COBH, IRELAND – Titanic tales

Every town should have (1) colourful fishing boats (2) a spectacular cathedral (3) a link to the Titanic

If we found Cork a little colourless yesterday, we had no such problem with its neighbouring port town Cobh today.

A large proportion of the bright paint in Ireland has ended up here, and the town enthusiastically stresses its 90 minute-long Titanic connection.

CORK, IRELAND – local meaty goodness

They don't make 'em like they used to - they wouldn't dare. A. O'Reilly has been selling tripe since 1910.

I do love the idea of being in Ireland.

Mevrouw T and I arrived this morning and will be spending the best part of the next fortnight here. I’m sure we’ll have some foine toimes.

RECYCLED CYCLES – great idea!

Do you think they look good? Photo: Roetz Bikes

About a million new bikes are sold each year in the Netherlands, from which it follows that thousands of old ones go to the scrap heap (or to the bottom of a canal).

Tiemen ter Hoeven and Mark Groot Wassink buy up useable old bike frames from police and government depots, give them a trendy paint job, fit them with durable new components and sell them.

UNDERWATER CYCLING – only in the Netherlands!

Two tunnel entrances of (almost) equal size - cars to the left, bikes to the right.

Is there anywhere else in world where cyclists get their own tunnels?

We came across this one just south of Rotterdam.

AMSTERDAM’S BEST MARKETS

Lots of trash, a few treasures at the Waterlooplein.

I’ve just done another little (paid, thank you!) travel-writing job, giving my take on Amsterdam’s markets.

Here’s what I decided was worth including…

DEN HAAG ONDER DE HEMEL – Chinese sculptors in The Hague

Siu Jianguo - Slanted Paradise

Den Haag onder de Hemel (‘The Hague under Heaven’) is the title of this wonderful exhibition of modern Chinese sculpture.

Large scale contemporary works by some of China’s leading artists are lined up under the linden trees in one of Nederland’s most beautiful streets – Lange Voorhout.