The chimney (one in the pic) is about 100 feet tall, made of pure iron. Why iron? because it is a good heat conductor. In this chimeny vaporized liquid is melted or condensed back to its liquid form. The huge condenser is filled with ice cold water to do the trick! But below this are massive coals to produce heat. Now, I'm getting scientific, ahh how time flies so fast, I can hardly remember my chemistry days in high school.
Sunday, October 09, 2005
Old distillery machine
A galnce at Midleton's old distillery machine. It's interesting to note that Midleton was (and probably still is) a center of whiskey distillery. It had its long history of ups and downs. Business going up, everybody's happy and when it goes down, everyone's affected just as well.
I guess that's how our society generally behaves. We coexist and we are interrelated. If a part of us is ill we all feel the pain. I really pray that these world leaders come to terms with this basic truth about our existence.
I guess that's how our society generally behaves. We coexist and we are interrelated. If a part of us is ill we all feel the pain. I really pray that these world leaders come to terms with this basic truth about our existence.
The Warehouse
The barrels are stored in dark, aromatic warehouses and allowed to mature for 5-7 years. (ooh, quite a long time) for standard brands (so this is just the standard!) and another 3 years for the special ones. This is where the whiskey color changes into rich golden color, the way we know our whiskeys look like!
So this is me trying to have a snapshot of the barrels behind me heehehe...I was just sneaking actually!
So this is me trying to have a snapshot of the barrels behind me heehehe...I was just sneaking actually!
Taste of an Irish whiskey
I'm not much of a whiskey fan. That I have to confess. This one though is for the road. For my road trip!
Cheers to the very meticulous way of producing Irish whiskey. For an 8.50 euro, I have learned 4 things from my whiskey distellery tour!
1. The difference between Irish and Scottish whiskeys - Irish whiskeys are fermented using indirect heat, as opposed to the Scottish whiskey. The very reason why Scottish whiskey has its smokey flavor.
2. Whiskey is made up of 3 main components - barney, malt and water.
3. Malt is just a germinated barney.
4. Alcohol boild at a much lower temperature (78 deg C) than water(100 deg C). Thus, initially alcohol content of the fermented malt (which is not yet whiskey) is about 80% by volume (160 proof). After the third distillation (oh, another difference noted between Irish and Scottish..Irish has a third)the alcohol content is reduced to 63%.
and oh, did I mention that the shot of 12 year old John Jameson comes as a freebie?!
Cheers to the very meticulous way of producing Irish whiskey. For an 8.50 euro, I have learned 4 things from my whiskey distellery tour!
1. The difference between Irish and Scottish whiskeys - Irish whiskeys are fermented using indirect heat, as opposed to the Scottish whiskey. The very reason why Scottish whiskey has its smokey flavor.
2. Whiskey is made up of 3 main components - barney, malt and water.
3. Malt is just a germinated barney.
4. Alcohol boild at a much lower temperature (78 deg C) than water(100 deg C). Thus, initially alcohol content of the fermented malt (which is not yet whiskey) is about 80% by volume (160 proof). After the third distillation (oh, another difference noted between Irish and Scottish..Irish has a third)the alcohol content is reduced to 63%.
and oh, did I mention that the shot of 12 year old John Jameson comes as a freebie?!
Our Lady Of The Rosary
It's not your typical old cathedral. For one, it doesn't look that old, although this cathedral dates back as far as 1816. Add to that an interesting fact. This cathedral is surrounded by graves. I almost feel like the Lady of rosary cathedral is a sanctuary dedicated solely for those souls who've started their journey back home.
The small town of Midleton is fascinating although I must say that I would probably not be suited to live here hehehe
The small town of Midleton is fascinating although I must say that I would probably not be suited to live here hehehe
Holy Cows!
The opposite side of the fence are these curious cows! Look at their inquisitive gazes. I just fell in love with their faces, they're so cute!!! A drive from Midleton through Dungourney all the way through Mount Uncacke is a reward to the eyes!
Sheeeeeeeeppppp~~~~
We originally wanted to go to Leahy's Open Farm in Mount Unclake. It rurned out to be closed. But our dampen spirit wouldn't yield and we decided to make a quick stop over to say hello to the sheeps who don't seem to care much about strangers! hehehehe
Day 1: My little Irish adventure
I've decided that the best way to know Ireland is thru it's cathedrals. Yup, this is Europe and a pre-dominantly Catholic country, thus sunday mass services are just within a stone-throw away.
Intimate moments with God. I was taking an 8am stroll when I chanced upon this Catheral. Went in and had some intimate moments with God. There was a 9am mass so I decided to stick around and hear the Lord in a funny British accent hehehehe.
Sunday, May 15, 2005
Golden Gate Bridge
My own version of the very famous golden gate bridge post card shot...Not as perfect as the postcards 'coz the real stuff is quite a stretch, too much for my cheap digicam.
Alcatraz, the Ferry and Me~
Here is a glimpse of Alcatraz.
Alcatraz Island is one of Golden Gate National Recreation Area's most popular destinations, offering a close-up look at a historic and infamous federal prison long off-limits to the public. Visitors to the island cannot only explore the remnants of the prison, but can also learn about the Indian occupation of 1969 - 1971, early military fortifications (the first U.S. fort on the coast), and the West Coast's first (and oldest operating) lighthouse. These structures and the island's many natural features - gardens, tide pools, bird colonies, and bay views beyond compare - are being preserved by the National Park Service which is working to make it accessible to visitors, preserve its buildings, protect its birds and other wildlife, and interpret its history.
Alcatraz Island is one of Golden Gate National Recreation Area's most popular destinations, offering a close-up look at a historic and infamous federal prison long off-limits to the public. Visitors to the island cannot only explore the remnants of the prison, but can also learn about the Indian occupation of 1969 - 1971, early military fortifications (the first U.S. fort on the coast), and the West Coast's first (and oldest operating) lighthouse. These structures and the island's many natural features - gardens, tide pools, bird colonies, and bay views beyond compare - are being preserved by the National Park Service which is working to make it accessible to visitors, preserve its buildings, protect its birds and other wildlife, and interpret its history.
Downtown San Francisco
Victorian houses lined neatly on hilly San Francisco residence areas. Walking into this area reminds me of the Ann Harthaway's Princess Diaries.
One of the initial (pleasant) surprises of going to the US is the surrounding is so peaceful. I always thought that America is a very troubled country...You shouldn't really judge a book by its cover.
The shopping district - downtown San Francisco. The biggest surprise is finding a fellow Kababayan in all its corners. Now I can see why most of my Kababayan's don't get homesick in America.
One of the initial (pleasant) surprises of going to the US is the surrounding is so peaceful. I always thought that America is a very troubled country...You shouldn't really judge a book by its cover.
The shopping district - downtown San Francisco. The biggest surprise is finding a fellow Kababayan in all its corners. Now I can see why most of my Kababayan's don't get homesick in America.
Fisherman's Wharf's Bay
Another San Francisco attraction is the Fisherman's Wharf. It's a gay area covering most of Pier 39 where you can find bars and grills, such as the Bubba Gump, Hardrock Cafe, sports grill, departments stores,souvenir shops and viewing deck.
Vibrant and breezy ~ that's Fisherman's Wharf
Here you can find jerseys of your fave football players and other souvenir items.
Vibrant and breezy ~ that's Fisherman's Wharf
Here you can find jerseys of your fave football players and other souvenir items.
The Cable Car Ride
One of San Francisco's more famous mode of pubic transportation is the cable car. It's like a manually operated simple version of a monorail. The driver just stands up and holds two long sticks with brakes the same shape as bikes'.
There's nothing extraordinary to see for a $3 one-way ticket ride. I cant really say that this ride is a sightseeing ride. We passed by the hilly residence areas of SFO, the China town and other side lights to get to the downtown proper. But what makes this ride a thrilling and memorable one is the fact that SFO is probably the most hilly city in the US and operating a monorail manually is a very challenging job for the driver and nerve-wrecking experience for the passenger ~ both for going up and down. It's like you're riding a mini-caterpillar except that you know that it's not a theme park attraction. Another fact is that this monorail operates on the city streets of SFO itself, blending perfectly and harmoniously with the cars and buses. Now that is the WOW part.
There's nothing extraordinary to see for a $3 one-way ticket ride. I cant really say that this ride is a sightseeing ride. We passed by the hilly residence areas of SFO, the China town and other side lights to get to the downtown proper. But what makes this ride a thrilling and memorable one is the fact that SFO is probably the most hilly city in the US and operating a monorail manually is a very challenging job for the driver and nerve-wrecking experience for the passenger ~ both for going up and down. It's like you're riding a mini-caterpillar except that you know that it's not a theme park attraction. Another fact is that this monorail operates on the city streets of SFO itself, blending perfectly and harmoniously with the cars and buses. Now that is the WOW part.
Saturday, April 30, 2005
Munich's Romance, Arts and Passion For Life
A Whole New European World
April 27, 2005 (GMT + 01:00): The Journey to Munich
I almost didn’t make it on time. My usual cramming self ended up dashing to catch the express train that will lead me back to Shinjuku where I should take the Friendly Limousine to Narita. I did catch the 8:45 schedule to the airport, but I forgot one important thing ~ I forgot my spring jacket. The week’s forecast in Europe is not exactly sunshine and heat, waaahhhh~~~.
12 hours and 39,000 feet about the ground, I did make the best of my free time. My little achievements include – reading the Munich workshop’s materials, drowsing on and off into sleep (a much needed luxury), getting all the liquors I could get in between and pigging out (forget about dieting for a while hahaha). We encountered a strong turbulent and for a while I imagine my body crushed and cut into pieces as the plane crashes down into the Siberian mountains. It helps that nobody panicked, but I bet everybody saw the same picture I saw in their minds. Thank God, Alleluia! We’re safe and sound.
From time to time the TV monitor shows us where we are and how many hours we would have to wait to arrive at Munich. I can not imagine it, I’ve flown almost all of Russia, I even flew directly over Moscow, isn’t that cool?!
12 flying hours isn’t so bad after all and I must admit that flying with Lufthansa is quite an experience. The steward and stewardess are friendly, never fails to offer drinks, or their services during the entire flight. I thought being a plane attendant is a glamorous job, yes it could be for you see the world, for free, but when I see them tirelessly attending to all their passengers, serving food, making sure everybody’s comfortable, it’s a tough and exhausting job. But these ladies, all gorgeously dressed in their cute dark brown and yellow tie uniforms (I shouldn’t fail to mention about the old fashioned hats), would the entire time smile. Certainly in these 12 hours, I discovered life through these vibrant people, even above the clouds. I discovered passion to work and live life, where ever you are whatever circumstances you’re in. ‘Get over yourself! Don’t fret just because things are not working out fine in your love life. There are great things to see, a whole new world to discover and a hundred different goals to achieve. You did your best and that is enough, and what the heck, you’re off to Germany! ’ I told myself.
And then the moment came, finally we’re on our descent to the Munich International Airport. I could see the beautiful green, nice, massive spacious old houses. Is this Germany? I’m surprised to see a rustic, rather peaceful ambiance as opposed to the usually progressive, skyscrapers, busy city. “Thank you for flying with us, we hope to be of service to you soon. Enjoy your journey in Germany or where ever your final destination would be. Welcome to Munich!” Indeed, hello Europe!
I found a not-so-busy airport, and a not-so-tight security checks. And to think I thought Germans are very suspicious and uptight people. Ok, ok, when I think of Germany, I think of Hitler and cruelty and war. But I’m surprised to find no such trace.
My pickup service turned out to be a tall, gipsy, English-speaking middle-aged (tattooed) German. He’s nice although doesn’t talk much which is to my delight. I’d rather focus on seeing the tulips in full bloom everywhere. This place could be heaven (and the traffic’s not bad either). 20 minutes after and I found myself checking in a lovely hotel, the Victor’s Residenz. I learned from the receptionist that the week’s been really fully booked due to 2 international events – The German International Flower Garden Festival and the PC expo or something. What do you know; I’m one lucky girl to get a room at Victor’s. I should never forget to bring souvenirs for Joanne and Yukiko. These ladies helped me out a lot with my travel arrangements.
Friday, February 25, 2005
Discover The Philippines - up north!
My next road trip ~ Philippines' northern-most coastlines. Batanes.
The outpost of the Philippines in the middle of a turbulent sea, Batanes province comprises the northernmost isles of the Philippines. The island of Y'ami is only 224 kilometers from Taiwan. The Balintang Channel, where the Pacific Ocean and China Sea meet, separates the islands from the rest of Luzon. The three major islands of Itbayat, Sabtang and Batan, are the only inhabited islands of the small archipelago. About half of its area is hilly and mountainous.
Typhoons on a northwesterly path regularly sweep through the islands from July to October although rainfall is heaviest from August to November. Batanes, as a whole, enjoys a pleasantly cooler climate because of its greater distance from the equator. From December until February, temperatures may dip as low as 7 degrees Celsius.
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