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
Toluca, Mexico
After an early morning stretch class in a heated mineral water pool (divine) my friend Sue and I set out on an excursion to two nearby towns. Our first stop was in Toluca the second was in Metepec. Today’s entry will focus on Toluca. That was where I most wanted to go ever since I saw photos of the city’s … Read More
Mexico – Day 3
Yesterday was mostly consumed by getting to the airport to meet my friends and get the van to drive to Ixtapan de la Sal. Ixtapan de la Sal is located southwest of Mexico City in the mountains. It’s about fifty miles as the crow flies, but seventy-five miles to drive there. You wouldn’t think that it would take very long, … Read More
Mexico City – Day 2
The Museo de Arte Popular has been on my radar for a while. I’m a great fan of folk art and any museum dedicated to exhibiting the “people’s art” is one I must check out. It was better than my wildest hopes. After three hours I’d done a quick sweep of all the floors. I could have stayed for a … Read More