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With nothing between the west coast of Ireland and America except 3,000 miles of Atlantic ocean, it's no surprise that the weather in this part of the world can be extreme.

Fortunately for Liz and I during our latest visit to this wonderful part of the world the weather was relatively benign as we toured around some of our favorite spots, including Loop Head in County Clare.

Taking a photo here is always something of an adventure, and even in reasonable weather I still had to lie down on the cliff edge to hold the camera steady enough to take this shot, as the gusts of wind threatened to blow me backwards if I tried to stand up.

Still, I can think of nowhere else where the air is so fresh and the light so crisp (when it's not raining, foggy, cloudy...), and even if the wind takes your breath away as the wave spume flies over your head, this is a piece of coast I'll keep coming back to and photographing for as long as I'm able.