Site Blocked, and Other Little Surprises in the UK and Ireland
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.
Coventry Cathedral, England
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…
Getting There: Travel Days in Belize and Guatemala
Buses, taxis and SUVs: getting around in Belize and Guatemala was an adventure unto itself. Best of all, these travel days opened ideas and doors to our next several weeks of travel.
County Wicklow, Ireland
From various high points in County Wicklow, you can see the sea both to the west and to the east. It's just a faint blue line from here, so you…
The Dark Hedges, near Ballymoney, Northern Ireland
I'm told that fans of Game of Thrones will recognize this scene from Northern Ireland, where much of Game of Thrones is filmed, evidently. Sorry, but I've only seen snippets…
Graffiti Artist, Belfast, Northern Ireland
Just after finishing a spray paint portrait of Margaret Thatcher, a graffiti artist sprayed a white rectangle next to Maggie to prepare his next canvas. We stopped a bit and…
Giant's Causeway, Northern Ireland
When we're somewhat close, we usually go out of our way to visit Unesco World Heritage sites. In this case, we tore ourselves away from the Bushmill's Irish Whiskey Distillery…
Bloody Sunday Monument, Derry, Northern Ireland
The “Troubles” in Northern Island may be over, but they're not forgotten. In Bogside, the Catholic area of Derry, signs, murals, monuments still proliferate in the streets. Up Your Travel…
Earl’s Court, London: 1973-2013
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….
