by David McGuffin | Jul 19, 2009 | Uncategorized
Last night I went in search of some real Irish Traditional music in Dublin. I am staying in the trendy Temple Bar area of Dublin. Located in the heart of all the nightlife, I thought it might be easy to find some “trad” music. Temple Bar’s main drag, Fleet Street, is lined with plenty of “tourist” pubs, clubs, and eateries. But, at 10:00 p.m., not a single “trad session” could be found. There was plenty of music… country, folk, rock and even techno, but no trad.
By 11:00 p.m. I gave up and left the Temple Bar area. I headed up river about ten minutes to an old Irish place known to be the oldest pub in Dublin. The Brazen Head is always a good choice for a pint and trad. When I arrived, the band was on break. I asked the door bouncer if there “was music on.” He said, “there was, but it was not trad, more of a country-rock band, it is. If you’re lookin’ for trad, go in O’Shea’s there across the street, walk through the empty restaurant and go into the back room.” So, off I went.
When I walked in the place was dead silent, not a soul around save for the bartender and bouncer.Having got a head’s up from the guy across the street, I asked the bartender “is there music on.”He said, “yeah there’s a band coming in at half-twelve (12:30 a.m.)”I told him I was looking for the trad session and he said, “oh, then go through that door back there to the bar.”
The place was packed with an all-Irish crowd and the two guys playing in the back were croonin’ on the tune “Dirty Old Town.”I’d found my trad session!No place to sit, but as I stood there in that pub, listening to the music and watching the crowd I was touched.On one particular song, a ballad about a guy reminiscing about being in love at the age of sixteen, I noticed many men and women alike mouthing the words with tears rolling down their cheeks.Finally, I’d found the essence of the Irish.Everybody with a pint in their hand, a song in their heart and the words on their lips.
by David McGuffin | Apr 7, 2009 | Uncategorized
I’ve had some time lately to sit around and do a lot of nothing. That was good for about two weeks, but then I started getting antsy. It all started about six weeks ago….
I am not one to complain, especially when it is health related. But, about six weeks ago, my body got my attention. I wasn’t doing anything stressful or physically challenging. I was simply walking down a sidewalk and noticed I was becoming winded and out of breath. After several days of the same symptoms, I realized something was wrong. Those of you who have followed me around in Europe realize I usually have no trouble walking, and believe me, this was not one of my European “10 minute walks.” I was just walking 200 meters between buildings. After a week of feeling the same each day, I called my doctor.
My doctor is very thorough, so at the mention of “shortness of breath” he ordered a stress test. The next day I was on a treadmill, hooked up to monitors. During the treadmill test, I was determined to run it to the max and finish. I did, but when I sat down afterwards, I almost passed out. I could tell, by the reaction of the staff, this was not normal. However, I recovered, there were no indication of anything wrong on the test results and I left and went on with my way.
Two days later, I received a call from my doctor telling me I needed to have a cardiac catheterization. He went on to say the stress test results are often wrong about 30% of the time. My almost passing out sent up a flag that something was not right. The cardiac catheterization would determine if there was a problem. So, I agreed.
Rewind to age 16… I was on the wrestling team at my high school and I went in for my regular sports physical. The doctor, looked in my ears, checked my eyes, knocked on my knees, made me cough and listen to my lungs and heart. Afterwards, he said I had a “heart mummer” and I needed to go get it thoroughly checked out by a specialist. To make a long story short I had a defective aortic heart valve and blood was slowly leaking back through it in the wrong direction. Consequently, over the past thirty years I have had this monitored ever year or so by my doctor.
The cardiac catheterization did not last very long. I was semi-conscience during the procedure so when the surgeon halted the procedure and pulled everything out I knew there was a problem. He told me matter-of-factly that I needed surgery. Wow, that was shocking news to me. However, it was even more shocking to family who was a lot more “conscience” than I was.
It seemed that my aortic valve had just worn out! There was a lot of calcium that had built up over the years and consequently the valve has lost elasticity. Additionally, because of the faulty valve, two of my arteries were clogged and needed by passing. I did not have much to say about it. The doctor just scheduled the surgery and I waited around the hospital for a day thinking about all that could go wrong!
I had my aortic valve replaced and two coronary arteries bypasses on March 11, 2009. I didn’t feel a thing. My family tells me that it took me a long time to come around and start breathing on my own. I am also told that in order to perform the surgery my heart had to be stopped, my blood pumped through a machine and I was kept alive by means of a ventilator. All I know is the hand of God was on the surgeons and me because all turned out OK.
For me, the worst part of the entire process was day 2, 3 and 4 after the surgery. I had to do breathing exercises and cough up the excess fluid in my lungs to prevent pneumonia from setting in. That was painful, especially considering my sternum had been split into during surgery. The simple act of coughing was almost unbearable. However, when I read that 50% of the people get pneumonia after surgery and of the 50%, 30% die from it… you better believe I got to breathing and coughing!
Now, it’s been almost four weeks since my surgery. I am recovering very well, following most of the doctor’s order and bumming around my house. I walk about 3-5 miles a day, eat three meals and sleep a lot. Even so, I‘ve still lots about ten pounds. They tell me the surgery was a traumatic experience for my body. I believe it! It is frustrating to feel drained and zapped of energy after just the slightest exertion. However, I am determined to get stronger and be in tip-top shape in a couple of months!
All that brings me to the point of this blog…”do it now while the doing’s good… you never know what’s up ahead.” Or, as the old saying goes, “don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today.”
– David
by David McGuffin | Jul 10, 2008 | Destinations, Essential Travel Resources, Uncategorized
A couple of days ago, I wrote of my experience in Siena while walking to the main town square known as Il Campo. I had changed into a pair of jeans and a sweater and was mistaken for a local by an Italian couple who was lost in the maze of narrow streets in Siena. That got me to thinking about the current fashion in Europe.
It’s about 10:30 p.m. Earlier, the city was drenched with flooding rains that ran everyone inside. Even now, there is a dampness and chill in the air. As I look into the sky beyond the bell tower, I can see the weather is still a little “iffy”. Hoping the rain is gone for good, I grab a table at one of the cafes surrounding Il Campo, making sure I get one with an umbrella and a view. The waitress arrives with a slick little Bluetooth PDA on which she taps in my drink order and hurries off to another table.
Soon my wine arrives accompanied by the obligatory “free” bowl of chips and peanuts. I sit back and take in the “fashion scene.” Let’s see, I’ll pretend the square is like the face on a clock. So if the bell tower is at “12”, then I’m sitting at about “8.” Every guy I see is wearing jeans or cargo pants. Fifty percent of the girls are wearing tight fitted jeans and the other fifty percent are wearing capris or pants. It’s a young crowd. Some guys are wearing polo shirts and invariably, their collar is totally “popped.” Many guys have on logo jackets made of cotton which are always zipped all the way up to the neck. A lot of the guys and ladies are wearing these “Emo” type glasses. They seem to be very popular in Italy this season. You’ve seen them… brightly colored, rectangular frame, low profile. It must be the “in” thing.
Most of the guys are drinking bottled beer. Tennents and Budweiser seem to dominate. The girls seem to lean toward mixed girly drinks. From inside the small “bar,” the sounds of Donna Summer’s “Last Dance” blast from the stereo system. No one is dancing, instead everyone is standing around, laughing, talking, and generally having a good time.
All the tables at every cafe are now full. There is probably a hundred people spilling out onto the square, all with drinks in their hand. Glancing up, I notice the moon has peeked out from behind the clouds lighting up the sky. It’s 11:15 and the party goes on. No rowdiness, yelling, or horsing around as in American bars. These people are not here to party, get drunk, and make a scene. Instead it looks like a perfectly natural setting to gather and visit.
I’ve just about finished my drink and snacks and it’s getting late. Leaving, I walk across Il Campo to the sounds of “Y.M.C.A.” blasting from the PA system… but no one out here cares.
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by David McGuffin | Jun 18, 2008 | Uncategorized
I took my group to Murano today. Murano is an island in the Venice lagoon and is most famous for finely hand-made glass. The island is far away from the tourist crowds of Piazza San Marco and is a welcome change, although it is still quite touristy. Upon arrival we visited a glass factory and watched a demonstration. Of course a “heavy sell” followed but no one in my group took the bait. Soon we were out of the shop and into the sidewalks taking it all in. The sidewalks ran along each side of a canal with little alleyways (calle) jutting into the depths of the island. Soon I could see the ladies wanted shop and the guys were obliged to hang around with them. I was not tied down by a shopper so I decided to explore other parts of the island I did not know. I had a great little lunch along one of the canals but for the life of me I cannot remember what I had. I know you’re not surprised. You probably think I had more vino than food, but actually in this case it was not so. We have just had so many good dining experience this one blended with all the others. However, I do have a pretty decent sketch of the canal scene in my journal that I made during the time I sat at the café.
About the time I was finishing up my lunch I noticed a number of my tour group walking by in search of the boat dock. We talked for a few minutes and decided to go to the island of Burano and see what was there. We agreed to meet by 3:30 at the boat. Well, by the time I paid my bill I was pressed to get to the boat on time. So I took off at a fast walk in the direction of the vaporetto dock. En-route I saw a bead shop (perle, in Italian I was to learn) that drew my attention. Now I’m not too interested in beads, but my wife is and I had been giving marching orders to find some Murano glass beads and bring them home. Well not really marching orders, but it would be a nice thing for me to do, ya know. So I entered the shop and this old lady had drawers and drawers full of Murano glass beads for sale. Not really being an expert of Murano glass bead, I started picking up some I liked and collecting them in my hands. When the lady saw the quantity I was collecting she jumped off her chair and offered me a basket for the beads. Actually this was a smart marketing concept…my hands were about full, but the basket would hold a lot more! In the end I walked out with lots of beads for my wife which I think she will like. The lady at the shop made out too because I don’t think she will need to sell anymore beads for the week! I got to the boat dock a short while later and found I’d been left by the boat and my tour group. No problems…another one arrives in twenty minutes. Ciao,David
by David McGuffin | Jun 12, 2008 | Uncategorized
It is 5:30 on a Monday afternoon. While writing this entry I wanted to experience life on the Lido di Veneto. I am in a cafe/bar where it appears to be the local hangout spot. Sitting next to the canal and under an umbrella, I’ve got it made with lots of chips and a glass of vino. Ten feet away from my table is the walkway and bike path. It’s not a sidewalk, because everything here is a sidewalk. Remember… no cars. The bike path is defined by two white lines running parallel on the cobblestone. Beyond that is the “bar” supporting a weathered red and white striped awning inviting all who respond to enter and enjoy!
Ummmm…I can’t wait!
-David
by David McGuffin | Jun 12, 2008 | Uncategorized
With the Lido experiences mentioned in my last post you’d think I would never want to visit the island again! So later, when I began to take charge of my own tours, I tended to stay in hotels located in Venice proper, even though they were twice the price. Consequently, since the inception of “David McGuffin’s Exploring Europe”, I have insisted on Venice hotels. This always provided my groups with a hotel within 40 minutes walking distance of Piazza San Marco and a close distance to the sights and ambiance of Venice. It all worked well for a few years. But then, the prices started to rise with the strong euro and weak dollar.
For the last two years I put my groups in hotels on the Lido of Venice. Before doing this I visited the area myself, walked most of the island, and checked out lots of hotels. I’ve found some really good places that offer good three star hotel quality at affordable rates.
Don’t get me wrong, if you’ve got the money staying in Venice is charming and a great experience. But, you’ve got to know where to stay. Some friends stayed at the Hotel Bauer (a traditional 5-star property) last year and were treated rudely, got a mediocre room, and were faced with sixty euro per day wi-fi fees! Plus, customer service was non-existent.
So I’ve decided the dollar to comfort value of the Lido outweighs the slight inconvenience of staying on the Lido. Actually, I rather like the Lido. If you know the vaporetti schedule, the Piazza San Marco is only a fifteen minute boat ride away! That beats walking for thirty minutes from a Venice hotel!
The Lido has great possibilities. I’ll tell you what I like about it in my next post. For now, ciao from the Lido di Venezia!
-David
