The sun never sets on Dublin

This time of year, in the days around the summer solstice, it's never quite night in Dublin. After the 9:58 sunset light still clings to the western horizon, and the dusk haze slowly circles around until the 4:58 dawn.

During the 10-day visit from my parents we criss-crossed over Ireland, visiting historic sites ranging from c. 3000 BC to 1916 and later, bicycled Inis Oírr a few times in two hours, ran out of gas in villages with stations closing at 10 p.m., and figured a skeleton for an epic opera.

Today, though, after they left, was one of the first sunny days in Dublin for a while. I made it up to Howth Head, 20 miles total, on my bicycle and hiked partway up and around the head, just enough to where I lost sight of the civilized world, and only until the wind started to pick up. About a three hour trip in all, but considering that I have no schedule and can only bother the same people for interviews so many times it wasn't too much trouble.

I would have gotten some great photos, but I don't really take pictures and also don't bring my camera with me anywhere. So you'll have to do with just first imagining nothing, then the sound of seagulls, then a green ocean with a canoe carrying four people in orange life vests, then exhaustion coupled with near vertigo from the sheer cliffs separating you from the water.