Category Archives: Travelogue

I’ve always liked to think of myself as a fairly well-informed world citizen… or at least informed at all. Not so charmed as to think that every country is like my own. But I’m ashamed to say that prior to visiting Belfast, I had no idea just how real Northern Ireland’s decades-old, and decades (I thought) dead conflict still is, both in the minds of those who lived it, and in the lives of those who continue to live it today.

While the Good Friday Agreement may have transformed The Troubles into a different beast, waged on the political stage and behind closed doors, on the streets of Belfast, much of the violence still remains.

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Are you ready? Because over these next few days I have a whole lot of sharing to do. I won’t cover our trip day by day, but I would like to go through a few at a time (we have so many pictures!) and, of course, point out some our favorite restaurants and places to visit along the way! We had such an amazing time and discovered so many places I wish I could visit every single day (just looking at the picture above it kills me that I don’t live closer to Wildflour Bakery or Love Supreme.

… then again, maybe it’s best I don’t have access to all of that deliciousness on a daily basis. Among my many lovely souvenirs, I may have brought back five solid, happy pounds of fresh fish, pasta, Guinness, and sweet treats on my thighs. I’ll cherish them always.

(Okay hopefully not…)

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I might’ve suspected it before, but a second trip confirmed beyond a doubt that Newport Folk Fest is a world unto itself. One where the memory of Pete Seeger hangs heavy on the hearts of all music-loving attendees there searching for a little bit of that same spirit and light. One where artists come to each others’ shows, and mingle in the crowd without incident. And one where the spirit of folk is raised to new heights, to a significance that embodies not just a genre, but an ethos.

I was raised on music. As a kid my dad would call me upstairs and turn on the tv, or the record player, and tell me all about the band I heard or saw. From The Wall to Jethro Tull to The Rolling Stones and The Beatles.

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When Mark and I travel, we tend to put a disproportionate amount of effort into eating (surprise, surprise). Our meals are mapped out well in advance, usually with a little wish list on the side of places we’d love to eat if we could just manage to stuff it all in. (And I’m glad you asked… yes, we do usually feel sick by the time we come home.)

So, needless to say, some of our very favorite travel resources involve finding the best places to eat — Anthony Bourdain’s “Layover” guides, for example, are amazing, and Yelp is always an old standby. I’m also a big fan of Fodor’s (and when we’re feeling really fancy, a quick look at the Michelin guide).

But when it comes to other planning resources, we’re not so well-versed.

What tools do you love to use to plan your vacations? Do you worry as much about food as we do? Or do you have an awesome resource that hits the nail on the best activities every time?

We only have a month until we leave for Ireland and France, so I’m dying to know!

Photo by Tin Nguyen.

To that time we took a ton of Holga shots in Oregon and didn’t develop them for a year.