Category Travel
I did not kiss the Blarney Stone
As an expat in Europe, few things betray my North Americanness more than (1) not taking an extended vacation in August, and (2) castles. I can’t seem to get over either of them. Hence my one-day August holiday to visit Irish castles… Today’s destination: Blarney Castle, just outside Cork. It’s one of the better examples […]
Cashel & Cork
It’s the August Bank Holiday weekend and I need a break. I’ve been meaning to come back to Ireland since my first short trip left me wanting more, so this was my chance. I took the day off work and caught an early flight to Dublin, hired a car at the airport and set off […]
Go, go, go Joe!
I read a review of the new production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat that’s running at the London Palladium. The reviewer classed it with The Bridge Theatre’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and said they were both delightful must-sees. Having seen Midsummer the week before and unable to agree more, I bought a ticket […]
Searching for Piet Udolph in the Olympic Park
On the far eastern end of London is the sprawling park area where the 2012 Olympics were held. Normally this would not be a draw for me, but I learned that some famous garden designers — including the Dutch designer Piet Udolph — have made some gardens there, and so this weekend I finally made […]
Seattle for the Fourth!
This was our third Fourth of July with the parents in Seattle. The first was boiling hot, the second freezing cold, and this time? Well, as for Goldilocks, the third time was the charm: This one was just right. Beautiful weather — sunny and warm but not hot — and lovely company. We scrapped the […]
Bloedel!
When I told Lady and Dad that Justin and I would be celebrating the 4th of July in Seattle, they decided to join us! They flew in on the afternoon of the 2nd just in time for the weather to turn cold and wet, which meant that instead of grilling steaks on the roof, we […]
Flowers for jetlag
Just back from ten days of work and family and friends in Seattle. Feeling rejuvenated, more grounded, and woefully far behind in basically everything — work, life, this blog, you name it. The stress of it has been coming in waves, including mid-Atlantic when I had hoped to be sound asleep. But at this point, […]
A More Gentlemanlike Manner 