584 Days

 

"Italy is a dream that keeps returning for the rest of your life." --Anna Akhmatova

While people have asked a few questions about the Italy trip in 2013, I haven't spent a lot of time thinking about it.  Waiting for ball game time, I started exploring the EF Tours website.  There it was in the right hand corner of my page - Departure - 584 Days.

Rome - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Collage_Rome.jpg

My heart skipped a beat when I saw that.  I felt a surge of adrenaline.  A smile came to my face.  It'll be here before we know it.

Florence - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Collage_Firenze.jpg

I know that seems like a long time, but it is less than two years.  EF Tours offers incentives for early enrollment on tours, so now is a good time to make your initial payment if you are interested in going with me.  It is also time to start thinking about ways to raise money for the trip.  I know a lot of you will be going to Disney next Spring, and while I love Disney, don't forget the opportunity of getting to travel overseas.

Venice - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Collage_Venezia.jpg

"Why Italy?" you ask.  That's a good question.  I haven't traveled much in Italy.  I've spent a day in Venice, two nights in Lido de Jesolo, and a few hours in fair Verona.  The tour we are currently scheduled for includes the big three for Italy - Venice, Florence, and Rome.  It also includes Assisi, Pompeii, and an optional trip to Pisa (which won't be optional for us...since we are there, let's go to Pisa.)  Good food, great art, and grand scenery awaits those who decide to travel with me.

You can learn more about The Grand Tour of Italy at this website: http://www.eftours.com/preview-tour.aspx?pt=GR-1020291.  You can also register for the trip online.  If you are interested in traveling, I have a Facebook Group called "Italia Bound."  Also, send me an e-mail so I can put you on the potential travellers list.

The Irish Ring



http://www.ringofkerrytourism.com/map-of-kerry.html



The McGillycuddy Reeks

If you find yourself in the southwestern part of Ireland, the Ring of Kerry is a way to spend the day and see a lot of beautiful Irish countryside. For my east Tennessee readers, driving the Ring of Kerry is a bit like doing the loop at Cades Cove in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.  The 112 mile drive around the Iveragh Peninsula circles the McGillycuddy Reeks and is such a popular tourist destination that cars are supposed to travel clockwise and buses counterclockwise to prevent traffic jams at some of the narrow roads.



Kerry Bog Village

 My journey around the Ring of Kerry started in Killarney and our first stop was the Kerry Bog Village.  I'll talk about Killarney and the Village another day.

The drive takes visitors through the town of Killorglin, where every August, they crown one of the wild goats King Puck of Ireland.  The population of the town swells from a little over 1000 to 100,000 during the three day festival.

King Puck



Dingle Bay

 Soon, travellers moving in the counterclockewise direction see their first glimpses of Dingle Bay and the Atlantic Ocean.  There are several stop-offs where you can pull your vehicle to the side of the road and snap some beautiful pictures of the water.  This was the last glimpse the Irish, fleeing the oppressive British rule and the Irish Potato famine, saw of their homeland.

The coast at Waterville

The little town of Waterville is an excellent place to stop for lunch.  Waterville was one of Charlie Chaplin's favorite holiday spots.  The town made him an official citizen and there is a statue of the comedian along the boardwalk.  I had a delicious bowl of beef stew in a hotel restaurant.  The coast is rocky and the water rough. 

 

Ballingskelling Bay




Kenmare River

 After you leave Waterville, the road winds upward with green pastures and the sea falling away to the right and dry mountainside rising to the left.  At the peak, you can see both the Ballingskellings Bay and the mouth of the Kenmare River.

The church in Sneem

The town of Sneem is full of character.  The buildings are painted in bright colors, the legend being that wives had all their homes painted in different colors so that drunk husbands would stop going into the wrong house after a night at the pub celebrating with the lads.  If you stop in Sneem, go by the Post (office) and ask if I left my package of Griffin pins there, because that was the last place I saw it.

The Black Valley

After Sneem, you begin the descent back toward Killarny.  That trips takes you through the Black Valley.  The valley was sparsely populated to begin with, but following the potato famine, it was totally deserted.  Every resident had either died or emigrated to America.



The lakes of Killarney from Ladies' View

 The Ladies View allows visitors to gaze out over the three lakes of Killarney.  It is called Ladies View because Queen Victoria's ladies-in-waiting were taken there to admire the view.  The road after the Ladies View is narrow and winding.  Encounter a large vehicle on the sharp turns made me quite nervous.  The last stop is the Torc Waterfall in the Killarney National Park.  If I didn't know my pictures at Torc were taken in Ireland,  I would think they were taken in the Smokies.  It's easy to see why the Irish were drawn to this part of America.

Plan a full day for the drive around the Ring of Kerry.  There is plenty to do outside of the drive.  The area is filled with places to hike, bike, fish, and golf.  Travellers on a student tour get a little glimpse of a lot of things.  Looking at the Grand Tour of Italy from EF Tours for 2013, there will be plenty of time to appreciate the Italian countryside as we travel between our major destinations of Venice, Florence, and Rome.

I (don't) heart Dublin



Statue of Molly Malone on Grafton Street



In Dublin's fair city, where girls are so pretty

I first set my eyes on sweet Molly Malone

As she wheeled her wheelbarrow through streets broad and narrow

Crying, Cockles and mussels! alive, alive oh!

- an Irish drinking song

I have a like-indifferent relationship with Dublin, the capitol city of the Republic of Ireland.  There are certainly some beautiful parts of the city, and I have created some delightful memories on my two visits there, but it is not one of my favorite cities and it is not a location around which I would plan a trip.

I think one of the reasons I don't care much for Dublin is based partly on the way my visits have been organized.  Both times, we have arrived in the evening, had a bus tour the next morning that took until lunch time, had lunch, and then had the afternoon free.  Dublin isn't really a big city, but the things to do other than shopping are sprawled out and close fairly early.  I am not a shopper and I don't know how to use their public transportation system.







Looking down Grafton Street



The main shopping areas of Dublin are Grafton Street, O'Connell Street, and St. Stephen's Green.  Grafton Street is a pedestrian area.  The shops along it are either high end fashion or trinket stores.  I enjoy the novelty stores much more than the fashion.  Along the street are huskers, various street performers hoping they'll entertain you enough for you to toss a couple of Euros in their hat.  The street is always packed with people, especially after the museums close.



If you have time in Dublin, there are some excellent things to do.  You can tour the Guiness Brewery, explore St. Patrick's Cathederal, or spend some time in Phoenix Park.  Phoenix Park is one of the largest urban parks in the world.  It is full of athletic fields, monuments, and deer.  One of my favorite memories is playing cricket in the shadow of the large cross built to mark the spot where the Pope held mass for over one million people.

 

Phoenix Park

Trinity College is the home of the Book of Kells, a illuminated New Testament prepared by Celtic monks about 800 AD.  There are several museums that you can visit, but they close around 5:00.  I went to the National Archeology Museum on my last visit.  One of the exhibits includes the bog bodies, preserved bodies found in the bogs of Kerry.  They were a little gross, but also interesting.  It was a nice place to sit and relax.  If I recall correctly, I took a little nap inside.  Pick up a Dublin Pass and you will have admission to several different Dublin attractions.  You can also pick up a pass for a City Tour Bus, a red double decker bus that makes several stops around town. 

 

  Night time in Dublin is fantastic.  The city has a wonderful energy.  You can go to the Temple Bar area (Bar means street in Dublin) where there are many pubs with music.  You can also find places featuring traditional Irish dancing.  The River Liffey slices through the middle of the city with many bridges that cross the river.  As long as you can get to the river, Dublin is an easy city to navigate.





The Harp Bridge over the River Liffey

 So, I guess saying "I don't heart Dublin" may be a little unfair.  The city just takes planning to truly enjoy.  I think planning is essential to any trip.  The more I know about a destination, the better plan I have, the more I find I enjoy a location.  On the same note, though, I also recommend having a good plan and then being prepared to forget it.  As I get closer to Italy in 2013, I will begin planning things I would like to see in the cities of Venice, Florence, and Rome in my free time.  To learn more about Italy in 2013, go to http://www.eftours.com/ and explore "Grand Tour of Italy."







Seeking the Gift of Gab

There is a stone there, that whoever kisses,

Oh! He never misses to grow eloquent:

'Tis he may clamber to a lady's chamber,

Or become a member of Parliament.

-Francis Sylvester Mahony

In honor of St. Patrick's Day on Thursday, I thought I would revisit some of my past trips to the Emerald Isle.  In 2010, I got to do that most touristy of Irish traditions: I kissed the Blarney Stone.  The Stone is supposed to grant everyone who kisses it the gift of gab, or eloquent speaking.  Great British Prime Minister Whinston Churchill, American Presidents Clinton and Reagan, and Rolling Stone Mick Jagger have all kissed the Blarney Stone. 

The Blarney Stone is only part of the beautiful park that surrounds the 600 year old castle ruins.  With the exception of adding railings and ropes for safety, the castle has not been restored.  The Stone is at the top of the main tower and visitors reach it after climbing 127 winding steps and stepping very carefully over the uneven stone walkway.  The view from the top over the town of Blarney and the green parkland is breathtaking.

Kissing the Stone is not a simple procedure.  The parapet (wall) in which the Stone is embedded is a couple of feet away from the walkway.  You have to lie on your back, scoot to the edge, and lean backwards to plant your lips on the rock.  There are employees there to help brace you, and of course, take your picture, available for purchase in the gift shop.  To answer one of the most asked questions, the workers are also sitting there with a bottle of cleaner.

Too often when visiting an attraction, we get caught up in the touristy thing to do and miss the little delights.  Surrounding the Castle is a delightful park full of surprises.  The Rock Close is a nature trail with natural formations given cute nicknames like "The Witches Stone."  A short walk away is the Blarney House and the Lake.  In the nearby town of Blarney are the Blarney Woolen Mills for shopping indulgences and a couple of good restaurants, including a cafeteria style eatery perfect for large groups.

What exactly is the Blarney Stone, though?  Well, no one really knows.  There are several popular legends about it.  Legends include that it was Jacob's Pillow from the Bible story.  It may have been a a type of Sorceror's Stone for selecting the kings of Ireland.  It may have been carried from Scotland or carried home from the Crusades.

The Blarney Castle was part of my last student tour.  All of the students in my group got to do the touristy thing and kiss the Stone.  I was also proud of them because they took the time to explore the Rock Garden.  When you visit another country, you have time to eat and sleep later.  Take advantage of every moment you have and see as much as possible.

You can see some terrific photos of the castle and gardens and learn more about the Stone at http://www.blarneycastle.ie/.  You can also see more about my next trip at http://www.eftours.com/, tour title "Grand Tour of Italy."

The Great Affair

"I travel not to go anywhere, but to go.  I travel for travel's sake.  The great affair is to move."

-Robert Louis Stevenson

I love to go, and just as much as loving to go, I love to plan to go.  I have a stack of travel books with broken spines and dog-eared pages.  I don't know when this love affair started.  We had two vacation destinations when I was a child: Myrtle Beach and Opryland.  I do remember thumbing through Mom's Myrtle Beach book, looking at the pictures of the beach and the hotels.  I remember looking through Daddy's big road atlas, though I'm not sure why he had one since he was known for getting lost everywhere he went.  I would spend hours looking up countries in our set of World Book Encylcopedias. 

Myrtle Beach - http://www.myrtlebeachvacationpackages.org/

I have been able to expand my list of destinations as I've gotten older, but I still find joy in going someplace just for a night.  I like to open all the drawers in a hotel room.  I like to look at the local city guide.  I like to sit down and decide what I'm going to do the next day.  I love the feelings of excitement and anticipation that keep a smile on my face the closer to departure day. 

Once at the location, the affair continues.  It may be in revisiting old favorites, like riding the Tower of Terror at Disney World again, or smelling the salty air of the ocean at Myrtle Beach, or it may be in seeing something new.  It doesn't take much for my mind to recreate the first moment I saw Big Ben in London.  I stepped out of the Tube station just as the bell was chiming 11 PM.  It took my breath away. 

Picadilly Circus, London, 2010

I can thank a former teacher for that moment, and my first view of dazzling Picadilly Circus.  Mr. O'Neil was familiar enough with London that he knew which Tube exit to use for the most impact.  I now have the opportunity to share my great affair with students, introducing them to new cultures and seeing their eyes when they glimpse something for the first time.  I love experiencing things through them as much as I love my own experience.

Rialto Bridge - http://www.shannonforsale.com/world_cruise.htm

My next student trip is June 2013 to Italy.  I'll get to revisit an old friend in Venice.  I'll gaze at St. Mark's Basilica and watch the pigeons in the square and hopefully relocate that little hole in the wall where I had an excellent lunch.  I'll learn new things about that old friend by taking the time to go inside St. Mark's and finding the Rialto Bridge.  I'll probably get to stick my toes in the Adriatic Ocean again and have delicious gelato from that shop in Lido de Jesolo.  I'll get to meet new friends in the city of Florence, visiting the Duomo, and Rome with the Colleseum and St. Peter's Basicila.

Chickamauga Battlefield, Chattanooga, TN 2010

Each trip I take just gives me the taste for more.  It was just last year that I collected dust in Ireland and England, but 2013 is far away.  I've spent a weekend in Chattanooga, visiting the Chickamauga Battlefield, but I'm going through travel withdrawals.  My great affair is calling me.  I don't know where I'll answer the call.  I've been wanting to visit Washington, D.C. again, but I would love to enjoy some fresh seafood at Myrtle Beach again or hug Mickey Mouse at Disney World.  Wherever I go, I'll find something new to love.

If you'd like to start or continue a love affair with travel, check out my trip to Italy at http://www.eftours.com/, Tour Title "Grand Tour of Italy."