Paris is an amazing city. Full to the brim with interesting places and things to do. The city’s offer of world-famous monuments, museums, restaurants, and cafes is almost endless. In fact it is said to have the largest number of tourist attractions in France. My mother loves France and so I have been visiting since […]
Spending a day in Warsaw
Warsaw is a great city that I always enjoy visiting. Due to the almost complete destruction of Warsaw by the Nazi Wehrmacht, not much of old Warsaw remains. However, It has a lot to offer and visitors are often surprised at how much they like spending time here. For some, standing on top of the […]
Enjoying the delights of Christmas Markets
Every country and every family have their own Christmas traditions. For me, Christmas would not be the same if I did not visit a Christmas market or two. I cannot remember when I first visited a Christmas market, but I have memories that go back to my earliest childhood. In particular, of my Irish grandmother’s […]
Climbing the Matterhorn.
“Scrambles Amongst the Alps,” by Edward Whymper, was a worldwide bestseller in 1871. It changed the way the world looked at mountains and gave birth to a fascination with the Alps that was then passed on to other mountain regions around the world. Interest driven by the book was the beginning of tourism to the […]
An afternoon in Luzern.
There is not of a single tour, that I have guided through Switzerland, that has not spent time in Lucerne. Located beside a beautiful lake, in the heart of Central Switzerland, and at the foot of Mount Pilatus, this town is a great place to stop and take a little time for yourself. Probably the […]
Wieliczka Salt Mine
You would not believe how hard it is to describe a mine. For years, I have been asked why someone should visit the Wieliczka Salt Mine and have not had the words to describe the wonder that I experience to this day when wandering its halls. Diving underground to a depth of 327 meters, with […]
Stopping to visit Poznan’s Old Market Square
My first time to any Polish city, outside of Warsaw, was Poznan. Being interested in history, I thought the birthplace of Poland was a good place to start. The first sight I visited was the oldest cathedral in Poland built in the 10th century. The cathedral is located a few miles outside the center of […]
Ludwig II of Bavaria and his Fairy-tale Castles
Neuschwanstein Castle is a highlight of Germany for many of my guests. However, few know much about the life of Ludwig and the ideas behind the castles. In my opinion, you should not visit Bavaria without seeing one of the castles or palaces of the ‘fairytale’ King. While in Bavaria, there are many opportunities to […]
Finding the Sound of Music in Salzburg
My first encounter with “The Sound of Music” was in around 1976, when my German born mother took me to a cinema in DunLaoghaire, Ireland. My mother loved the film. I still don’t know if it was because the film reminded her of home, or the love story, that was more important. I now know […]
The Cliffs Of Moher
As a young boy growing up in Ireland, my grandmother introduced me to the tales of the half giant Cú Chulainn, a mythological Irish hero. One legend tells of the time Mal of Malbay fell in love with Cú Chulainn and chased him all over the country trying to get him to marry her. Cú […]
