A middle seat and crying babies across the Atlantic, lineup at customs and an expensive ride back into the city where the smog lies heavy and the air is pungent with the scent of a garbage strike. Ah yes, it's good to be home. Travelling is fun, but I'm happy to be back in the Beach for the start of summer. Thanks for reading along as I travelled. Til next time. Slainte, Linda [View Full Entry]

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Yes, I kissed the Blarney Stone. I can hear you all now, various comments about coals to Newcastle, wondering if it exploded on contact, gales of laughter. Bring on the sarc. Had to be done. And it ain't easy. The trek up the winding stone stair is near-vertical and extremely narrow - room only for a rope strung along the wall to help with the going. This one poor lady from Taiwan early had a meltdown what with the combined tight space and height. Her pals had to get her calmed down and then figure out a way to get her [View Full Entry]

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Think Torontonians go a bit nuts when summer finally settles in? Nothing compared to Dublin, where the arrival of usual warmth (about 27C) and a cloudless blue sky and sunshine is as rare as a field of four-leaf clovers. So Dubliners are taking full advantage. Cafes are jammed, the pedestrian shopping areas like Henry St. are busy and pubs with "yards" are doing a brisk business. Along Henry St., strawberry sellers entice shoppers by hollering "straaaaw-burries!" The ripe berries are sold from folded-down vintage prams. Clever. The early part of the day was for indoor pursuits, including the B [View Full Entry]

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I'm clearly a city rat. As much as I enjoyed the peaceful loveliness and raw beauty of Aran and Connamara, I was happy to return to Dublin's busy streets. But there's no mistaking this for any other city - Dublin has a vibe all its own. It's also hot and humid, which us a real change from the cold winds of the west. We took the 7 a.m ferry back to the mainland - I had an early night, but did get a walk in after dinner to talk to a local cow and her new calf. It stays light until [View Full Entry]

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We're in Inis Mor, the largest of the Aran Islands, all 14K of it. We've been so lucky with the weather, our guide Emily told me last night "you should sell your blood, you're that lucky." We spend 7 hours hiking yesterday, some it a tough slog over rock fields. It's a beautifully barren place - a limestone island where there was so little soil, the early settlers had to break up the stone fields and "create" soil with kelp and sand - backbreaking work. Once the small patches of field were cleared, the farmers built dry stone walls with what [View Full Entry]

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After a morning of walking on a long beach and trying to learn how to play hurley - sort of a cross between tennis and hockey with some lacrosse and a fair bit of swearing thrown in - we took the ferry across the sea to Arainn, the largest of the Aran Islands. Which is none too big, by the way. About a kilometre across and some 16K long. The ferry ride over was more of a vomit comet - a few passengers looked green when we landed. We're staying at a lovely B&B about a 20-minute walk from town, just [View Full Entry]

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Yes Virginia, there is a Letterfrack: According to Wikipedia: 'Letterfrack (Leitir Fraic in Irish from Leitir meaning rough hillside and perhaps from the Old Irish word Fraig meaning woman or fraoch meaning heather) is a small village in Connemara in Ireland founded by the Quakers in the mid-19th century. It is situated 15 km north-east of Clifden on Barnaderg Bay and lies at the head of Ballinakill harbour. The visitors centre for Connemara National Park is here.' Just back from the market, where Matteo bought the makings for supper tonight - pasta with fresh local garlic and tomatoes. I'm [View Full Entry]

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After yesterday's very challenging Croagh Patrick climb, Emily took Matteo, Adrianna and I on a less-strenuous trek up a smaller mountain with a path to a shrine to St. Patrick overlooking a hidden mountain-top lake at Maum. The wind was ferocious and it was very cold - it was so wild and completely apart from the world. Ringed by mountains with a green valley below us, it was breathtaking - or maybe that was the wind. We sat for a while on some rocks by the lake and just listened to the water lapping at the shore before heading down the [View Full Entry]

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Greetings from Ireland with apologies for not blogging before now. It's hard - and 'spensive - to find internet access. But here I am. It's been busy and wonderful and there's much to tell. I'm travelling with a couple from Milano, Matteo and Adriana and our guide, Emily from Tralee, who is sweet and earnest and funny and delights in sharing stories with us about the mythic history of this place. She also makes amazing porridge, which we all wolfed down this morning before attacking the climb up Croagh Patrick, a serious mountain that was a religious site since pre-historic times, [View Full Entry]

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So I'm sitting in the Karma Bar and who do I end up chatting with but a Dublin cabbie and his missus - also a cabbie - and he lived in Toronto for 15 years (so he did) over by Honest Ed's. We had a great chat about how many people had barfed in their cabs. Only one each - and they made them clean it up or pay 75 euros for the service. The things you learn in a bar. A grand day today - sunny and about 17C. I had intended to see the Book of Kells at Trinity [View Full Entry]

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