I didn’t know what to expect from Vienna. One of my favorite movies, Before Sunrise, paints a painfully romantic version of the city that I didn’t hope to be a true experience. But I have to say, the place is…
Day 687 – Krakow, Poland
September 9, 2021
I had no idea what to expect in Krakow. My polish food knowledge comes mostly from Chicago and I haven’t had many reports from fellow travelers. I came with an open mind, and what I found was a vibrant,…
Day 684 – Northern Ireland – Belfast and the Giant’s Causeway
September 4, 2021
Understanding Northern Ireland is in many ways understanding Ireland. In fact, the existence of Northern Ireland is a story that dates back before 1601 and you need at least a passing understanding of that history to understand what happened…
Day 682 – Cork, Ireland – Kissing the Blarney Stone
September 1, 2021
We only stayed in Cork for one full day and most of that time we spent in Blarney visiting the castle but we had a couple of nights walking around and enjoying the town. Cork was quite a bit…
Day 680 – Portmagee, Ireland – So close to Skellig Michael yet so far away
August 28, 2021
When we first arrived in Ireland we were both excited to visit Skellig Michael, the island in the extreme southwest of Ireland used in the new Star Wars trilogy where Luke Skywalker was hiding. But movie location aside, it’s…
Day 675 – Killarney, Ireland – Gateway to the Ring of Kerry
August 26, 2021
Killarney ended up being one of our favorite towns of the trip. A small town of under 15,000 people, but large enough to have loads of things to see and do without being overwhelmed by tourists or college kids….
Day 670 – Galway, Ireland – A fun college party town.
August 11, 2021
Galway is in many ways a traditional small Irish town but it’s also a college party town. The national University sits at the bottom of town and you can feel its influence throughout the general vibe of the city. It…
Day 667 – Donegal, Ireland – Home of my ancestors
August 8, 2021
I grew up wandering the foothills of the Appalachian mountains in western West Virginia, the most ancient mountain range in the United States, formed 480 million years ago, once as tall as the Alps, worn naturally over the millennia slowly…
Day 659 – Dublin, Ireland – Pubs and pints and potatoes.
August 5, 2021
Admittedly, we chose a strange time to visit Dublin. First in after covid restrictions lifted, so the crowds were less, but the city had not adjusted back to the usual party pub Dublin. The first half of our stay,…
Cervejaria Ramiro – July 7, 2021 (Lisbon, Portugal)
July 27, 2021
I normally do not review a la carte restaurants and never a beer hall, but this little spot was special and I had a wonderful meal. Ask any chef in Lisbon if you could only eat at one place in…