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Rising, on the Camino de Santiago
The day begins on the Camino de Santiago...
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Parts of Parts
In his delightful Camino narrative “I’m Off Then”, Hape Kerkeling says the pilgrim’s day is a “microcosm” of one’s total Camino journey; hard to get going in the beginning and exhausted but happy in the end. The pilgrim, the thru-hiker, the spiritual-adventurer takes to the day, sluggish but expectant and experiences a once-in-a-lifetime adventure, day after day, Camino after Camino.
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Dromoland Castle, Ireland
TURNING OFF THE M18 and through the gates of estate lands in the direction of Dromoland Castle come hotel, there is uneasy feeling of ill-fitting puzzle pieces. Well-manicured rolling dark green and hardwood studded hillocks, the drive meanders through, no castle in sight. The least likely of pieces, an 18-hole golf course that snakes its way over the knolls. Golfers in their funny plaid britches and
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CDC.Gov
Check out CDC.Gov for all questions about potential health issues and suggested or required vaccinations for any country your travel plans will take you. The first time I travelled to Africa back in the nineties, I went to the local county health clinic to find out what, if anything, I needed. They brought out a large tattered book and opened it the Tanzania to see where I was going and what I needed in the way of protection. Now you have it all at your finger tips.
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Travel.State.Gov
We have used this site for a good many years now, still finding it useful, but its information must be taken with a grain of salt. This US State Department website is for world travellers and the one-stop place for passports and information on visas. What we usually find most useful are their advisories. However, the State Department has recently posted a Worldwide Travel Alert, which is, quite simply, absurd. Sure, it makes it easy for them. Now they can always say, “we warned you.” But such blanket assertions paint such a gloomy, isolationist picture that people won’t travel. Which then, by the way, harms developing economies, creating joblessness and,…
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The Pub Scene
I’m not much for the American bar scene. Especially in the west, where I call home. The pub scene in Ireland is completely different. The pub is where friends come to meet, where community happens, where old men talk about the past and young men talk about hurling. It’s men’s night out (most nights) or lady’s night out. I once saw a group of women in Kilkenny that were headed out for a bachelorette party or some such event all dressed in short black dresses with white sashes, all with blonde Marilyn Monroe wigs. 20 or more. What a sight. What you don’t see is stupid drunks or fighting. You…
