Kris and I visited 13 foreign countries in 2013. In order: Spain, Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Canada, England, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Japan, back to Spain, Germany, Czech Republic, Austria, and Hungary. … Read more
Who doesn’t love the information imparted by a zealous local who guides you around their turf like a friend. Even better if he or she is a friend. Oliver Nicholson … Read more
I can talk about this now, and I’ll start by saying Tom is a very good driver. And I am a very good navigator. I can read a map, have a good sense of direction, and am good at planning routes, scenic or otherwise. But things are different here in the UK and in the Republic of Ireland, and I’m not just talking about driving on the left. For both driver and passenger, I offer these true stories and tidbits of advice.
The pillars and walls at Durham Cathedral, built in the 11th Century, are so massive when compared to the delicacy of the Exeter Cathedral, built almost 400 years later. The bulk is relieved slightly by carved design visible on the left pillars, but the overall sense is one of pure weight.
The message read, “This site has been blocked as potentially politically controversial. If you think this message has appeared in error, please see your network administrator,” or something like that. Had I accidentally Googled my way into a terrorist site? No, as a matter of fact, I was trying to look up UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Ireland. I was in my room at Bewley’s Hotel in the Ballsbridge neighborhood of Dublin, a fairly nice place, the nicest place I’d been in for quite a while.
The Cathedral at Coventry, England, once thought to be among the most beautiful in England, was destroyed by German bombs on November 14, 1940. Some of the 14th Century walls … Read more
I’ve visited and lived in the Earl’s Court London neighborhood a lot over the past 40 years, and I keep going back. Maybe this once-Australian neighborhood has a boomerang effect. … Read more
In the early years of the 16th Century, King Henry VIII of England decided that the various Catholic abbeys held too much wealth and power. (It is estimated that the … Read more
The entire cathedral at York, England, called York Minster, features amazing glass works. To my mind, only those of Leon, Spain’s cathedral are their equal.
We visited Oxford University more than 30 years ago when we were living in London. Back then, it was much easier to roam the campuses of the various colleges. Oxford … Read more