April 02, 2010

Paul Duffy Musical Tour CATEGORY: Ireland - From Medieval to Modern Times

We are now finalizing all the aspects of the upcoming Paul Duffy Irish Musical Tour starting on April 16th. Since we have had to cancel our farm visit, and Ashford Castle stay as it didn't end up in the budget, we have decided to go to Ashford Castle and enjoy their Famous Lady Ardilaun Afternoon Tea. Lord and lady Ardilaun enjoyed one of the great romances of their time and in celebration of their 25th wedding anniversary in 1896 they received a gift of beautiful tea service. This service is on display in the foyer and we will be enjoying " Lady Adilaun's afternoon tea" served in the traditional fashion. So we will have our tea in the Drawing Room of the beautiful Ashford Castle, located in the village of Cong, County Mayo on the West Coast of Ireland. If you ever visit Ireland and your budget allows it, this is an amazing place to stay. We use it on most of our tours to Ireland, so come join us someday! P.S. All photos are taken by us and are our property. Earlier that same day we will go to one of my favorite places in Ireland, Kylemore Abbey, which is run by Benedictine Nuns, originally from Ypres in Belgium. The Abbey was initially called Kylemore Castle and has a stunning view over the Lough. There is an amazing Gothic Chapel on the grounds and also some fabulous gardens a mile into the estate. Included in your entry fee is a bus ride to the walled gardens and kitchen garden, also the gardener's cottage and the ruins of the Glass Houses. This will be a wonderful day, especially since we get to drive through the amazing Connemara Mountains.

March 31, 2010

You missed a great trip! CATEGORY: Ireland - From Medieval to Modern Times

Well we are just back from our first tour of the year, the Ireland St Patrick's Day From Medieval to Modern Times tour! It was a great success and everyone had a great time. The weather was amazing for March in Ireland, actually felt warm sometimes and it was nice and sunny alot! So overall a great time was had by all. One of my favorite days was the day we went to Kylemore Abbey and the Organic Farm Visit, it was so much fun and just so different! I love the Abbey now in the hands of the Benedictine Nuns, with its beautiful formal gardens, and the stunning Gothic Chapel all overlooking a beautiful Lough. If you are in the Connemara area of Ireland this is a must visit! Another of my favorite days was the day we went on the ferry to Inish Mor, the largest of the Aran islands. The islands are amazing, rocky, and beautiful. We had a local guide whisk us off to see Dun Angeus and then we had lunch in a quaint tea room, followed by a drive down to the end of the island which was the most westerly place in Ireland. There are two other Islands in the Aran's and maybe next time we will visit one of those! I was told that the middle sized one, Inish Mean is a beautiful place to visit and not nearly as touristy, not that Inish Mor was at all... The ferry crossing was very rough and it seems because of the location and the Atlantic, it is usually about the same, and no cars were on the ferry just passengers. What a fun day trip, if you go to Ireland I can highly recommend taking this day trip. The first picture is the quaint tea room where we had lunch, the second is the view from Dun Angeus, amazing! More Later!!!

March 21, 2010

On Tour In Ireland! Join us via blog! CATEGORY: Ireland - From Medieval to Modern Times

So here we are now in Galway City, on the West Coast of Ireland. Staying in a boutique city hotel right in the heart of the city so we can all walk around and explore the city. These photos were taken at the Rock of Cashel, a wonderful historical grouping of buildings that was once a monastry. One is of a ruined castle in the town, this was the view from the Rock!!! Tomorrow we are going to Inis Mor, one of the Aran Islands, we get there by ferry. It is the main island of the three Aran Islands and we will spend the day with a local guide on the island.

December 28, 2009

Christms In Scotland CATEGORY: HIGHLANDS & ISLANDS

We just got back from Christmas in Scotland, we were there only 7 nights, but it had to be a flying visit due to other commitments... well to say the weather was GLUM, is an understatement... However it did look beautiful. Yes, a White christmas, but not much fun driving on Black Ice! We flew Continental as always, and unfortunately the weather in Newark was awful too, so we were delayed by 7 hours from Newark to Edinburgh. But we got there eventually, so it was worth the wait. Our main reason for going was to spend Christmas with elderly relatives, so from that persona it was a great trip. We stayed at the Beautiful Hotel du Vin @ One Devonshire Gardens, in Glasgow's Trendy West End. The hotel is located in 5 historical Townhomes that are decorated in a very traditional, but very modern style, in lots of dark colors! The food was amazing, the service is inpeccable and the rooms are very cozy but large! Our favorite thing however, was the heated bathroom tile floor... such a wonderful addition during a cold winter visit. The location of the hotel is great, 2 miles from the city center, so you can easily get into Glasgow for shopping and sightseeing, parking is easy and free, and you can also walk to Glasgow Botanical Gardens and Byres Road which has some wonderful restaurants and local shops. Nearby is Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum which is a unbelievably beautiful building and well worth a visit, also not far away is the Burrell Collection, one of Glasgow's most famous collections of William Burrell, who just so happened to have owned House #4 at one time. More of our recent trip in another few days... Thanks for listening and reading!

October 15, 2009

PAUL DUFFY - IRISH SINGER TOUR CATEGORY: Ireland - From Medieval to Modern Times

Our Special Musical Tour with Paul Duffy formerly of the Commitments, is now posted on our website with booking available right from there! Our tour emcompasses 8 night accomodation in fabulous Manor Homes, Castles and Boutique city hotels around Ireland, visit ancient historical sites, monasteries, standing stones and the Cliffs of Moher, Boat trip to the Aran islands, and all the exciting places to visit in Dublin. All this with the wonderful music of Paul Duffy, former singer/sax player with the Commitments, playing music for us nightly in pubs and hotels around his Homeland... Our Special Musical Tour with Paul Duffy formerly of the Commitments, is now posted on our website with booking available right from there! Our tour emcompasses 8 night accomodation in fabulous Manor Homes, Castles and Boutique city hotels around Ireland, visit ancient historical sites, monasteries, standing stones and the Cliffs of Moher, Boat trip to the Aran islands, and all the exciting places to visit in Dublin. All this with the wonderful music of Paul Duffy, former singer/sax player with the Commitments, playing music for us nightly in pubs and hotels around his Homeland...