Valerie

8/9 Jan. 2011 (day depends on your timezone; it's the wee hours of the morning here)   The Planet D is hosting Round 7 of Travel Photography Roulette: Portraits.  I entered a picture I'd taken of the mother of my friend, Gusti.  I just realized that I didn't post my entry on my own page.  …

Whidbey Island

  Showing a friend pictures of Whidbey Island, Washington, where I lived before moving to Europe, got me feeling a little nostalgic, as Whidbey is just a gorgeous, gorgeous place.  I am really glad I had a chance to show Dario this little corner of the US during our whirlwind trip last August! The weather …

Fear and Danger

  A ship in port is safe, but that's not what ships are built for. ~ Grace Murray Hopper US admiral & computer scientist (1906 – 1992)   Fear is overrated.  There, I said it!  And I mean it, too. Fear keeps us from pursuing our dreams and living a life that we love.  The …

Southwest Co. Cork

17 Dec. 2010 Co. Cork, Ireland Dario's parents were in town for a brief holiday visit.  Other than an afternoon outing to Blarney Castle, most of their time had been spent in the city.  We both really wanted to show them some of the beautiful Irish countryside and coast so they would have a better …

The Cork Accent

Found this on the Peoples Republic of Cork forums, where folks were quite outraged at his representation.  Mention of broken legs and such, eek!  …I have to say, I found it pretty funny. It's a bit Yoda-fied, but still funny. (I hope Janet, of Journalist On The Run, will forgive me for chuckling a bit.)  …

Blarney Castle

Blarney, Ireland I finally had an excuse to visit Blarney Castle! Dario’s family was visiting from Italy, so I took the opportunity to head up the hill and gain the gift of eloquence (about time!). I dragged my friend, Steven, along, too. He’s a bad, bad Irishman and had never been there. That situation is …

Cork: South Parish

Cork, Ireland Tourist information offices are easy to dismiss as being designed for, well, tourists.  They are also, however, a great source of information for locals who would like to learn about upcoming events as well as a bit of history.  Handily enough, the Cork tourist office has 2 brochures published by the Cork City …

Serengeti: Day 2 (Part 1)

3 Jan. 2009 Serengeti National Park, Tanzania After a lovely night in a luxury hut (you laugh, but it's true!) we set off for Day 2 of our safari.  But before we climb back into the Landrover, I really should tell you about the huts. The were round buildings with 2 double / full sized …