How's this for a breath-taking view?

No trip to Ireland is complete without a stop at the Cliffs of Moher.

Every meal is a delight.

Whenever I mention that the biggest discovery of my first visit to Ireland was the high quality of the food, some people think I am joking. But a few days into my second visit and my inital opinion is confirmed. Dining in Ireland is a delight.

The first evening in Galway, we couldn't decide which of many wonderful options to select so we enjoyed a moveable feast...an appetizer and glass of wine in an Italian bistro, an entree of locally-sourced seafood stew at an organic restaurant, and dessert from a little place that specializes in pies either sweet or savory. We went with rubbarb ginger.

We have enjoyed fine foods in many different settings. We had fresh mussels from Killary Fiord at a small family eatery, locally-provided salmon while dining in a castle, and an amazing vegan mushroom soup while at a museum cafe. We've had yummy scones, home-baked breads, and even delicious porridge. In Galway, we found the best breakfast at the Providence Market Kitchen. This evening, crab salad and lamb shank, both from the local providers.

The farm to fork concept is clearly evident in Ireland, and we are the beneficiaries.

Providence Market Kitchen in Galway

A great breakfast stop.

A view of the Irish countryside

We have been enjoying our days in Galway and the Connemara region. We've explored the coast and inlets, hiked in the National Park, and droved through a valley adjacent to the mountains called the Twelve Bens.

Packed and ready to go!

In a few days, we will be on our way to our 2015 adventures in Europe. One of us is celebrating a birthday soon so we decided to mark the occasion in a special way. We begin our travels in Ireland, visiting Galway, the Connemara region, and Dublin. It's Mike's first time in Ireland and we anticipate beautiful vistas, friendly encounters with locals, traditional music, and good food.

From there we fly to La Rochelle, an Atlantic coastal city near our temporary summer residence in Charmeneuil, France. We will be staying with hosts, Veronique Deplanne and Peter Vance at Veronique's family homestead, known as Les Grandes Ormes. It's pictured here.

While there, we hope to improve our French language skills, learn about the local culture, and enjoy getting to know Veronique, Peter, and their guests. I look forward to sharing our adventures small and large as the weeks progress.

The cross-country road trip...a perfect transition

Corner of Oklahoma, Kansas and Colorado

 

As teens, the biggest adventure of our imaginations was driving across the U.S.  This journey was glorified in the movies, literature and music of the day. I made my first cross-country trip by car in 1977. It was an eight-week adventure filled with so many “firsts” that even now it is outstanding in my memory.  These included my first view of the Rockies, the first time I ate catfish, the first time I saw a slot machine, my first sighting of the Parthenon in Nashville and so much more.

At this point in my life, I drive cross-country annually. The trip westward generally follows the same route south to the intersection of Virginia and Tennessee, and then westward on I-40.  The return journey eastward varies with many stops at museums and historic sites, and visiting friends and family along the way.

Either direction, it is always an adventure. Each evening, my husband and I hunt out locally-owned eateries to get a flavor of the community in which we’ve stopped. We’ve experienced amazing meals and colorful characters at many of these establishments. This year, we ventured into Brown’s Catfish in Russellville, Arkansas.  We enjoyed meeting proprietor Al Brown and feasted on a great diversity of offerings including delicious seafood gumbo, fried okra, catfish and ribs. We topped it off very indulgent cinnamon rolls.

I love heading west and seeing the country unfold before us. Each day, the sky seems to get bigger and the landscape opens.  I count the rail cars passing on the parallel tracks. I check out all the vehicles and wonder where the other drivers will end their journeys. We watch for windmills and mountain ranges in the distance, and look for recognizable shapes in the clouds.

Each year, this road trip offers a wonderful pause that helps me get reoriented to the scale of our continent. In my opinion, it provides a perfect transition from one place to another.

A smaller adventure makes a big impression!

 

Did you know that in central Canada’s prairies there is a city of great diversity? I certainly had no idea that Winnipeg, capital city of the province of Manitoba, home to approximately 700,000 had so much good food, friendly people, art and ethnic diversity. 

We spent five days visiting our lovely niece who is studying with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School. She was a charming tour guide and shared many delightful experiences with us. The photo above depicts the Esplanade Riel, a pedestrian bridge that spans the Red River. It was a sunny, but brisk windy day when we walked across it from The Forks National Historic Site located where the Red River meets the Assiniboine.

The instant we arrived, we were impressed with the locals: customs officers were helpful and friendly; the hotel staff cared for us generously; restaurant servers and their managers went out of their way to welcome us; shop keepers engaged us in conversation even though we were not buying; and staff and volunteers at cultural attractions shared information effortlessly.

We met folks who relocated to Winnipeg from Asia, Africa, Europe and India. I am sure there were others from South American and the United States. Canada’s First Nation people make up about 10 percent of the city’s population. We were told that “The Peg” as it is endearingly called, is home to the country’s largest population of Filipinos. The city’s diversity is reflected in its neighborhoods and dining options…Chinatown, the French Quarter and Little Italy; we ate well (almost too well) everyday.

In spite of their lovely art museum, upgrades at the planetarium, a magnificent library, and user-friendly riverfront parks, downtown has the grime associated with struggling inner cities…run-down housing, empty storefronts, pan-handlers and street people, and high crime rates. None of that stopped us from enjoying it all.

Certainly Winnipeg is a destination worthy of a second visit. I don’t know when we will head there again but let’s hope it is at a time when we won’t see near freezing temperatures and snowflakes in the air.