Massachusetts: Scenes From the Berkshires

What could be prettier than fall in the Berkshires? We spent two days in Mass. enjoying the colors of fall and visiting some of the sites. I hope you enjoy the scenery. 

Outdoors at Yankee Candle in Deerfield

Along the Mohawk Trail

Along the Deerfield River

Outside North Adams

The Round Barn at Hancock Shaker Village

Debunking Myths About Air Travel

Myths about air travel seem to have a life of their own. Air travel has fostered its own set of myths and urban legends. Everyone repeats them, even if they are not sure that they believe them. They frighten and fascinate at the same time and most of them are totally false.

Dress to impress

One myth that certainly needs to be debunked is that in order to get an upgrade from the airlines you have to be dressed as though you should be sitting in the more expensive seats. Who gets an upgrade has much more to do with being an elite member of their frequent flier program than how you are dressed. So dress comfortably for your flight and if you want an upgrade you can buy it at the gate like everyone else.  

Rule 240

One of the oldest myths that are still circulating is that if your flight is delayed all you have to do is say the enigmatic phrase Rule 240 to the airline employee at the ticket counter and they will get you on the next flight out. This is not going to happen. Once long ago this might have worked, that would have been in the day when service came first but no more. The airlines have changed how they do business and you might as well just hunker down and get comfortable because you are going to be waiting with everyone else, there is no magical phrase.

Bringing down the plane with your cell phone

Another myth that isn't true at all is that if you turn on your cell phone during take-off or landing you are going to cause the plane to crash. With today's sophisticated technology that just isn't possible, however, the airlines aren't ready to let you off the hook. If you try to make or receive a call during these times you still take the chance of not only having your phone confiscated but you can be placed under arrest when you land. This is one myth that isn't worth testing.

Best ticket prices

Several of the myths circulating about airline travel have to do with purchasing your tickets. One that many people, even travel agents believe is that there is only one day of the week when the lowest prices are available. This is patently untrue, especially when one airline may come out with a low price one day and then other airlines will respond to that price the following day. Another myth says that if you see a low price you have several days to purchase it, these days that is a really bad advice. 

With the recent cuts in the number of flights, more and more flights are going to be flying full and if you see a price that you think is a good deal you need to grab it right away since it may not be there in even fifteen minutes.

Losing your hard-drive to the x-ray machine

One of the most prevalent myths has reached the status of an urban legend. The x-ray machine at the airport will erase the hard drive on your laptop. Everyone knows someone, who knows someone who had their hard drive erased as they went through the TSA checkpoint. Get the name and address of that person because they must be in the witness protection program, nobody knows who they are. If you have ever traveled with your laptop you know that there are absolutely no ill effects produced during the check-in process.

Having debunked all the myths and legends, you are now ready for your flight. There are enough real things to be thinking about when you are planning a flight, let these myths die a natural death. Certainly, by next week there will be some new ones popping up.

Ireland: Surprising Cavan a Photo Tour

Our recent trip to Ireland was eyeopening. I was not expecting to fall in love with Cavan but I did. It has a wonderful rural beauty that will win your heart over in no time. 

Flashback Thursday: What I Love About Belgium

One year in January, we actually spent two weeks in Belgium. When I told some of my friends, they looked at me in confusion, Why Belgium?  I think in order to explain I need to give you a little history of Belgium and information about the country. 

#Antwerp

Belgium as a country is relatively young, the kingdom began in 1830 with Prince Albert' s (Queen Victoria's husband)  uncle Leopold as the first king. Before that, it had a very tumultuous history and it is the country that has the most battlefields in Europe, quite a telling fact. 

Belgium is really two countries that were combined into one. Flanders is the Dutch-speaking part of the country and the rest of the country speaks French. Many famous old masters were Flemish which is another reason to visit, the great art. 

So, why spend two weeks in Belgium? Because it is a fascinating country and dah, the home of the real Belgian waffle and some of the best chocolate in the world.

Halloween in Nashville

Nashville's Halloween Weekend

This Halloween weekend join us in Music City. A magical time filled with laughs and "screams" of joy. There will be plenty of family fun events to get you in the "spirit" of things. If you are looking for a "thrill" check out the many haunted houses, Halloween tours, or festive parties perfect for celebrating All Hallows Eve in Nashville.

If you are just looking to have a little fun without all the excitement of the holiday make sure to check out the special events, art exhibits, and concerts happening during the week of Halloween in Music City.

Looking for the best of fall in Nashville? Check out our Fall Fun in Music City for all the best ways to enjoy the beautiful season in Music City!

Rhode Island: Trolley Tour Providence

Providence, R.I. is one of our favorite places to visit. It is a renaissance city which has risen from its gritty past to offer a fun and sophisticated place to visit. For the first time visitor, taking a trolley tour is the perfect way to familiarize yourself with the city. Actually, even though we have visited many times, we decided to take a tour because we always go to the same areas and we wanted to go to areas we have never been before.

The tour is seasonal so be sure to check out their website to see if the tour is in operation. It doesn’t run in the winter for sure and actually stops quite early in the fall and starts at the end of spring.

You can get on the tour near the Biltmore Hotel which is especially convenient if you happen to be staying there. It is one of our favorite hotels and we were indeed staying there when we took this tour. The trolley stop is at the corner of Fountain and Eddy Streets.

Things you need to know:

They do not take reservations so you need to be there to get tickets.

They only accept cash so again, be prepared.

Tour last one hour.

What you will see:

Roger Williams Park-this is the location of the Roger Williams Zoo

Federal Hill: Providence’s Italian neighborhood

Benefit Street: A mile of history

First Baptist Church in America

And much, much more.

Is this the most amazing tour I have ever taken? No, however, it is very enjoyable and well worth doing even for a seasoned visitor, which I certainly am.

Sites to Enjoy When Driving the Border between England and Scotland

England has so many historic sites, that it is almost impossible to write about this topic without making a decision about your departure point. When I traveled to Scotland on the train I left from Alnwick. (this is pronounced Annick) This is in Northumbria in the very far Northeast. 

Alnwick Castle by Canaletto

Alnwick is a very historic site in its own right. Alnwick Castle is the home of the great Percy family who was the Earls and later the Dukes of Northumberland. It is the second largest inhabited castle in England, surpassed only by Windsor. If you know anything about Anne Boleyn, you will remember that her first love was Henry Percy.

This wonderful castle has been used as a backdrop for many famous movies including Harry Potter and when we visited here, they were shooting scenes from Elizabeth. It is every bit as regal a castle as you would expect from this great and once powerful family. The earliest parts of the castle date from 1096 and were built by one of William the Conquerors Normans Yves de Vescy who was the Baron of Alnwick. 

Today you will see great works of art, beautiful furniture and lovely gardens.

Another stop would certainly have to be at Hadrian's Wall. Next to the Great Wall of China, it is probably the greatest feat of wall building ever attempted. The Roman Emperor Hadrian decided that in order to protect the Romans in England from the marauding Picts he would have a wall constructed across the north of England. Work began on the wall in 122 A.D. It was 73 miles long, fifteen feet high and from eight to ten feet wide. It was quite an undertaking and obviously quite well done since there are quite large sections of it still available to visit today.

The Holy Isle of Lindisfarne is one of oldest religious sites in Great Britain. There was a monastery here on the Isle as early as 635 A.D. The Isle is associated with both St Cuthbert and the Irish monks from Iona in Ireland. The beautiful Lindisfarne Gospels are historically significant as well as being some of the finest examples of the written art in this early times on Lindisfarne. The Isle is controlled by a tidal causeway and is only accessible at certain times of day, if you miss it you won't be getting across. If you do, you won't be disappointed by the beautiful ruins and the museum that has been constructed there.

#Flodden

On September 9, 1513 the British and the Scots meet in the town of Flodden, Northumbria and fought another of their senseless battles that resulted in the deaths of 14,000 men and the King of Scotland all with a few short hours. A memorial commemorates the site and it is worth visiting if only to wonder at the stupidity of your fellow man. I found it a site of great sadness and it is hard to believe as you look at this quiet peaceful spot that it could have been such a place of mass slaughter. The battle is known as the Battle of Flodden.

These are just a few of my favorite spots, there are of course many more for the avid traveler to visit. We also visited Etal and Warkworth Castles in England and Floors Castle on the Scottish side of the border, all of which are worth a visit. 

Forgive me for using others photos. Mine would need to be scanned but I have visited all of these places.

Boston: Welcome to Beantown a SHort Photo Tour

I wanted to share a few photos of Boston. I have hundreds of photos of Boston but these are mostly centered around the Harbor. My friend Irene and I went here on a little getaway and took the Harbor Cruise. We also stayed at the Boston Harbor Hotel. Do you see a theme here? 

Old Ironsides

Flash Back Thursday: London's Queens Gallery

We have visited the Queen's Gallery at Buckingham Palace many times over the years. It used to be quite a simple place with a rather high-end gift shop, my how things have changed. We went to see

The Northern Renaissance: Dürer to Holbein

This exhibition brought together over 100 works by the greatest Northern European artists of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. 

The exhibition, not surprisingly, was amazing. The pieces that are in the royal collection rival or exceed just about any museum in the world. 

What has however changed was the gift shop. In my humble opinion, it now rivals the one at Althrop during the time when Princess Diana's step-mother Raine Spencer had free rein and went tacky. 

There are certain items that should never have an image of HRM on them but it seems that someone has forgotten that. Knickers with a crown or initials are just over the top!! I didn't take pictures in the gift shop, I really should have, but I have to confess, I didn't buy anything and that was a first.

What I did take a picture of was the bathroom at Buckingham Palace. Quite nice, not as nice as those at Spencer House, which I thought at the time were exceptional, but still, quite nice. 

There is almost always some sort of an exhibition going on at the Queen's Gallery. Check out their website for the latest offering.  

Somethings are better left unchanged and I am afraid that this gift shop has become one of the big mistakes as far as class is concerned. A few well-chosen items make a much better impression that lots of tawdry imported items. 

Hotel Review: Return to the Pembroke Townhouse Dublin

The Pembroke Townhouse is everything that one could possibly want in an accommodation. The rooms are well appointed and while not spacious in American terms in European terms they definitely offer plenty of space. Our room was located on the 5^th floor and had views to the front of the building. We had a twin room which was two beds on one king-sized headboard.

The bathroom was a good size and so was the closet. The closet contains a safe. On the same wall, there is a desk with a phone and it was the only place with any plugs. That is the only possible complaint I have with the hotel is the lack of plugs. In the mobile world of today. Everyone carries multiple devices and needs places to plug them in.

Breakfast is one of the delights of the hotel. If you book directly with the hotel on the phone you will get a better rate than if you pre-order it on the website. Of course, I didn’t realize that and I pre-ordered it. We even got to eat the first day we arrived, for an additional charge of course but it made us feel so much more human after the overnight flight.

You can start your breakfast with juice, cereal, yogurt, fresh fruit, muffins, scones and freshly baked cake. You can also order a hot meal. Coffee or tea are delivered in a pot to the table. You can have an Irish cooked breakfast, scrambled eggs, pancakes, poached egg, and salmon or delicious porridge. (I confused everyone when I called it oatmeal)

In the afternoon you can have a pot of tea and biscuits in the parlor or delivered to your room. There is a small store for any drinks or items you may have forgotten.

What makes this place stand out from every other hotel is the staff. Fiona was on holiday but we got very friendly with Francisco and David who were so helpful with my missing luggage issue. I am so grateful for the help they provided.

Housekeeping was also helpful and opened the window for us so that we could enjoy the fresh air.

View from our window

The cost of this hotel is exceptionally reasonable and the location is quiet but is within walking distance of the center if you enjoy walking. It is very easy to get a cab to the center and we did that frequently.

I love this hotel and I can’t imagine visiting Dublin and not staying at Pembroke Townhouse, it is that warm and special. It feels like you are visiting friends in a lovely townhouse rather than an impersonal hotel.

Dublin: The Irish House Party Lansdowne Hotel

If you happen to choose to stay at the Pembroke TownhouseHotel, which by the way I highly recommend you do, you will be just a short walk, think two blocks, from the Lansdowne Hotel which offers a unique dining and entertainment venue called The Irish House Party. It consists of a three-course meal with coffee or tea and an evening of Irish music and traditional Irish dancing.

The Irish House Party was begun by award-winning Irish artists who felt that the entertainment being offered wasn’t true to Irish tradition and in their words was “twee” (too adorable for its own good). They want to keep the traditions alive while engaging the audience and encouraging participation.

First the food. You have three choices of starter, we both had the salad with Cashel bleu walnuts and balsamic dressing. It was perfection on a plate. Four entrée choices are offered including beef stew with Guinness, salmon, roast chicken and a vegetable packet. We had the stew and the vegetable packets, again both excellent.

We also got some delicious soda bread baked by Ann Marie Doyle who was expediting service at the meal. Service was quite flawless considering we figured there were perhaps 80 people present. 

Dessert was chocolate cake or ice cream and it was quite pedestrian.

After a short break, the party begins. The entertainment was exceptional. Fiona was the dancer and performed I believe three times during the hour and a half of entertainment. There are some Irish songs you will recognize, some sung in Gaelic and plenty of banter back and forth between the members. You will find yourself singing along with some songs and it is encouraged that you do so.

All in all, this was an excellent evening of both food and entertainment and I would not hesitate to do it again and to recommend that if you are in Dublin you make The Irish House Party one of your must do things.

Connecticut: The Wadsworth Atheneum 14 years ago

I suppose these might almost be considered historic photos especially since the major renovation of the galleries was unveiled in August 2015. In spite of that or maybe because of it, I decided to print these never before published photos I took on a visit in the fall of 2001. I hope you enjoy them and that they peek your curiosity enough to want to go and see how much the museum has changed. 

The photos of course only reflect my own interest and are not intended to portray the entire museum. As the photos indicate, on this visit I was more fascinated with the decorative arts than paintings.

Flash Back Thursday: Patisserie Valerie in London

I am sure when most of you think of London, pastry is not the first thing that comes to mind. That is a mistake since there are some really delicious goodies to be had. 

I have seen Patisserie Valerie shops in my travel around London many times but it wasn't until recently that we actually stopped to pick up some goodies. 

We were at Covent Garden which is probably my favorite destination in London, okay I love lots of destinations, but for sheer entertainment time and time again it is hard to beat Covent Garden. 

We never miss going there when we are in the city to shop usually and often to eat or to buy some food. 

I wanted a little nosh to bring back to our room at the Strand Palace and was enticed by the goodies we saw in the window. 

The hardest part is going to be making a decision. Of course, Al said just pick something for me so I had to decide for two. I will let the pictures tell the story of what I picked but sufficed to say, none of it went to waste. 

Patisserie Valerie has been around since 1926 and has locations all over London and all over England. 

 

Dublin City Sightseeing Hop Off Hop On Bus Tour

Taking a hop on hop off bus tour can be one of the easiest ways to get to know any city. Dublin in no exception. We purchased a two-day pass at our hotel and the first thing we did was to take the entire trip, we then got off at Dublin Castle.

#dublincastle

We found after two days that we learned something new on every trip we took. Some buses have live tour guides other have recorded but somehow different things were highlighted at least to our minds.

The tours begin on O’Connell Street but you can get on at any one of the stops and you get a discount for a two-day ticket. We actually bought ours at our hotel for one Euro less than the ticket price. We got on the first day at Merrion Square which was the closest stop to our hotel.

The tour travels both sides of the Liffey and now parks right in front of Kilmainham Goal. We took the red bus tour, there was also a  green and yellow tour. The route has been changed since we last took it and it is much improved if I have to say so myself.

You will learn all sorts of fun facts about Dublin. One thing I did notice is that we never saw Molly Malone, the tart with a cart or the trollop with the scallop, which is sad. We did, however, learn about the whore (pronounced hewer) in the sewer, the bride in the tide and the floozy in the Jacuzzi. Also the rod to God, the light in the night and stiffy by the Liffey.

We did have some issues with the bus. On the second afternoon, the bus dropped everyone at the Dublin Art Gallery and told us to wait for the next bus. No other explanation was offered. The next bus passed the stop without stopping, why? We have no idea. We waited about 30 minutes to get on and be dumped off again on O’Connell Street. Annoying to be sure. Especially since we had no idea why.

Overall, however, it was a lot of fun and we certainly enjoyed it. The first day we braved the top to really enjoy the views by the second day we were using it strictly as transportation. I highly recommend City Sightseeing. 

Dublin: Jameson Distillery Tour

If you enjoy good Irish whiskey and taking tours, this might just be the tour for you. John Jameson came from Scotland to Dublin to brew the best whiskey in Ireland and he succeeded. He began his business in 1780 and it wasn’t until after World War II that the operation was moved to Cork. At its peak, the distillery employed over 300 men in their operation. They were known to be a fair employer who paid decent wages and at the end of every week sent his workers home with a bottle of whiskey.

#jamesondistillerytour

Tours run about every 20 minutes but they can sell out completely in busy times. We were lucky to be the last two on a tour that was leaving in 5 minutes.

The first stop is the theatre where you spend 5 minutes listening to the history of John Jameson and the development of the distillation of whiskey in Ireland. In a video entitled “The Story of Jameson Irish Whiskey”. Evidently, it is monks who began the process as a perfume, they soon realized it tasted better than it smelled and the rest, as they say, is history.

You then move out into what was the former distillery to follow the steps of the process of making Irish whiskey. You will be taken step by step through the distilling process and learn more about it than most of us need to know, having said that, it is interesting and informative and worth the effort if you have even the slightest interest.

Step 1: Grainstore All the barley was purchased from farmers at harvest and delivered to the distillery. The very heavy bags often over 200 pounds were carried on the back of laborers.

Step 2: Malting The barley is dried in closed kilns and does not have the smoking taste associated with Scottish whiskey.

Step 3: Milling The malted barley is then combined with unmalted barley and ground in a flour called grist. The original millstone is still on site and it is considered good luck to touch it. Of course, I did!!

Step 4: Mashing The grist is mixed with hot water in the Mash Tun and stirred with rakes to get the starches to turn into fermented sugars. It took about four hours of raking to create the wort.

Step 5: Fermentation The wort is combined with yeast and the fermentation has begun. It takes about 80 hours for sugar to become alcohol.

Step 6: Distillation Distillation is the process of removing the water from the wort and all that is left is the alcohol. What makes Jameson’s so special is triple distillation. It makes for a very smooth whiskey.

#jamesonirishwhiskey

Step 7: Maturation Maturation is where all the time occurs. The spirits are placed in oak casks in a dark warehouse

Step 8: Marrying and Vatting  After the whiskey has matured it is placed in a huge vat where it marries for a few days before it is bottled. It is now at 80 proof.

The tour ends with a tasting. You get to taste a small shot of Jameson’s, Scotch Whiskey and Johnny Walker American. You are asked to smell them and then swish in your mouth and swallow. 

After that tasting, you take the small part of your ticket and trade it in for a good shot of Jameson or a mixed drink with Jameson’s and then for me a glass of ginger ale and lime. Kathy loved the taste of Jameson with ginger ale and lime.

Your last stop will be the gift shop. You can buy Jameson’s different styles of whiskey to take home and of course tee shirts, flasks and just about anything else you can think of with the Jameson logo on it.

We were on the hop on hop off tour bus and it takes you very close to the distillery. You will have no trouble finding it and walking the three blocks to the entrance. If you would like any additional food or drink, both are available on site. The entire visit can be done in well under an hour.

#jamesondistillerytour

You get to print off a certificate to show that you are an expert taster. Actually, it is sent to your email so that you can print it off at home, what a smart idea on their part, no waste of paper. This tour is located within an easy cab ride from the Pembroke Townhouse Hotel.