At The Talbot

The Talbot Hotel in Stourbridge is old. It was first built in the 1600′s and expanded, remodeled and updated constantly since. The room we are in is known as “the family room” because it has a double bed and two twin beds–an ideal set up for people traveling with two kids who don’t want to [...]

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Veg in Ireland

Maybe it was the clearly labeled gluten- free oatmeal on the shelf as we walked into The Phoenix B&B near Castlemaine, or perhaps it was the delicious savory smell of veggies simmering in garlic, or it could have been the Lazure-like paint on the walls that made this place feel like home away from home, [...]

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Irish Anniversary

As we read through the local tourist guide for the Dingle area, the ruins of Kilmalkedar caught my eye. The church ruins date back to the 12th century. In front of the church is an Ogham stone (picture below) with a hole in the top of it. The guide book said that a couple can [...]

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Not Just Electronic

Before we left, I purchased a four pack of Moleskines, the now ubiquitous writer’s friend. I discovered their supple bindings, their stay open lined pages, and their generally pleasing aesthetics years ago. I’ve often carried one of the smaller varieties in my purse to jot down little notes to myself. I am likely wrong about [...]

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Tastes Like Milk!

When we first arrived at our hotel in London, we were exhausted from our overnight flight and jet lagged. The room was quite nice and had all the modern day conveniences. Instead of an American style coffee maker, which frankly grosses me out with the brown stains even visible on black plastic, it came with [...]

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London Renewal

I knew that London would have changed a lot since I lived here in 1987. Change is nothing new to a city like this, and yet I can’t help but marvel a little bit when told that a place like Westminster Cathedral underwent rennovations in the 13th century. I don’t think I’m the only American [...]

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Looking at Those Resolutions Halfway Through the Year

The same friend that prompted this post did a quarterly update on her own 2011 goals. Since we’re almost halfway through the year and it’s not likely I’ll be thinking that much about resolutions while on vacation, I figured I’d take a look at what I was thinking last December and see how I’ve done [...]

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