Blogs from County Westmeath, Ireland, Europe

Maandag 9/9/2019 – Vrije dag in Galway. Zonnig in de voormiddag, 's namiddags half bewolkt, fris. Fietsen eens uitgehaald om voorraad aan te vullen en stad Galway te bezoeken. Na de winkelstop wijselijk vlug teruggekeerd wegens onveilig gevoel door gebrek aan fietspaden en druk links verkeer. Dinsdag 10/9/2019 – Verplaatsing van Galway naar Dublin (217km) dwars door de Midlands. Brede autostrade,behalve dan voor een afslag langs kleine baantjes voor een bezoek aan de ruïnes van 'Clonmacnoise'. Een belangrijk vroeg-middeleeuws klooster (6e eeuw), prachtig gelegen aan de Shannon, ten zuiden van Athlone. Een enorme site met overblijfselen van allerlei vroeg middeleeuwse gebouwen, kerken, een kathedraal, 2 torens en hoge kruisen. Ook talrijke grafstenen. Niet te verwonderen, na de talrijke opeenvolgende moordpartijen en verwoestingen door Vikings, Normandiërs, lokale Ieren en prote... read more

This post is a little different. It isn't just about us. This time there is a group involved. Not a tour, just a group of people who came together to sail up, or down, the Shannon. It all started on the Mary River in the Northern Territory of Australia too many years ago to remember. The Mary is a very big river in the tropical Wet season and still big enough in the Dry season that you can drive a houseboat about on it. A group of people who worked or played together, or just knew each other met every year early in the Dry season and float about. Some played cards, others slept, read books, some occasionally fished, others just counted the crocodiles – and the Mary has more than any other river in the ... read more

We needed to be on the ball this morning as we have a long day ahead of us as we complete our stay in England and head for Ireland. Last night we planned our trip to get us to Heathrow in plenty of time to catch our British Airways flight to Dublin and we decided to be at the station to catch the 9.59am train to St Pancreas where we would walk through to Kings Cross underground and make a connection on the Piccadilly line to Heathrow Terminal 1, 2, 3. This was going to be the cheapest way of getting to Heathrow and in fact would only mean the one train change which was better than taking the more expensive Heathrow Express which would have required us to make another change to get to Piccadilly ... read more

Been in Ireland for a week and it has rained everyday, well it is called the Emerald isle for a reason. Highlights so far were the giants causeway which was busy but quite impressive, Stayed with Ralph an ex. B&Q colleague in Derry and thought that the walk round the walls of Derry was really good. Saw U2 in Croke park on Monday night which sounded like 80,000 Dubliners singing back their songs to them. The U2 stage show is amazing and has to be seen to be believed. Currently in Athlone and heading west later today.... read more

So back in the empor empire, and must account for my last few days in Asia before they become missing days in my memory. The train journey was fairly pleasant, not squeaky clean -we did acquire a few mosy bites and a tan from whatever was floating in the window- but had a good conversation with an elderly Thai guy who filled us in on a wee bit of current events in Thailand. After a couple of dodgy tummy days for Chris, it was a good excuse to sit and relax and have a snooze in the top, fold down sleeping birth. After we chucked in on the train, got slightly fleeced by a tuk-tuk, we returned to Soi Rambutri. Back in Bangkok, the city where the high rises rise higher the land of troublesome taxis, ... read more