This is fixing to be an itchy week. It's a four-day week for me. My holiday vacation starts Friday and goes through next week, and I'm itching for it to get here. I still have a bit of shopping to do - some silly gifts for my sister, brother, and their spouses, and some stocking stuffers for my boys. I'll probably head for the mall on Friday. We'll head for SonnyeBoy's place on Christmas Eve.... Read more →
Say hello to the spitting gargoyle of Notre Dame, Le Stryge. I took this picture of him in 1998, which was the second time I visited Notre Dame. (The first time was in 1967, when I was 15 and on a study tour sponsored by my high school.) This time I went as a board member of the Society for Technical Communication. After the board meeting, a few of us went to visit Notre Dame.... Read more →
Last June we went back to Ireland! Shall I talk about the pubs that we visited while we were there? Yes. Yes, I shall. On arrival day, we had dinner at Brogan's, just down the street from our hotel in Ennis. We ate there last year too. It was packed, so we had to wait a fair bit, which gave us a chance to have our first Guinnesses of the trip. The first day of... Read more →
I didn’t think it would happen, but it happened! "What happened?" I hear you cry. We finally got to Ocean City! We were planning to go in August, but Hurricane Debbie scuttled that plan. Then she had the nerve to poop out, but alas, it was too late by then. Anyway, I digress. The trip was to host our sort-of-annual family party, where all assorted relatives come over to our beach house and we eat... Read more →
Well, it's taken me long enough, hasn't it? I know! So, on the second-last day of our tour, we were supposed to take a boat trip to Innis Mor, but the weather was so blustery that it wouldn't have been safe. Our guides dropped back to Plan B. They promised us that Plan B would be great. They were right. (Alas, Joe was damn sick. Right after breakfast I went down the street to Dunne's... Read more →
No visit to Ireland would be complete without a visit to a castle! So, we stopped at Bunratty Castle on our way back to Ennis from Kinsale. It's impressive! It sits at one end of a folk park, which replicates village life in the Regency era (around 1795-1837). Bunratty Castle, So It Is The entrance brings you to the Main Guard, a great hall that the soldiers and retainers hung out in. Our guide told... Read more →
The only completely rainy day occurred on the day we visited Charles Fort, a star-shaped fortification opposite Kinsale Harbor. It dates from the 17th century and was used as a British Army barracks until 1921. The Brits left after the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921. It wasn't pouring when we left the hotel, but the heavens opened on the short ride to the village of Summer Cove. But we soldiered on (heh) and gathered around a... Read more →
Our second full day found us in Cobh (pronounced "Cove"), the harbor town where the Irish boarded ships to America. Just in front of the Cobh Heritage Center is this statue of Annie Moore and her brothers. Annie was the first immigrant to pass through US federal inspection at Ellis Island. Eileen played a haunting version of "Nearer My God to Thee" in front of Annie, which got us ready to learn more about the... Read more →
Monday was a travel day from Ennis to Kinsale, with a stop in Killarney National Park for a meal, a mansion, and music! Breakfast at the Old Ground Hotel was grand - lots of yummy scones, croissants, breads, cereals, juices, yogurts, you name it. Not only that, there were hot breakfast choices too! I grabbed some goodies and ordered some porridge for good measure. The coffee was good and strong; I immediately poured a big... Read more →
Another sweet heart is the Day 18 shortbread! I’m also doing the 10 days, 10 photos that bring me joy meme. Today I posted this photo: The meme says you must post without explanation, so I shall explain this photo here! In 2001, I went to Zurich, Switzerland to attend a meeting of technical communication folks. After the meeting, Joe and I explored the city. As we walked along, I glanced up and saw this... Read more →