Every summer, Irish Counties such as Mayo, Kerry, and Waterford celebrate the “Pattern,” or their Patron Saint feast days. Ardmore, a sea-side village in County Waterford, upholds the true Irish spirit of its yearly Pattern Festival with full pints and traditional Irish tunes.
Having been settled by St. Declan before the introduction of St. Patrick to the Emerald Isle, Ardmore is said to be Ireland’s oldest Christianised settlement. Aird Mhór, meaning Great Height, has been …
The secret of Belgium’s capital city, Brussels, is to go with the flow and allow yourself to become part of its charming everyday life.
Having previously been ruled by Spain, the Netherlands and France, Belgium is one of those countries that finds it easier to describe itself by what it is not: it’s not French, nor is it Dutch, nor German. Belgium is a country with an identity crisis, in the most positive sense of …
When I arrived in Miedzychod to visit a friend who had relocated there, we went for a drive and soon were turning off the narrow one-lane, main road onto where there was no road at all–only a forest. The car, a creaky red Polish hatchback, crunched it way over the gritty forest floor, through a thicket of spindly pine trees. After parking in a small clearing, we got out of the car, gathered up the …
Ah, to be sitting on a train, the rolling, green European countryside whisking steadily past your window as you sip on a cold beer. Train travel is easily one of the most romantic modes of transportation, offering the chance to see the landscape without the hassle of driving. I am a huge fan of rail travel, as it is easily the most comfortable and environmentally friendly way to get around. Plus, in Europe, trains positively …
Some of the most charming villages in Germany look like they came straight out of a storybook, with their half timber houses, walled cities, and look out towers. Put on your walking shoes, as they are best explored on foot, and prepare to feel you like you have stepped back in time with these three picturesque villages located the south west state of Baden-Württemberg in Germany:
Maulbronn is most famous for its monastery founded in …
Holidays have become all about the destination, not the journey. We cram ourselves into an airplane, jet off for a couple of weeks in a different culture, and often return more exhausted than when we went away. Maybe that’s because we’re forgetting that life is a journey, not a destination.
Yet in today’s fast-paced, instant-access world, there are still amazing journeys to be had if you take a trip on a freighter ship. Deep within …
The Great British sporting event – Wimbledon
Game…set…match. There is no sporting event quite as quintessentially British as Wimbledon. Where the players have to wear whites and despite the rain (which dependably showers down to stop play) crowds swan around in summer dresses drinking Pimms and lemonade and tucking into strawberries and cream. This is sport with a stiff upper-lip at its best.
Wimbledon runs for two weeks during June-July every year. Most court tickets …
Poperinge, a quiet little town a short drive from the Channel Ports, 175km from Brussels, is Belgium’s hops capital, and famously linked to WW1’s British war effort – it was well known to Allied soldiers who fought in the Ypres Salient. Other than its war memorials, the town also draws tourists for it’s Hops Festival each September.
The historical town square, surrounded by neo-Gothic mansions, has an assortment of taverns serving local brews and creative …
The world is full of beautiful beaches, but some places are better than others to spend your vacation. Think about what you really want to do on that trip before deciding where to go. You will find more to do than lying by the ocean at the best beach destinations.
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
Perfect blue water, white sand and beach beds (not just chairs) everywhere. It’s hard to match Punta Cana. There are many …
While Spain is not quite up to Northern European standards when it comes to eco-savvy stays, the country does have some very hip, quirky, cool lodging options for those who want to go green.
First Choice: Cabanes als Arbres
Into the Treetops!
There are a multitude of tree-house hotels around the globe, but Cabanes als Arbres is the first ever on the Iberian Peninsula. The environmentally-friendly ‘hotel’ is fairly new, having opened up just a …
Ireland is one of the best backpacker destinations in Europe. First of all, it is small and compact, yet extremely varied. There are also great transport links around the country and, best of all, the people are super friendly. The country also has a wealth of budget-friendly accommodations options, such as hostels, and of course Ireland’s nightlife is basically unparalleled, so whether you want to sip a quiet pint of Guinness in an old man …
Scholars, archeologists, writers and even theologians have debated, dug, and mused over the Once and Future King for centuries, but the mystery that shrouds the boundary between man and myth in our modern times remains thicker than ever.
Luckily, if you know where to look, there are places today that still bear Arthur’s name; places that – well over a thousand years later – still echo with connections to the story of a great man …
The poet Robert Browning said that “Everyone soon or late comes by round Rome.” True to Browning’s word, the Eternal City has seen its share of visitors. Whether it was the ancient empire that made Rome a household name in the four corners of the known world or the church that adopted the city as its home, a tour of Rome’s historic structures is the best way to see how each civilization that adopted Rome …
