Sixtysomething-year-old newlyweds travelling the world together – Adventure Awaits!
If this sounds like it came from a Tourist Information PR department, that’s because it did! One of the first things that one learns in Derry, Ireland is that there is some sensitivity around its name. The city, whose history goes back to the 6th century, was initially named Derry, but was later changed to … Continue reading Londonderry or Derry? Either Way, it’s Legend-Derry
Driving from Dingle up to Galway, we decided to make a stop at the Cliffs of Moher, Ireland’s most popular tourist destination. Of course, we knew that this would likely entail lots of people but, just the same, it wasn’t far out of the way and we didn’t want to miss it. We arrived at … Continue reading Ireland part 2: Galway and Inishmore
John carries on group texting on a regular basis with his four brothers and has done so for years. The topic can be anything, and they are sure to have a steady backchannel going during LSU football games. Lately, John’s messages are, of course, related to our travels. Here is his summary of Dublin for … Continue reading Notes from the Emerald Isle: Dublin, Kenmare, and Dingle
John and I love going to national parks. We have been to nearly twenty of them in the U.S. and look forward to visiting more. When we realized how close we were to Dartmoor, England’s national park in Devon, we had to go there for a few days. The national parks in England are a … Continue reading Moors, Tors, and a Gorge
Note to self: if we ever get back to Cornwall again, we rent the smallest car we possibly can. Driving down to Cadgwith Cove in Cornwall’s Lizard Peninsula, the roads grow more and more narrow, bound by hedges and walls, until they are barely wide enough for our little Ford Focus to pass through. To … Continue reading Doc Martin Country: A Week in Cornwall
On July 2, we passed the three-month mark of our year abroad and, while we we find that it’s always exciting to move on to a new destination, it’s little sad to leave behind a place we’ve enjoyed. This was especially true in Cambridge where we situated ourselves for three weeks. Little did we know … Continue reading The Charming Cotswolds
In a conversation with his brother Bill, I overheard John refer to Cambridge, England, where we now are, as “Starkville with medieval buildings.” Starkville is, of course, Starkville, Mississippi, the home of Mississippi State University. I knew what John meant, as both are college towns surrounded by green pasture lands. But, Starkville with its religion … Continue reading Starkville with medieval buildings
I awaken to first light coming in through cracks in the blinds, the birds are singing their cheerful wake-up songs and I can hear the low cooing of doves. It must be around 6:30. Soon John will stir, then get up and make our coffee. Bleary-eyed, I pick my watch up from the nightstand to … Continue reading Scotland Notebook
Oban, Scotland, where we currently are, is on the Western coast of Scotland and is widely considered the gateway to the Hebrides islands. From our Airbnb window we see, in addition to a backdrop of two of the Hebrides islands, a steady stream of ferry boats going back and forth. Many people who visit take … Continue reading A fyne walk on Kerrera in the Scottish Hebrides
We arrived at our hotel in Ponta Delgada on Wednesday several hours late, due to a 6-hour delay in our flight from Boston. Azores Airlines, our carrier, clearly believes in ‘island time’ – our flight, SA200 has an on-time record of a measly 33%! Wandering around the outside of our hotel, Casa das Palmeiras, bedraggled … Continue reading Pineapples and Whales: Three magical days in the Azorean paradise of Sao Miguel
You and Me, Odyssey 