I didn't really fully understand the significance of this cruise until we got to the embarkation port and saw the fanfare and felt the excitement as our cruise was THE FIRST CRUISE TO SAIL SINCE 2019 - PRE-COVID. WOW-let that sink in! A Greek TV station even interviewed us because it was a national event there. The crew and staff were smiling ear to ear and so grateful to be back to work. Every island we visited, they greeted us [...]
Ashford Castle Another Wow,Wow,Wow!!! We coined a phrase while on our trip in Ireland "Castle hopping" as that is exactly what we did. We were continually wowed on this experience starting with the beautiful Merrion Hotel in Dublin, (not a castle but a wow in town) then traveling to Dromoland Castle in County Clare and on to Ashford Castle in Cong County Mayo for 2 nights. We were treated like Royalty and got to experience the best that's on [...]
(photos and info courtesy of Belmond) HAVE YOU HEARD OF THE " BELMOND ROYAL SCOTSMAN"? All aboard a living legend. Sit back, relax, and uncover the wonders of Scotland in peerless style From the moment you step onto Royal Scotsman, you are swept up in a world of myth, legend and timeless luxury. Delve into a land of soaring peaks and deep valleys, mirror lochs and looming castles. Enjoy a tasting in a world-famous distillery, then enter the forest for [...]
Jaap Buitendijk/Courtesy Focus Features So the buzz on the street is the newish Downton Abbey movie !! Are you a fan ?? I'm definitely a fan. I really miss the TV series and I'm sure I know lots of people who feel the same. There's something wonderful about going back in time to those days of Royalty and pomp & ceremony. Even back in those days, you can see the feisty women characters like Lady Mary and of [...]
(Photo cred Travel Weekly, TCC Corp & Insight Vacations) What are your thoughts about guided vacations ?? In the history of travel, and before I got into the travel business, personally, I associated guided vacations with busloads of older tourists at top attractions with cameras & plaid pants.(I'm talking Ireland in the 80's :)) No more - these days, guided vacations are immersive, exciting, challenging, incorporating local hosts, cooking experiences and lots more. Today's [...]
St .Patrick’s day is known all over the world and celebrated on March 17th in observance of the death of St. Patrick who brought Christianity to Ireland and died in the Fifth Century. What began as a religious feast day in the 17th century has evolved into a variety of festivals across the globe celebrating Irish culture with parades, special foods, music, dancing, and a whole lot of green. Here's some expressions in Gaelic St. Patrick’s Day: La Fheile Padraig / law [...]
During the holidays is a great time to start thinking about where you want to travel to next year. Usually families get together and it's easier to solidify plans when everyone's there. Every year, the top travel publications come up with the hottest and upcoming trends for the following year. We've picked just a few of the top European destinations as well as some of the top cities for you, including Scotland, Romania, Italy and France ..... Matera - [...]
Croatia is becoming one of the top European destinations to visit. Travelers are looking for something different and so many of the more popular European destinations have become overrun with Tourists. Croatia is an Eastern European country with a long coastline on the Adriatic Sea. Encompassing more than a thousand islands, it's also crossed by the Dinaric Alps. The hot spots to visit are Dubrovnik, Plitvice National park, Istria and of course the Islands (there are more than 1,000) Dubrovnik: [...]
Have you had a travel bucket list for a while ? Where have you been dreaming about ? Now's the time to tick something off your list. But how do you pick which destination to go to ?? Try this neat little quiz from The Travel Channel that might help you along. Can't wait to hear what you got - WooHoo I got PARIS !!! Here's some tips that might help you when planning your next vacation: Full article [...]
Among the amazing experiences in Ireland was my visit to the Armagh area in N.Ireland. Visit Armagh which consists of the Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Councils are really putting this area on the map. Ghilian Campbell was my brilliant host & tour guide and I can't thank her enough. In addition, I also participated in a walking tour of Armagh itself and learned so much. Visit their site (link here) to see the array of great tours, food treats, bespoke [...]