Town centre, Kinsale

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A quick downhill trot along River Road and Long Quay brings you to the town centre The Tourist office which is clearly visible here is a good place to start from and once you cross the street it's impossible not to arrive at the central shopping/restaurant area. There are really only about five shopping streets but all of them are crammed with objects of desire. Make no mistake about it, the shops are expensive.But the merchandise is spectacular- exquisitely crafted handmade objects in pottery, glass, wood , lace and linen. There are almost equal numbers of cafes, bistros and pubs to tempt you to rest and refreshment and again, while many of them are on the pricey side, it would be silly not to indulge yourself and enjoy Kinsale's very special ambience

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The centre of Kinsale is lovely - its winding narrow lanes are pure bliss for the eyes - I have never seen so many colourful houses anywhere, and all of them matching their neighbours. I wonder if Kinsale has an architect or an artist whose task it is to coordinate the decorating. In addition to the colourful walls, there are floral decorations on or in front of nearly all the houses and paintings on quite a few walls. And the ads, which I often find repulsive elsewhere, here are in good taste, as quaint as the town itself.

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Having to dash about didn't help us spend much time in Kinsale, so here are just a few of the sights and colours seen in the centre that we passed by.