by David McGuffin | Jul 4, 2005 | Adventures in Tour Guiding, Destinations
This morning I woke to another day in Paris. I’ve been here for five days leading a tour. The neighborhood where we are staying is peaceful…a little community in itself.
I started the day as usual. Up and out of bed by seven-thirty and out for a day of touring by nine. I did turn on the TV this morning, but all the news was about London winning the Olympic bid and Paris being in mourning. The media can sure put a lot of “hype” and their own spin into a story.
Walking the streets of my hotel neighborhood I heard not a word about Paris losing the bid for the Olympics. Most people were concerned about the light drizzle and the chilly July weather. The lady behind the counter at the pastry shop still greeted me with a cherry “bonjour” and had my favorite crème-filled pastry ready to go.
We walked from our hotel to Les Invalides and Napoleon’s Tomb where we spent a couple of hours visiting the church and tomb and touring the WWII museum. Afterwards we walked around the corner and visited the Rodin Museum.
While having lunch in the garden cafe I got a call on my cell phone from my wife. Her first words were “don’t ride any subways or buses.” Being “out of touch” with the US news media, I had no clue what she was talking about. Soon I learned of the bombings in London and the chaos it had caused earlier in the morning. Needless to say, this caused us some concern. We sat and pondered the terrorist act while finishing our lunch. It was odd, not a soul had mentioned the Olympics or the bombing in London during the three hours we had been sightseeing.
Soon we hopped on the Metro and went to the Champs Elysees for a little more sightseeing. I even popped into the Marriott Hotel to see if they had a television broadcasting the news from London. To my surprise there was not one in sight. Everyone seemed to be going about their normal duties. Later we did see a few more police than normal in the Metro.
City workers were busy putting up the “tri-colors” French flags on every light post up and down the Champs Elysees. Just yesterday there had been Paris 2012 banners hanging in the same places. But now, Bastille Day was approaching and French patriotism was over shadowing all the other news.
I guess my point is this…often we are shocked by events in the world. Hurricanes in Florida, a tsunami in India, mud-slides in California, G8 riots in Scotland, and now, the London bombings. The media focuses on these event making it seem that everyone in the area is affected by the event. But in reality the events usually only affect a small area.
This is true with today’s events too. Yes the London bombings were terrible and my thoughts and prayers go out to those who were killed or injured. I pray that those responsible will be apprehended and dealt with. But we cannot stop living, that is what the terrorist want…to scare us into cowering and become hermits.
Tomorrow I’ll visit Versailles just as planned. I’ll not think much about terrorism. Then on Saturday I’ll fly to the good old USA…home of ice-cold drinks, patriotism, slanted newscasts, huge food portions, the US Dollar, cheap gas (compared to the $8 per gallon in Europe), and, most importantly, to my wife, family and home sweet home!
Traveling is good. It gives a new and fresh perspective on life and the culture and society of others. Viva La France, hip-hip-hooray from the Union Jack, but there is no place like home.
I am happy, safe, and loving the French,
-David
by David McGuffin | Mar 16, 2005 | Culture & Customs, Experiencing Europe
by Susan McInarnay
I was fortunate enough to visit Ireland in 2003 and absolutely fell in love with the country. I returned to the US and told one of my best friends, Karen Kelly, that I was going back one day and she was, going with me. I had no idea at the time that the opportunity would arise so soon. I knew that Karen would love Ireland as much as I did. I feel so truly blessed that I was able to enjoy this trip with her as well as be a chaperone to such a great group of students. I felt so proud to see them march and perform in the two St. Patrick’s Day Parades. What a chance of a lifetime for them and for me… to be in Ireland on St. Patrick’s Day. It is the land of my heritage the land of my roots…to be there on my birthday was an added treat too. None of this would have been possible without David McGuffin. I hope that he knows and understands just how much I appreciate and cherish all of the many opportunities he has given me to travel and see the world. It is impossible not to have a good time when you travel with David. As I told David in a card as we returned to the US .. “may the sun shine brightly on your back… until we go again” and we will! God has richly blessed me with this trip and the friendships that I share with both David and Karen. I am truly thankful!
by David McGuffin | Sep 16, 2004 | Culture & Customs, Destinations
Susan and David – Keg Party
by Susan McInarnay
Most of my adult life I have dreamed of the day that I would travel to the country of my ancestry. It had been a lifelong dream of my father’s that unfortunately died with him. Having the opportunity to travel to Ireland with my sister Debby was truly like a dream come true. The country itself is some of the most beautiful that I have ever seen. From the “40 shades of green” to the Cliffs of Moher it is no wonder that all Irishmen that leave long to return to this place. We learned a lot about the history of this proud notion. We have a better understanding of the fortitude, sometimes called stubbornness, of our father and of ourselves. It can be traced to our Irish roots. The respect and love of the land is also a trait that lies within our heritage.
We had a lot of good “craic” (fun) while we were In Ireland. We ate potatoes at almost every meal. There was a song to be sung in the pub almost every night. The memories we made will be treasured for the rest of our lives. The trip was more than just a sightseeing tour for the “McInerney” girls. It was a voyage back to the place where our family began. A place where the people are proud to be Irish and truly mean it when they greet you with, “Cead Mile Fallte” a hundred thousand welcomes.
I feel fortunate that I had the opportunity to visit this wonderful country that has fought long and hard for independence. I feel a certain amount of sadness for all that these people have endured. Yet had it not been for the plight of my ancestors I may not have been born in a country where we take our freedom for granted and don’t truly appreciate all that we are blessed with each and every day. I am thankful for that freedom and for the courage that my greatgrandparents exhibited so many years ago when they decided to make a new life in America and leave their beloved Ireland. I have returned to pay homage to them and their sacrifice.
Susan is a personal friend who has “trusted” me to take her on tours for many years. Her reflections on a recent trip to Ireland are moving and show how travel can affect one’s life. Irish Memories. – David
by David McGuffin | Aug 16, 2004 | Culture & Customs, Destinations
Umbria lies in the shadow of Tuscany and Latium, its regional neighbors. In fact the closely associated Italian word ombra literally means “shadow.” For me, this region certainly is overshadowed by Tuscany, its well known neighbor to the north. For most Americans when Italy comes to mind it is associated with the enchanting wonders of Rome, Florence, and Venice. Often it’s here our mental images are entertained by Lucy Ricardo frantically stomping the grapes, Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck dashing about the streets of Rome, and Mel Gibson as the famed Roman Gladiator.
Italy is a great tourist destination. On any visit you are sure to find a rich history and tradition laced with a bit of local color. In my travels I first try to enjoy the big tourist areas, then wander a bit in search of the local color and character. This is how I first discovered the region known as Umbria.
Umbria is famous for its unique cuisine. Far from the heavy spaghetti and alfredo sauces we’ve come to think of as “Italian,” Umbrian cooking is light and tasty. Recipes often contain fruit, locally cured ham, mushrooms, veal, and light pastas. Many times the main courses are laced with truffles.
The truffle, a warty mushroom-like tuber with a powerful flavor, is used in gourmet recipes the world over. Truffles are a delicacy and bring lots of money to the well informed truffle hunter. However, finding them is not an easy task as they grow underground and out of sight. The “truffle hunter” is usually aided by a little dog that can smell the truffle’s scent and will lead its master to the treasure. Once the little dog finds a “bed” of truffles, it begins to paw and dig at the ground. The hunter then takes over, giving the dog a pat on the head and a nice little meaty treat for its efforts.
The truffle hunter eventually reaps the reward from his harvest of the truffles, but it is the little dog who does the dirty work, scratching around the surface finding the treasure below. In some ways I am just like the truffle hunter and his dog. I have a passion for travel. I love to explore, scratch around, visit the forgotten, and dig up treasured destinations. My “reward” is the chance to share these with those who travel with me.
by David McGuffin | Aug 16, 2004 | Adventures in Tour Guiding
by Michelle Johnson
Whether a graduation present, a family vacation, or a relaxing break from work, a trip to Europe is always heavily anticipated. Every traveler looks forward to the European sights available for the lucky tourist: Renaissance art for the intellectual, Roman ruins for the historian, Alpine mountains for the adventurous, and the Mediterranean Sea for the carefree. However, whatever tops your “to do” list, a two-night stay in a Swiss hospital rarely hogs the number one spot. So how did a bizarre hospitalization become one of my most memorable European experiences? Take an American tourist; add a pinch of kidney infection, one punk rock star doctor, and spice it up with a German-speaking medical center. Now that’s a story.
It was a dark and stormy night… Actually it wasn’t, because I was on the computer reading e-mails and everyone knows that being on the computer during a thunderstorm is dangerous. The e-mail was from David McGuffin about my approaching European vacation, detailing the optional health insurance coverage available for prospective tourists. I read it carefully. I deleted it immediately.
“I’ll never need it. Nothing like that could ever happen to me.” I thought. And fell flat on my face, tripping over one of the most cliché misconceptions. Still, for the first half of my trip I was right, nothing bad did happen until our first day in Italy’s Cinque Terre. I began to have intense chills accompanied by violent shivering although the local temperature was a blistering 4000 F (that may not have been the exact temperature because honestly, who can convert from Celsius to Fahrenheit?). I sat in my bed wrapped in every article of my clothing that was still clean and watched in a fevered blur as my roommates flauntingly jumped and frolicked in their tank tops and bathing suits. While everyone else enjoyed the true Cinque Terre, hiking swimming, and feasting, I laid in bed too weak to hike, too cold to swim, popping Tylenol fever reducers like candy.
By the time we reached Switzerland, David demanded that I see a doctor and kindly arranged an appointment at a local clinic. We both felt confident that since the doctor’s office was only a few houses down from our hotel, I could go alone while he guided the group through the Swiss Alps. The doctor spoke English and I explained my symptoms: fevers, pains in my side, and vomiting. I also mentioned that I had had problems with my kidneys since my early youth. He responded cheerfully with needles and a blood test.
I waited patiently for the results. Again, my doctor approached with a cheerful smile. I felt safe and relieved as he handed me two boxes of medicine. I could feel his smile being mirrored on my own face. The Swiss were masters of medicine, kings of the kidney, rulers of the renal system, emperors of the excretory system!
My doctor took a breath and I waited in awe of his medical expertise. “We don’t have the capabilities in this clinic to tell if you have a kidney obstruction, though we are sure you do have a kidney infection. We want you to go to the hospital in Interlaken, have an ultrasound done, and come back here after we make sure there is no obstruction.”
My smile faded. Interlaken was a 15-minute drive away. How would I get there? “How will I get there?” I asked.
My doctor smiled his cheerful smile again, although by now I wasn’t as taken in by it. “Don’t worry. We will call a taxi for you.” He continued to smile. I began to worry.
A few minutes later, the taxi arrived. Except it wasn’t a taxi, because it was Ursula, the owner of the hotel where we were staying in Laterbrunnen who volunteered to take time away from her busy hotel-running schedule to drive me to the hospital in Interlaken. I felt extremely guilty for imposing on Ursula’s valuable time, and as I climbed into her small fiat, I tried to make small talk in a peculiar and insufficient attempt to repay her kindness. Our conversation went as follows:
Me: So you live in Laterbrunnen?”
Ursula: “Yes.”
Me: “ How interesting.”
SILENCE…….
Me: “So you manage the hotel with your husband?”
Ursula: “Yes”
Me: “How interesting.”
SILENCE…….
Me: “Er..this is nice weather.”
Ursula: “Yes.”
Me: “ Ummm…how interesting.”
SILENCE…….
Thankfully, we arrived at the hospital in ten minutes instead of 15. This might have been because Ursula was desperately trying to get me out of her car so I would not talk to her anymore. Nevertheless, she patiently waited while I received an ultrasound. The new doctor frowned and grunted at gray blurs on the screen while poking me with what looked like a baby monitor with hair gel on it.
I was just thinking fondly about how one could get used to misleading cheerful smiles when the new doctor stated flatly, “You have a kidney infection.”
Well, I knew that. No big deal. I already had medicine to make it better. “No obstruction?” I asked, taking his omission as a negation of such a complication.
He didn’t answer, and in my mind I translated his German silence into an English “no”.
“Okay” I smiled, feeling reassured. “Just a kidney infection.”
My new doctor did not smile cheerfully. Instead, he cocked an eyebrow and frowned at me. “Just a kidney infection?” He repeated. But for some reason I didn’t think that he was simply making sure he heard me correctly.
My doctor followed me to the lobby and spoke to Ursula in German. I watched the transaction stupidly, looking from one to the other like a spectator watching a tennis match. Except it was more like a spectator who didn’t really understand the game, but really liked that bright bouncing yellow ball.
Hopefully, one day Michelle will enlighten us on the rest of her adventures…. She stayed in the hospital for two days and then was released. She and her teacher took the train to Paris where they met up with their tour group. – David
This morning I woke to another day in Paris. I’ve been here for five days leading a tour. The neighborhood where we are staying is peaceful…a little community in itself. 
