Since I don’t write travelogs as such, I don’t feel bound by chronology or geography in recounting our Irish trip. Suffice it to say, the “chopped up” method of travel has worked out just fine. And then, quite on its own dynamic, it has now morphed into a more formal itinerary as the rhythm […]

  Carol remarked on our second day in Ireland that this trip so far seemed “chopped.” I conceded her point, keeping my own thoughts on the subject to myself. Namely, “chopped” is exactly the way I wanted this trip to unfold. The Guiness Brewery bar. Perfect combo of sightseeing while having a pint   Ireland […]

  We stumbled on a pub in Dublin’s Temple Bar section that was alive with  Irish guitar and fiddle music even in the late afternoon. We shuffled in among the  SRO crowd who were clapping and singing along to a lively Irish standard, and soon lucked into a table in a far corner with a site line […]

  Whatever Carol feels might be demonstrated as my wizardry when it comes to flying standby (and maybe that switch from Rome to Venice via our Eurail Pass to nab a couple of first class seats home might qualify), most assuredly went out the window when I stepped into the shower in our Dublin hotel […]

   Carol and I leave for Ireland this week. She continues to nudge Rick Steves’s guidebook Ireland my way, and I keep nudging it back. I’m not being an idiot, at least not in this case. I’m also not being a snob just because I’ve been to Ireland once. That was more than 50 years ago, and about […]

   He can smash a drive 300 plus yards; more significantly, he’ll hit it straight down the middle of the fairway. He hits greens in regulation, chips and putts well. He has recently begun breaking 70 for 18 holes on a championship-length course. Oh, and he’s only 15. And, of course, I hate him. “Those who […]

   The annual outdoor Laguna Beach Sawdust Arts and Crafts Festival features close to 170 artists working hard at their crafts in a wide range of media including ceramics, painting, jewelry, glass and photography. In other words, it’s exactly the kind of day trip that has me heading for a darkened corner of the couch begging […]

   Think I’ll stay on the subject of aging for one more blog. For most of my senior years, I’ve continued to allow my inner 17-year old to make all my health care decisions. Since my inner 17-year old is very much like my real one of more than 55 years ago, it means I’ve entrusted […]

   I turned 74 on this most recent  European trip. I also became even more introspective, well, because I could, given the pleasant hours spent with little more to do than stare blankly into the fast moving French and Italian countryside rolling by me on a high speed train.    In the final analysis, it occurred to […]

   If you’ve read these travel blogs of the past few weeks, and have gained nothing in terms of useful information, tips, perspective or growth at any level, then I’ve accomplished precisely what I set out to do.    I like the going.  Once there, I like the staying. A good accommodation – comfy couch, sizable fridge filled […]