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This old building was perched half way down the cliff. It was still 60 feet from the sea below. How they were able to build it down there is amazing. Why was it there and what was it function?
The following is the tale of an 1891 traveler:
Cliffs of Moher, St. Bridget's Well (1891)
After passing Liscannor we turn to the left, a little beyond Seamount, and keeping alongside the sea, at Clohanes, for a short distance, mount the ascent to Hag's Head, on which stands one of the old telegraph towers, built on, or near, the site of "Moher fort," and from this elevation of 407 feet we have a view of Stookeen cliff, 580 feet, Aillenasharragh, 632 feet, and Knockardakin, 668 feet, above sea level, which is the highest of all that range. Here are miles of cliff in this extent of coast, from Hag's Head to Knockeracken, without any break or interruption, none of which are less than 400 feet in height, and to realize its grandeur fully, one must come to see it. Pedestrians often, as a choice, walk along these cliffs to the highest point beyond, but those who are not accustomed to such long walks should not attempt it. To the strong and the active it is a delightful exercise, with the invigorating sea air to breath in; however, for those who cannot scramble over the heather, and rough it, to a certain extent, the easier route is to keep to the road and to one's vehicle, which runs at the back of the cliffs, and soon, emerging on the main road turn to the left, and continuing the journey arrive at the foot of the highest range of coast, where stables and coach houses are available for the use of visitors.
Alighting here, we scale the sides of a declivity, and reaching, within some yards of the cliff, one's curiosity is excited on hearing sounds like that of the distant notes of the Highland bagpipes, which, however, on approaching nearer, we discover to proceed from thousands of sea-birds on the wing, of curious shape and colour, the most interesting of the number being, in our opinion, the "sea-parrot." On the ledges of the cliffs are discerned white objects which are inexplicable to one who is not sharp sighted, but with the aid of a telescope, the mystery is soon solved, in having these objects defined, which we discover to be sea-birds perched there, evidently the younger brood "contemplating the scene." On the platform of this cliff is fixed a remarkably large circular stone table, evidently one of those flags quarried in the vicinity, with stone seats all round, securely fixed on the solid rock. Here one can enjoy luncheon, while the wild birds, from almost innumerable throats, sing the thanksgiving. The view from this "table" rock is certainly enchanting; the face of the coast is seen to Hag's Head; the sides of the cliff at the point on which we stand almost overhang. It is so perpendicular that to look over it would make many a one dizzy. After resting the while, an ascent is made for "O'Brien's Tower." Stone flags are placed on end all along the face of the cliff, as a protection, and at certain "view points," there are "set-offs," so constructed that one can look down below, over the cliffs, without incurring any risk of falling over, and at abrupt points, nice flagged steps are fixed to make the ascent and descent easier; about half way up to "O'Brien's Tower" a pinnacled rock juts out into the sea from the base of the cliff, which is a remarkable object down below, partly covered with very scant verdure, and accessible only to some daring spirit, who would scale the cliff or let himself down by the aid of a rope fixed to the cliff above. On reaching "O'Brien's Tower" we find it was built for accommodating those who came prepared to dine on the spot; there is a kitchen for cooking purposes, and a spacious room overhead to which access is gained by steps, and from which one can ascend to the roof outside, to obtain a view. After enjoying the prospect we descend, and our next effort is to scale the side of the highest point of all; having reached the summit we are rewarded with a view of land and sea, island and promontory, which to describe in order to convey to our readers any idea of its grandeur and extent, would be an impossibility; nothing less than actual observation could even faintly picture the scene, and one should be under the influence of the exhilarating effects of the clear pure air of this elevated platform to realize all the beauty and grandeur of the situation.
To the South and East the view extends to the counties of Kerry, Limerick, Tipperary, Waterford, and Cork; the Galtee Mountains are distinctly observed-in fact, the landscape is only bounded by the horizon, because there is no other cliff, hill, mountain, or elevation, which intercepts the view, for scores of miles inland. Turning to the West, the Islands of Arran appear as if at one's feet set like emeralds in the crystal waters of the Atlantic, and with such a wide expanse of sea, one becomes fascinated, and as it were spell-bound. Northward, the prospect is just as pleasing; the County Galway and Blackhead appearing only a few miles distant, and the "Twelve Pins," in the County Mayo, just as if in the cloudland, yet distinctly visible to the naked eye. And if we are not "monarchs of all we survey," we certainly survey a prospect which a monarch might feel honoured at being privileged to gaze upon.
And standing here on this "tall cliff," nearly 700 feet above the sea, we should realize the fact that we are occupying a position on the nearest coast-line in Europe to the Western Hemisphere, and just as the electric spark is conveying messages under the sea from a neighbouring county on the same coast to the far west, may we not, in imagination, also speak across the waves with those who are near and dear to us on those shores beyond, which are washed by the same waves that are dashed against the cliff at our feet beneath.
Retracing our steps we are again traversing the road over which we travelled till we arrive at the turn of the road, and proceeding in a southerly direction, soon reach St. Bridget's Well. From the highway here a really fine view is obtained of Lahinch, Ennistymon, Liscannor, and the opposite shore of the bay. About midway to Liscannor, in the midst of a grove of trees, is the fine old mansion known as Birchfield, the seat of the late Cornelius O'Brien, for many years Member of Parliament for the County of Clare, and to whom the public are indebted for the tower on the summit of the cliffs, which bears his name. It was his money and enterprise which reclaimed the land surrounding the cliffs, and for a long distance inland. To his name, and to those who superintended the works for him, is due the honour of making the surrounding landscape so beautiful. The stables and coach-houses, built for the accommodation of the public, at the base of the cliffs, landward, if not the work of his own hand, are the work of his brain and his money paid for their erection; but now, alas, not a single member of his numerous family is alive to inherit the property which cost him so much to improve and beautify, and his late mansion, once so attractive, is fast going to decay. The "blessed well," which the late Mr. O'Brien did so much to ornament, is an interesting place to visit, because of the veneration in which it is held. St. Bridget is the Patron, and hundreds assemble here from distant parts of Clare and the neighbouring county on "Patron" days and at other times to pay their rounds and perform devotional exercises.
Adjoining St. Bridget's Well, in a neat cemetry, is the family vault of the O'Brien's of Birchfield, wherein the remains of the former head of that house reposes, and just across the road is a tall limestone column, surrounded by a nice plantation, with the landward side of the cliffs as a background, erected to his memory by public subscription; but the best testimony to Mr. O'Brien's useful life are the improvements effected on all the country round about these cliffs. After a short pause to scan the prospect, so as to fix the impression in the memory, we take our departure for Lahinch.
One can see the dramatic surf below the cliff. I hear it is quite popular to surfers although the thunderous waves are a bit too dangerous for me. Opposite this cliff is the Uluwatu temple, one of the most picturesque temples of Bali.
Uluwatu, Jimbaran, Bali, Indonesia
A cliff in Svalbard.
As a reminder, keep in mind that this picture is available only for non-commercial use and that visible attribution is required. If you'd like to use this photo outside these terms, please contact me ahead of time to arrange for a paid license.
Fimmvörðuháls, Iceland. 25.06.2011.
On our way up the first half of Fimmvörðuháls hiking route.
About this hike:
I try to hike every time I come home to Iceland in the summertime. This time I hiked with my friend Bolli Pétur who is a priest in North-Iceland. We hiked the famous route Fimmvörðuháls which starts in Skógar and ends in Þórsmörk (you can also do it the other way round).
We decided to do it in two days instead of the usual one day and stayed in a hut between the glaciers (Eyjafjallajökull and Mýrdalsjökull). The hut, Fimmvörðuskáli, lies only few hundreds meters away from a recent eruption in Fimmvörðuháls and on one site you have Eyjafjallajökull which recently erupted and on the other site you have Mýrdalsjökull with the infamous volcano Katla which is predicted to erupt very soon. I admit that I didn´t sleep much that night..... ;)
You can see the route explained in this picture of mine: www.flickr.com/photos/sigfus/6225915030/
About Fimmvörðuháls:
Fimmvörðuháls is the area between the glaciers Eyjafjallajökull and Mýrdalsjökull in southern Iceland. The route between Skógar and Thórsmörk goes through this pass and is one of the most popular walking routes in Iceland, despite being 22km long and involving 1000m of climbing. At Fimmvörðuháls there is a modern comfortable mountain hut owned by Útivist, one of the Icelandic hiking associations. Also nearby there is an older, less equipped hut called Baldvinsskáli. The route from Skógar is particularly beautiful as numerous waterfalls are passed along the way. The route is only accessible between mid-June and late-August. On the night of 16 May 1970, three travellers died on the mountain pass in a snowstorm.
Read more here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fimmv%C3%B6r%C3%B0uh%C3%A1ls
Just something fun I shot the other day while hanging out in Sunset Cliffs, San Diego.
I'll probably hate the processing I did tomorrow, but at least I was having fun!
British singer and actor Sir Cliff Richard (1940) burst onto the Rock 'n Roll world in 1958 with his hit single Move It.
Cliff Richard was then known as Britain's answer to Elvis Presley. With his backing band The Shadows, Richard dominated the British popular music scene in the late 1950's and early 1960's, till the The Beatles took over. Living Doll (1958) was the first of his fourteen #1 singles in the UK. In 1964 he announced his conversion to Christianity. He never married and claims to have observed a celibate lifestyle since then. His conversion and the subsequent softening of his music led to his having more of a pop than a rock image. He represented the United Kingdom in The Eurovision Song Contest in 1968 with Congratulations and in 1973 with Power to all our friends.
Cliff Richard’s first film was Serious Charge (1959, Terence Young) followed by Expresso Bongo (1959, Val Guest), The Young Ones (1961, Sidney J. Furie) and Summer Holiday (1963, Peter Yates). These movies created their own genre known as the ‘Cliff Richard musical’ and he was the number one cinema box office attraction in Britain for both 1962 and 1963. His next film, Wonderful Life (1964, Sidney J. Furie) was not as succesful as his other teen musicals. His first straight acting role took place in Two a Penny (1968, James F. Collier), in which he played a young man who gets involved in drug dealing while questioning his life after his girlfriend changes her attitude. His other films were Finders Keepers (1966, Sidney Hayers) and Take Me High (1973, David Askey). Although his film career halted, Richard has always remained a popular music and television personality. During the six decades in which he has been active, he has reportedly sold over 250 million records.
Sources: IMDb and Wikipedia
A cliff in Svalbard.
As a reminder, keep in mind that this picture is available only for non-commercial use and that visible attribution is required. If you'd like to use this photo outside these terms, please contact me ahead of time to arrange for a paid license.
Paid a visit to The Blowhole at Arbroath cliffs today, since we had a high spring tide combined with strong winds. Was rewarded with some good action. Daren't go any nearer tho as the spray had made the red sandstone cliffs slippy.
Located on the Colorado Plateau in northern Arizona, Vermilion Cliffs National Monument includes the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness. The Monument borders Kaibab National Forest to the west and Glen Canyon National Recreation Area to the east.
This remote and unspoiled, 280,000-acre Monument is a geologic treasure, containing a variety of diverse landscapes from the Paria Plateau, Vermilion Cliffs, Coyote Buttes, and Paria Canyon. Elevations range from 3,100 to 7,100 feet.
Visitors will enjoy scenic views of towering cliffs and deep canyons. Paria Canyon offers an outstanding three to five day wilderness backpacking experience. The colorful swirls of cross-bedded sandstone in Coyote Buttes are an international hiking destination. There are also opportunities to view wildlife, including California condors. There are two developed campgrounds just outside the Monument: Stateline and White House. Dispersed camping is allowed outside the wilderness area in previously disturbed areas.
A permit is required for hiking in Coyote Buttes North (the Wave), Coyote Buttes South, and for overnight trips within Paria Canyon.
Learn more at: www.blm.gov/az/st/en/prog/blm_special_areas/natmon/vermil...
Photo: Bob Wick, BLM California