Vacation time is any time in the climate of today's world travel. Just hop on a plane and in no time at all, or maybe a little bit more than that, you can be anywhere your heart desires. How does London with its fascinating history sound? Or Paris, the city of Light? Both cities boast super shops for inveterate shoppers; restaurants featuring every type of cuisine; museums, nightclubs, theatre the list goes on and on. Just footing around … [Read more...]
Puffins in Pembrokeshire, West Wales
As an international holiday destination, Wales is a little way off the beaten track. All the great cities of the UK- London, Manchester, Edinburgh, and Glasgow- are far away. While Wales has a rich culture and history of its own, they are much less well known than those of England or Scotland. Pembrokeshire lies in the extreme south-western corner of Wales- it's a quiet and sparsely populated even for a part of Wales, but those visitors who … [Read more...]
The Lovely Inishowen Peninsula and More
As our plane dipped down below the mist, patchwork fields of green came into view. Then we went in for the landing in Belfast and could see sheep in a nearby pasture. This was hard to explain, but I felt like I was entering into an ancient homeland. Maybe because my family had distant Irish ancestry. My sister-in-law met my mother, sister and I and we went by car to the Inishowen Peninsula in County Donegal along the coast to Moville. The … [Read more...]
Wales: The Quiet Kid in the Corner
One of my pet travel projects is understanding "minority nations", the countries within countries. The UK has that in droves: Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and arguably, England itself. The thing is, I really could not find a distinction between Welsh culture and British culture at large. Sure, there's a language that they have that looks like anagrams or txtspk, but beyond that, what makes someone uniquely Welsh? Certainly not the pubs … [Read more...]
Glimpses of a Golden Age
"Fight for a just cause. Love your fellow man. Live a good life." Taking the first two letters of each part of his motto, William Bourn named his lavish country estate Filoli. Bourn indeed lived a very good life in this 36,000 sq ft mansion with its 43 rooms and 17 fireplaces. The estate was built with his gold mining money in 1917, sold to shipping magnate, William Roth, in 1937 and is now maintained by The National Trust for Historic … [Read more...]
What are the differences between Eurail Pass and InterRail Pass?
Travelers who are interested in exploring Europe by train will find that there are two main types of rail passes: Eurail Passes and InterRail Passes. The choice is made simply based on the passenger's country of residency; they will be eligible to buy one and not the other. Here is the general rule: *** The Eurail product line is available to residents of a non-European country. You are eligible if you have been a resident of a non-European … [Read more...]
Christophe Harbour Announces Turtle Beach Bungalows
A New Boutique Caribbean Retreat on St Kitts ST KITTS, November 19, 2010 - The luxury lifestyle experts behind the exclusive Charleston-based Kiawah Island and Ireland's Lodge At Doonbeg are proud to announce the opening of Turtle Beach Bungalows, part of the emerging Christophe Harbour development on the Caribbean Leeward Island of St. Kitts. The island's most upscale property, Turtle Beach Bungalows is one of the first stages in … [Read more...]
The Malvern Experience, be inspired
Journeys of a Lifetime The strong winds that blow from the highest point of the Malvern Hills orchestrate their own music and as I stood on the Worcestershire Beacon, the words of Sir Edward Elgar who was born within sight and sound of these ancient limestone hills came to mind, "there is music in the air, music all around us and you simply take as much as you require." Then there are the magnificent views; to the east, the smooth curve of … [Read more...]
Historic Coventry – Then and Now
Synopsis: Detailing the history up to the present day of Coventry, a once medieval city in the heart of England. The recent discovery of the Doom Painting, "one of the most important discoveries ever made in the field of medieval art" in Holy Trinity Church. 65 years have gone by since the ending of World War 11 and much water has passed under the bridge. We have seen dictators come and go and come again with the accompanying abuse of … [Read more...]
Destination…Wales
Wales is a magical land filled with enchanted green valleys, purple tipped mountains and shining stretches of sea. Mighty castles beckon one to explore their shattered remains, a living testament to the long term wars between the English and Welsh people. We drove from Chester between steep, granite cliffs and an almost imperceptible changing countryside on the way to Conwy and Snowdonia National Park - the main A55 making Wales very accessible … [Read more...]