Inside View

Planning Overnights in Dog Hotels

WE’RE LOOKING at taking short breaks in Irish hotels that will take our four-legged hound. There are more than I expected to find.

Getting Pencils, Coffee, Brownies, and Books #waterford

WITH CHRISTMAS APPROACHING, we are planning several rail journeys into Waterford where we will browse The Book Centre. We need pencils for notes to Santa, coffee because that's what you have with brownies, and we want to get lost in the book shelves. I'm reminded of all these things after seeing Dermot Nolan return from a recent trip (see photo).

Safe Travels During COVID on @irishrail. But.

I FEEL SAFEST aboard Irish trains, especially after a 90 minute journey on a crowded Buseireann bus. I wonder when we will feel safe dropping masks because I don't think COVID will ever be as simple as the common flu.

We Have to Get to @Nash19Cork Because

I INTEND TO CLAIM a vaccine dividend by taking the unmasked family to Nash 19 in Cork before Christmas 2021. Our visit is well overdue.

Nice Hearing Lively Streets in Cork

WE DROPPED INTO the centre of Cork for some shopping and a family meal. The big feature I noticed was the lively conversations in Cork-speak and busking by young Irish--two facets of Cork we missed while locked down by COVID.

Our Titanic Experience

We went to the Titanic Experience in Cobh, Ireland on a wet Sunday 12th August. Cobh is where some of my ancestors sailed from Ireland to New York in the 19th century. They were the McAuliffes and the McKelveys who settled in Pennsylvnia.

Family Day Out At Foynes Air Show

WE ENJOYED THE Foynes Air Show along with 13,000 other people, especially the raw sound of propeller-powered acrobatic aircraft. But I missed the feel of prop wash and the smell of aviation fuel.

Listen to "Foynes Airshow" on Spreaker.

Meeting Lancaster's Fav Uber Driver #travel

AFTER SEVERAL UBER journeys around Pennsylvania, I can unabashedly declare my best experience in Uber has been with John Johnson from Lancaster, Pennsylvania. John is more than a driver.

Sitting down on a Point of Interest

WE HAVE ON-BOARD maps that guide us to Points of Interest (POIs) and handheld maps that show starred POIs that follow us as we upgrade phones and browsers. Today, I sat down on a POI from 1942, read supporting documentation about the POI (see photo below and my Northern Ireland photoset) and recorded some thoughts about the whole process that I hope will cause my five year old son to retrace my steps when he inherits my POI dataset as part of his family heritage.

No Weeping Now with Parade

WE ARRIVED in Northern Ireland during Parade Season and every fourth town within easy driving distance has a parade on July 12th. While the drums beat, I spent part of a quiet morning looking out at part of the 350 acres that comprised RAF Greencastle, lands surrounding the cottage where we are staying.