rightful position I was advised it would not be long before the magpies would knock him back into the water again. Oh well, at least he will enjoy the the scenery and the magnificent sunshine for a while.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 523, Stone Sentinel' 1/640s f/2.8 ISO320 200mm

This beautiful home atop an emerald green Irish country hillside would be our home away from home for a few days.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 522, Susan and Daragh's Home' 1/20s f/16 ISO320 15mm

The view from aircraft windows varies from amazing to non-existent.

This is my very favorite view, a good strong wing doing the job it was designed for!


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 521, Winging It' 1/250s f/10 ISO100 29mm

Transits give a captured audience to the pizazz and glitz of the the airport terminal retail world.

Despite our best efforts to find a bargain here we came through empty handed and all the better for it.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 520, Airport Glitz' 1s f/18 ISO160 15mm

The challenge might have been how to capture an image like this without a tripod. In fact the the really hard part was deciding where to sit!

In the end I chose the ceiling; ... for the shot, not our seating position!


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 519, Where To Sit' 1/6s f/13 ISO1600 15mm

While waiting in Adelaide International Airport's gate lounge I was struck by the way the blues and purples from the outside contrasted with the oranges and yellows in the domestic departure lounge.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 518, Gate Lounge' 1/30s f/4 ISO1000 15mm