The day started sunny, but I knew to bring along my umbrella. Good thing I did, more about that later. My first stop was the Titanic Museum. Everyone I’ve spoken with who has visited Belfast told me it is a must-see. When I arrived I took a walk over to the only remaining White Star ship (the company that operated … Read More
Belfast, Northern Ireland – Day 2
The day started sunny, but I knew to bring along my umbrella. Good thing I did, more about that later. My first stop was the Titanic Museum. Everyone I’ve spoken with who has visited Belfast told me it is a must-see. When I arrived I took a walk over to the only remaining White Star ship (the company that operated … Read More
Belfast, Northern Ireland – Day 1
This morning, I boarded a bus in Letterkenny that went directly to Belfast. Today this route is straightforward, there are no indications that we crossed from the Republic of Ireland to Northern Ireland. Thanks to the Good Friday Agreement (1998) and the removal of military checkpoints, the political tension that once made this journey scary and potentially dangerous is largely … Read More
Donegal Town, Ireland
My latest excursion with the Tbex conference was a tour of Donegal Town. The organizers were determined to have the twelve participants on the tour experience as much as possible. The weather didn’t cooperate, it rained off and on, everything from a fine mist to a torrential downpour. Donegal is a very compact town, so walking distances between each of … Read More
Glen Cholm Cille Folk Village, Ireland
Today was the unofficial start of the conference I am attending. Because the conference is for travel content creators, the sponsors (mainly tourist boards) want us to experience the local attractions so we can communicate with our audiences about them. For two days they offer us a variety of tours in the area. I could have chosen from bicycling through … Read More
Letterkenny and Grianan of Ailigh
This morning started sunny and warm. Despite that, we headed across the street to the Donegal County Museum. As a participant in Tbex, (the conference I am attending) four of us were given a personal tour by one of the curators, Caroline. She described the museum’s mission as “guardians of Donegal’s history and culture.” The tour was fascinating and thorough … Read More
Glenveagh Castle and Letterkenny, Ireland
This morning exhaustion finally caught up with me. I slept until 10am, something I haven’t done in years. It turned out to be the perfect thing to do, as it rained most of the morning. Once I was up and moving, the sun began to peak through the clouds. Phoenyx, the woman who I’m sharing an Airbnb with, and I … Read More
Arriving in Donegal, Ireland
Yes, I am traveling yet again. For the next two weeks I’ll be in Ireland. It’s a country I’ve been to several times, but on this trip I’ll be exploring areas that are new to me. The impetus for this trip is a conference, TBex, designed for travel content creators. That is, bloggers, writers, vloggers (video bloggers), and anyone else … Read More
Market Day – Ixtapan de la Sal, Mexico
Sunday is market day in Ixtapan. The center of town transforms from narrow streets lined by small shops to narrow streets made even narrower by the presence of vendors’ displays. People from the town and surrounding areas crowd into the market to do their weekly food shopping. Some sellers hawk their wares by walking through the crowded aisles and calling … Read More
Metepec, Mexico
Yesterday’s post was about the fabulous botanical garden in Toluca. Here’s where we went from there. Leaving Toluca’s lush botanical garden behind, we drove a short distance to Metepec. It’s one of Mexico’s 177 Pueblos Mágicos, places honored for preserving a mix of history, culture, and tradition. The designation fits, Metepec has an energy that is both old and alive. … Read More