by David McGuffin | Jul 30, 2009 | Destinations
Recently I’ve been traveling around Ireland. Today is July 31. At my home in Florida I see the temperature is projected to be 93 degrees F. Here in Dublin it is a push to get close to 65 degrees F! This has been true almost everyday during the last two weeks. My group and I have logged almost 1200 miles traveling around the island in a counter-clockwise direction from Dublin. The weather has been mostly wonderful. Yes, there were several day of rain, but we took the philosophy of “if you don’t like the weather, wait ten minutes and it will change.”
So, if you want an escape from the hot summer heat… Ireland is the spot!
-David
by David McGuffin | Jun 8, 2009 | Destinations, Experiencing Europe
I think I’ve posted about this subject before, but it bears repeating. Every time I arrive in Venice I can’t help but look at the crowds of tourists and feel a bit sorry for them. Most people float into Venice for a day or two, visit San Marco, the Doges Palace, the Rialto and shop along the streets that connect the major sights. This is compulsory for the first-time visitor and should not be missed. But, if you’ve got two or more days in Venice I recommend getting off the tourist path and taking a look at the local side of Venice.
Three islands in the Venice lagoon are a delightful retreat from the hustle and bustle of Venice. Murano, famous for glass, Burano, famous for lace, and the Venice Lido, famous for its beach are worth a little time. In the past I’ve preached “staying in Venice near San Marco” to get the ultimate experience of the town. but in recent years I’ve changed my mind. Those I travel with and I have come to enjoy the “retreat” that the Lido offers… small neighborhoods, families with kids, comfy little hotels and a hometown feel. Yes, there are tourist here on the Lido, but most are here for the beach and confine their activities to fun in the sun.
We are due to visit Burano and Murano tomorrow. I’ll give an update on those activities later. Right now I’ve got to eat breakfast and head over to Piazza San Marco. It’s just 10 minutes away by vaporetto, but seem like another world compared to the peace and quiet of my “home away from home” B&B on the Lido.
by David McGuffin | Jun 5, 2009 | Destinations, Thirsty Traveler
I’ve put the final itinerary together for my “Thirsty Traveler’s Tour” and am quite excited about the final outcome. In fact, I’m ready go right now!
June 16: Prague — Enjoy a guided walking tour of Prague’s city center and castle complex. Your guide will be a young, professional who lived through the Soviet days. You will hear first-hand accounts of life in Prague under Soviet rule, the former Czechoslovakia, and the struggles of making a living in a new democratic state. After lunch, enjoy a free afternoon to exploring more on your own.
June 17: Prague — The Czech Republic joined the European Union only as recently as 2007, although it has been free from the grasps of communism since 1989. This is as close as you’ll get now-a-days to experiencing socialism and the somber lifestyle of the former Soviet Union. Today is devoted to experiencing Prague, home of filling food and the world’s best pilsners. Later, hop on a flight to Pisa, Italy.
June 18: Volterra and San Gimignano — Join local resident Annie Adare who will take you on an informative walking tour of Volterra’s historic town center. The remainder of the morning is event-free. Following lunch, and maybe a siesta, we will travel a short distance to San Gimignano, a Tuscany hilltown noted for tourism, its many medieval towers, fine food and great wine. Later, we will return to Volterra and enjoy an Italian dinner at my favorite pizzaria.
After dinner, enjoy strolling the main streets with the locals on their daily passeggiata, considered a time to get out in the cool of the evening, get some exercise, and catch up on the local news.
You could go to bed, but why? Tonight we’ll enjoy an evening at my favorite wine bar, La Vena di Vino (the vein of wine). Join my friends Bruno and Lucio for a great night of fun interaction with the local crowd!
June 19: Florence –– Today is devoted entirely to Florence, the most famous Renaissance city in Europe. We will begin by traveling, by bus, to Florence (about 1.5 hours). Upon arrive in the city center, we will jump right in and visit the most famous site.
Today’s highlights include a visit to the Galleria Accademia, home of Michelangelo’s David. Additionally, you will visit the Duomo (famous for Brunelleschi’s dome) and experience a walking tour of the historic city center. There will be plenty of opportunities to get out on your own for shopping, another museum, or simply to relax. Later, return to Volterra for the evening.
June 20: Volterra — Enjoy a relaxing day in Volterra. We have no specific plans for today. Enjoy sleeping in, visiting a museum, getting in some shopping and actually enjoy the ambiance of the town.
Later we’ll gather at my favorite restaurant in all of Italy, Ristorante Del Duca. Here, husband and wife chefs, Genuino and Ivana, serve up the best food in Italy. You will enjoy fine “Tuscan-style” food and wine served in a unpretentious, yet formal setting. There is no better dining experience in Italy…period!
June 21: The Cinque Terre — The rugged coastline of Liguria is loaded with small fishing villages, terraced vineyards, olive groves, and breath-taking vistas. Although the area has become quite a tourist destination in recent years you’ll find the local folks still attached to their age-old customs and traditions.
Today, we are throwing our sightseeing itinerary to the wind, kicking back our heels, and enjoying our vacation in Italy’s Cinque Terre region. After an orientation, you will have the remainder of the day and evening to relax and enjoy our home village of Riomaggiore.
The Cinque Terre is well known for its fresh and crisp white wine. Even if you normally do not like wine, try it here. Equally as famous are the two “dessert” drinks. Lemoncello, a syrupy and tangy digestivo, an d Sciacchetrà, a sweet desert wine made from dried grapes.
June 22: The Cinque Terre — Traveling to and from the “five villages” in the region is easy by train, or boat, or trail. The National Park is full of scenic trails, which provide endless opportunities to get out and explore the outdoors. Others may wish to stake their claim on one of the many beaches a catch some sun. Each village has its own character, decor, and ambiance as well as plenty of shopping and dining options. After a full day of independent activities, we will meet in the town of Vernazza. Here, enjoy experience dinner at my favorite restaurant in the region, Il Castillo, which affords amazing vistas of the surrounding mountains, the sea, and the sunset. Enjoy a freshly prepared dinner of local seafood and pasta accompanied by the local Cinque Terre vino.
June 23: Fly to Dublin — We will leave Italy today and fly back to Ireland. Tonight you will have an opportunity to reflect and celebrate the Thirsty Traveler’s tour experience. Enjoy one last pint!
June 24: Your tour ends today. Fly out of Dublin to your hometown in the USA.
by David McGuffin | Apr 21, 2009 | Destinations, Thirsty Traveler
THE MOSEL RIVER VALLEY
I first experience the lazy Mosel River in April 2003. It was one of those spur of the moment trips where the time, airfare and destination all seemed to click into place. I arrived in Frankfurt, picked up my rental car and drove towards the Mosel Valley. Leaving the autobahn, I began a slow and curvy descent into the valley. Soon, I was in the town of Cochem on the Mosel River. All the roads were blocked with barricades and I discovered the region was hosting an all-day bicycle ride up and down the riverbanks. So, having nowhere the drive and no bike, I parked and began walking.
It seemed hundreds of people of all ages were enjoying the ride. There were little kids on bikes with training wheels, older folks on bigger three-wheeled trikes and everything imaginable in between. That afternoon I walked down practically every street and lane in town, climbed up to the castle and sat at a riverside cafe, with a coffee and sweet roll, taking in all the activity. I fell in love with the place!
The Mosel River winds its way from the mountains near the French and Luxembourg borders to Koblenz, where it empties into the mighty Rhine River. It snakes its way through pristine forests and seemingly endless vineyards. For centuries the river has carved it way through the limestone mountains leaving a gently sloping gorge loaded with rich soil. The sun shines bright on the sloping hillsides making for the perfect environment for the Riesling grape and other varieties to thrive.
THE TOUR ITINERARY
JUNE 15: Rise and Shine – We’ve got to get a move on it this morning. Travel to nearby Kerry Airport for your Ryan Air flight to Frankfurt Hahn airport. Our bus is waiting, so collect your bags and hop on. We’ve only got today to experience the region.
No dilly-dallying in Hahn, we’re bound for the the Mosel River Valley, home of Germany’s famous Riesling wine. During the course of the day visit several villages on the Mosel. Zell is famous for the “Black Cat” Riesling and a delightful little village as well. Time permitting, we will travel up river as far as Cochem
Later, drive back to Hahn airport and catch a late evening flight to our next destination.
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Prost, David
by David McGuffin | Nov 28, 2008 | Destinations
We woke up this morning to crystal clear skies, snow-covered streets, and temps hovering around four degrees F. After breakfast at the Hotel Hauser, we headed back toward Italy. The drive back to Varenna was beautiful and took up about two hours.
Arriving at the ferry dock in Varenna we waited thirty minutes for the car ferry. The “cruise” across the lake afforded us with wide sweeping vistas of the surrounding mountains. Charlotte and I have fallen in love with this area!
Arriving at the ferry dock in Bellagio we were met by a kind gentleman who pointed us in the direction of our hotel. So up the hill we went. Having learned my lesson about driving on small streets in small towns (see “Too Much Room for the Road”) I parked before we entered the town gates and we walked in to explore. Bellagio reminds me of many hill towns of Tuscany… narrow cobbled streets lined with shops, steep alleyways, and a quaint ambiance. It was a bit weird visiting here in the “off-season” because many of the shops were closed and the town was deserted except for a few hearty tourists like us and the locals.
We found a nice room at the Hotel Bellagio and I went back to collect our luggage from the car and to find a suitable place to park. Our hotel room had a huge window with sweeping views of the lake and mountains beyond. We were able to lower the window to waist level which transformed our entire room into a balcony over looking the town and lake. A little prosecco and fruit just seemed to enhance the vista.
I don’t know what Bellagio is like in the summer, I hear it is a popular place and often crowded, but the town is delightful for Charlotte and me right now. Bellagio is definitely a relaxing destination with no museums or tourist attractions in sight. It’s worth a visit and is definitely Bellisimo!
Ciao, David
by David McGuffin | Nov 27, 2008 | Destinations
We woke up in Varenna this morning to cloudy skies and sputtering snow. I had a terrible night of mostly sleeplessness. I am sure it is due to the extended nap yesterday afternoon and further complicated by the firm bed on which we tried to sleep! So after breakfast, we packed our bags and drove north along the lake.
I spent sometime last night learning how to use my new Garmin GPS. I discovered a lot of features such as exploring the map, adding way points, traffic information, speed limit and traffic camera notification, and even switching the language. With this new knowledge we struck off in the direction of St. Moritz, a famous resort in the Swiss Alps. Driving along Lake Como I switched the GPS to “speak” in Italian which sounded a whole lot better than the “American English” voice trying to pronounce Italian street and city names. In a short while, we were at the Swiss border and really making headway uphill. Although it was not snowing much it was apparent that there had been a lot of snow in the past few days. The roads were clear, but at times there were snow banks reaching eight feet or more.
We arrived in St. Moritz by one o’clock and found the town closed for “siesta” which I guess they adopted from the Italians. Situated on the banks of Lej da San Murezzan, St. Moritz is a beautiful Hapsburg-esque town. I am traveling here without any historical knowledge of the town, but I can guess it has been a resort of centuries. Uhmm…it is also expensive, but we decided to stay a night just to get a feel for the place. We are here between seasons. Fall is over and the winter ski season does not begin for a couple of more weeks. All around town folks are decorating for Christmas and the town looks so festive decked out in snow and twinkling lights.
We are picnicking in our room tonight to offset the hotel cost. We visited the local COOP for bread, ham, cheese, coke light, water, Beaujolais Nouveau, and sweet. Now we’re holed-up in our toasty room with frigid 20 degree F temps outside.
-David
Recently I’ve been traveling around Ireland. Today is July 31. At my home in Florida I see the temperature is projected to be 93 degrees F. Here in Dublin it is a push to get close to 65 degrees F! This has been true almost everyday during the last two weeks. My group and I have logged almost 1200 miles traveling around the island in a counter-clockwise direction from Dublin. The weather has been mostly wonderful. Yes, there were several day of rain, but we took the philosophy of “if you don’t like the weather, wait ten minutes and it will change.” 