http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Tommy-Rooney/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Tommy Rooney en-us Tue, 17 Nov 2009 08:04:10 +0000 Tue, 17 Nov 2009 08:04:10 +0000 One of the few benefits to arise during these grim economic times are the bargain airfares currently on offer. I'd recently received an invitation from a friend to attend a salsa dance weekend in Phuket and happily snapped up a cheap ticket to board the flight for a week in amazing Thailand. Bangkok is one of the great international travel hubs in the world but I hadn't stepped outside the airpo http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/South-West-Thailand/Phuket/blog-385731.html Turkish girls are very mysterious. I flew from Van to Istanbul to catch a connection on the next flight bound for Cyprus. So anyways the girl at the airport check in does her thing on the computer with passports and stuff then while looking straight at me without talking she reaches towards my face. Self consciously I started flicking at my chin as I'd just spent three days in Van without a mir http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Cyprus/Nicosia/blog-251174.html This journal from Van is dedicated to my brother and his new bride. Recently married in Sydney they spent their honeymoon in Greece and Turkey and Irsquom now following in their footsteps. Despite my brotherrsquos initial wish during the planning stage they made a joint decision not to visit Van during their honeymoon. But never mind cause your travelobsessed family member has made it to th http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Eastern-Anatolia/Van/blog-313119.html Turkey is where Asia meets Europe. The astonishingly complex history of this ancient region is probably the world's longest running clash of civilisations. The more I learn about Turkey and her rich history the more I begin to realise that Turkey is and always has been at the heart of the world's affairs. The Turks are extraordinarily proud of their great history and equally proud when it comes http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Marmara/Gallipoli/blog-335334.html There is something timeless about Greece and her welcoming people. Even as a citizen of a young country one canrsquot help but be caught up in the glory of classical Greek culture. The Greeks were the leaders of the ancient world and were so admired that even their Roman conquerors protected the magnificent culture for several hundred years during the height of Roman rule. The Greek speaking By http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Greece/Central-Greece/Delphi/blog-374899.html A week spent on the Greek Islands is to experience a truly magical part of the world. Irsquove been blessed with the opportunity to add my footsteps to the countless thousands who preceded me which gives me the chance dear reader to post this journal from the iconic Santorini Island. Being in the middle of a northern hemisphere winter means the ferries have been problematic so aside from the http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Greece/South-Aegean/Santorini/blog-250837.html To view the Parthenon spectacularly lit up at night is to bear witness to the glory of Ancient Greece and the timeless temple perched atop the Acropolis is the best sight I've experienced in my life. I'm aware of course that Socrates could quickly change my mind with brilliantly constructed rhetorical questions inevitably leading to a contradiction of my original premise. But hey this is a demo http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Greece/Attica/Athens/blog-250836.html In the midst of the current maelstrom unravelling with alarming speed around the world lurks a seemingly unstoppable monster who is gobbling up entire financial systems without mercy. However it's with a sense of relief I note that some things haven't changed despite the ongoing mayhem taking place in global stock markets. Singapore is still the can do island of South East Asia and having just http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Singapore/Little-India/blog-362145.html As I flew into Brunei for an overnight stopover I got to thinking it's been far too long since the last visit to Asia a region in the world that has long been a personal favourite of mine. But nothing lasts forever and it's great to have an overnight stay in the Sultanate of Brunei. This small country on the north west coast of Borneo enjoys a very high standard of living thanks to the oil and ga http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Brunei/Bandar-Seri-Begawan/blog-236982.html Liverpool has her ticket to ride after the city became the European capital of culture for 2008. Everything is going gangbusters for this historically important sea faring capital which for 200 years was at the centre of transatlantic shipping. Liverpool provided the last glimpse of Europe for many millions of people emigrating to the new world as they sailed off to North America or Australia to http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/Merseyside/Liverpool/blog-236975.html The Scottish highlands are dead sexy and at the heart of all this wild and sexy stuff is a 1500 year old mystery featuring a legendary monster who lurks within the depths of Loch Ness. We were at the end of day one on an awesome Scottish highlands tour and our group was looking forward to a boat trip on the most famous loch in the world when we were told that our skipper had mysteriously vanis http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/Scotland/Edinburgh/blog-236977.html The occupation of Northern Ireland by British armed forces turned out to be the longest in British military history and stretched over an unimagined period of thirty five years. What started as a limited intervention to quell unrest in Derry turned into an ongoing nightmare for all involved whether your sympathies lie with the republican or the unionist cause. Sectarian violence in Belfast explo http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/Northern-Ireland/Belfast/blog-236979.html The Galway races are one of the premier annual events in Ireland and it's fortunate my visit coincides with the week long festival taking place in this wonderful city situated on the west coast of Ireland. The fillies are out in force for a canter on the streets and many are being dutifully escorted by dapper gents. Everyone in town looks a million bucks er ... except me that is but neverthel http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Ireland/County-Galway/Galway/blog-236978.html Belgium has proven to be quite the surprise packet. The country is famed for the quality of the home made chocolates and beers which guarantees a special place in the hearts of male and female travellers. The most impressive feature for us however is the beauty and elegance of the architecture as we strolled around the cities. It all adds up to a superb travel package and Brussels is also the http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Belgium/West-Flanders/Bruges/blog-304841.html The Millennium stadium in Cardiff towers over the centre of the city and would have to be the most incredibly placed major stadium in the world. When the train pulls into Cardiff central you are right in the heart of the Welsh capital and all a traveller needs to do is walk out of the station exit and there she is This monster of a stadium seats 72500 people and was the home of the FA cup fina http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/Wales/Cardiff/blog-236976.html Flying into Heathrow airport early on a sunday morning is the catalyst for more travel adventures in this wonderful part of the world. London is a buzzing metropolis ... a money making machine a giant in fact that can swallow up another Aussie backpacker without even a second thought. This is where it's at baby here in the heart and soul of Europe. London is a financial juggernaut although curr http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/Devon/blog-236974.html An erotic male fantasy could well involve romantic Paris and having a passionate affair of the heart with a Frenchwoman. Well it certainly isn't my fantasy ... anymore The city of romance has cast a magical spell over my lover and I as this latest European travel adventure rapidly draws to a close here in France. Paris is a beautiful city particularly when lit up spectacularly after dark and t http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Ile-de-France/Paris/blog-232884.html I barely managed to extricate myself from a serious clinch with a travel friend in time to catch the overnight bus from Seville to Lisbon and send a cyber kiss to you cherie mwah mwah. Eurolines decided in their infinite wisdom to schedule a traveller friendly departure time of midnight for the bus from southern Spain to the Portugese capital and to top it off the bus was scheduled to arri http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Portugal/Lisbon-and-Tagus-Valley/Lisbon/blog-208636.html Southern Spain is a magical part of the world but just happens to be situated precariously close to North Africa. Historically this has proven to be a big problem for the Spanish as Muslims conquered almost the entire Spanish peninsula by the year 714 and continued to rule Andalucia for the next 800 years. The enduring Muslim legacy of the Moors lives on in the architecture and culture throughou http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/Andalusia/Seville/blog-204750.html Spain is a country that is famous throughout the world whose language and culture have branched out to dominate Latin America. But that does not lessen the excitement of visiting the country for the first time. Barcelona and Madrid are the two most famous cities in Spain and the focus of my first week travelling in this wonderful country.The train journey to get from southern France into Spain h http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/District-of-Madrid/Madrid/blog-222918.html