Where do you want to go?

Muckross House, Killarney, Ireland

 

     Many people do not travel because they lack the passion, the money, or time. Some people simply do not have a goal - or, possibly too many goals. One of the first things we have to do is to determine what we would like to see. What would you like to have experienced? What places have you heard about that interest you or excite you?

      For us, after traveling all around the United States we began to think of where we would like to go on our limited time and finances. Our list was rather long, but we knew that with our historical background (MacLellan, Williams, MacFarland) we ought to go to Scotland. The hardest part was just saying "yes" to our desire. We went and included a visit to London on the way.

      Then, it was easy to say "we drove all over Scotland, we can drive on the left...let's go to Ireland". So, we went to Ireland and while we were in Dublin it was only a short flight back to London. Flying to Europe is the expensive part, you must make the best of it.

     It started getting easier. Let's fly to Rome and see Italy. Well, we don't speak Italian. We went to three English speaking countries because we figured it would be easier. No guts, no glory. Off we went to Italy (but we took a tour for two weeks to make the transition). Then it was to our goal, The Dolomites. We then went off to Austria, Germany, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland. Now, we are heading back (we had stopped briefly in Paris) to France.

      It keeps getting easier. Next it will be Iceland, Kenya and... who knows where?







INNSBRUCK, AUSTRIA

Here is another pointed thing in a city's central square. This one is in the pedestrian mall in Innsbruck, Austria. We drove in passed the Winter Olympics site and directly to a parking garage. Coming out we discovered something that every city should have - a large open space for pedestrians with cafes, shops, and places to gather. A really pretty place.

SUNDAY: Church Day: San. Stephano, Verona

San. Stephano Chancel. We stayed in the church's converted monastery next day. This church is near the Ponte Pietra (Peter's Bridge) Verona, Italy

Favorite photos: Marble Canyon, Canada 2013

Taken last year at the base of Marble Canyon. The water is really that color.

Kids kicking your seat?

     Interesting that the topic of a kid kicking your seat during your flight is all over the internet. What do you do?
     Some people talked about slapping the kid or his/her parent. Others about taking off the child's shoes or posting a picture of Grandma - no one kicks grandma - on the seat back.
     While it does irritate me, adults also bother me. It is especially bad on long haul flights to Europe. There are adults who believe that the other 200 passengers want to hear their conversations at 35,000 feet. They talk loudly. Or, the guy behind you does not have lower body strength and has to grab your seatback in order to get up to go to the toilet. Or, the paid staff - see Aer Lingus - goes up and down the aisle with the duty free cart all night believing that someone will buy something.
     A crying baby - usually because of earache due to the pressure change - bothers me less than the guy behind or next to me coughing up phlegm for 5,000 miles.
     I refuse to let them spoil it for me and consider it part of the cost of getting where I want to go.

PLANNING FOR PARIS

Here are some of the books we bought or got at the library on France and Paris, in particular. So far we have read eight books in our planning a study. Will it be enough? No. There will still be surprises.

Hot Air Ballooning

This is a photo of a hot air balloon above the neighbors' houses and palm trees. The area around Tracy is a good place for hot air ballooning. Other places I have heard about from friends are the Napa Valley, the Irish county of Wicklow, and the Provence in Southern France. Whatever way or place you  do it, it is safe and fun. You do not know you are moving until you look down and suddenly see you have risen 50 feet in the air. The views are surprising and it is a great way to travel slowly and actually see things.