Hand Crafted Travel

20/08/2024

This group has gone to the birds.

19/08/2024

Enjoying a little relaxation with my group at Kilkea Castle hotel in County Kildare.

18/08/2024

The Rock of Cashel, in County Tipperary, was once the seat of the kings of Munster. The site was later donated to the church.

The round tower, a common feature of early Christian sites in Ireland, dates to the late 11th century.

The beautifully preserved Cormac’s Chapel is from the 12th century, and the other buildings date to the 13th century.

17/08/2024

Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge on the Antrim Coast of Northern Ireland. A wild walk at the best of times, but add in some gusty winds…

The rope bridge was originally built by salmon fishermen, who used it to access the far side of the island, where they strung their nets.

16/08/2024

16/08/2024

Belfast is a hardscrabble place. More than 25 years after the end of The Troubles the economic and physical scars left by decades of war are still visible. “Peace walls” that separated unionist and loyalist neighborhoods, steel gates that controlled traffic on major roads, and murals and monuments to the victims are a visible reminder of the violence on both sides.

But Belfast is also a hopeful place. An entire generation has grown up in Northern Ireland since the 1994 Cease Fire and the 1998 Good Friday Agreement brought a lasting peace to the region. Evidence of new found prosperity are everywhere. New restaurants and retail shops have sprung up in the once devastated central city, construction projects replace bombed out buildings, and new infrastructure entices locals and visitors alike.

15/08/2024

Back in Belfast.

10/08/2024

Sunset on Donegal Bay after the storm.

09/08/2024

As an American, you speaking English in parts of Ireland’s western regions will be tolerated, but locals make it clear that English is generally not appreciated.

08/08/2024

I spent a day reminding myself why I don’t include Cork City in any of my itineraries, exploring the best the city has to offer, so you don’t have to.

If you do happen to find yourself here with some time to kill, the City Gaol is an interesting stop, the 19th century neo-Gothic Saint Fin Barre cathedral is a good place to get out of the rain, and Nano Nagle’s is an inspiring story of a woman who helped educate and feed the city’s poor.

05/08/2024

05/08/2024

Beautiful day for a hawk walk at the School of Falconry, located a on the grounds of Ashford Castle, in Cong, Ireland.

02/08/2024

Kylemore Abbey, located among the wild beauty of Connemara, was built as a private home.

After passing through several owners it was acquired about 100 years ago by a group of Benedictine nuns, who had fled their convent in Ypres, Belgium during World War One. They continue to live here, but have opened up the grounds and parts of the house to visitors.

The Victorian walled garden includes the remains of over 20 green houses, which were once heated by steam and housed everything from vegetables to citrus to banana trees, allowing the owners to enjoy fresh, exotic produces year round.

31/07/2024

No need to worry about which side of the road they drive on when driving the Di**le Peninsula.

31/07/2024

Ambling around the Slea Head drive along The Di**le Peninsula, on Ireland’s west coast

29/07/2024

A beautiful day out in Killarney National Park, with visits to Muckross House and Gardens, Muckross Traditional Farms, and Ladies View.

29/07/2024

Crystal blowers and cutters working their magic at Waterford Crystal.

28/07/2024

Wandering through Kilkenny from castle to cathedral on a beautiful Irish summer day.

24/07/2024

Heading south from Dublin to Kilkenny. It’s a short, straight shot on the highway, but I like to mix it up with a drive through the Wicklow Mountains National Park, a visit to the early monastic site at Glendalough, and the A***n National Stud and Gardens.

24/07/2024

No visit to Dublin is complete without the Guinness Storehouse, the city’s no. 2 attraction (after Book of Kells). Add on to the regular visit with a STOUTie or learn to pour the perfect pint.

23/07/2024

As the world turns.

23/07/2024

The Old Library at Trinity College in Dublin is having a new fire suppression system installed to protect and preserve the collection. As part of this they are ‘decanting’ (removing) all of the books.

From late 2025 the Old Library will be closed to visitors for a year or more during the last part of the redevelopment project, but the Book of Kells exhibit will remain open.

21/07/2024

The little village of Dalkey is just 30 minutes by train from central Dublin (trains every 10 minutes or so, around $6 round trip). A perfect day trip from the big city in a sunny day (well, sunny by Irish standards). ⛅️☀️🌤️

20/07/2024

Ireland is not the first place people think of when ot comes to painting. The National Gallery of Ireland in Dublin has a fine collection of everything from Renaissance to Impressionist art, and beyond, with plenty of home-grown artists in the mix.

19/07/2024

Dublin is loaded with statues honoring native and adopted sons and daughters – writers, poets, musicians, politicians, and rebels.

16/12/2023

A look back at my 2023…and some openings for small group tours in 2024.

After the shutdown in 2020, and the challenges that came with post-pandemic travel, this was the first year that travel really felt NORMAL again. Everything was open. No masks required anywhere. It seems like the whole world was out taking advantage of re-gained travel freedom, in what industry i...

16/12/2023

A look back at 2023, and an invitation to join me on a Hand Crafted Small Group Tour of Europe in 2024 -

After the shutdown in 2020, and the challenges that came with post-pandemic travel, this was the first year that travel really felt NORMAL again. Everything was open. No masks required anywhere. It seems like the whole world was out taking advantage of re-gained travel freedom, in what industry i...

26/10/2023

Valencia’s City of Arts and Sciences presents a stark contrast to the historic core, with museums and performance venues in stunning modern buildings. My favorite is the Aquarium, Europe’s largest.