Taormina Amphitheatre

Sicily and the Aeolian Islands with Travel Department

Sicily is beautiful and I only saw a fraction of it. There is so much to love about this island (the largest in the Mediterranean). Our trip to Sicily had everything I want in a holiday: some sightseeing and history, beautiful scenery and architecture and pretty towns with lots to see and do, great food
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Life Gets In The Way Sometimes

Hello, my friends. Maybe some of you have noticed that I have been slow about posting recently.  I guess life has got in the way. The world is in turmoil. One of my best friends has been very ill and I lost interest in the blog. But recently, I had a lovely email from a
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The Merchant Hotel Exterior

The Merchant 5-star Luxury in Belfast

The Merchant Hotel is perfectly located in the heart of Belfast. There is so much within a short walking distance of the hotel: great shopping, a variety of pubs and restaurants such as The Crown Liquor Saloon and plenty of iconic/historic landmarks e.g. City Hall, The Albert Clock and the Titanic attraction. But to be
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view from Bosphorus cruise

Top Tips for Visiting Istanbul

I have always wanted to visit Istanbul. There is something exotic about the name which conjures up images of past civilizations, beautiful palaces, mosques and emperors. And divided by The Bosphorus, it is the only city to span two continents. The city has had several names throughout its long history, each reflecting a different period
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Derry Peace Bridge

Derry is ideal for a Short City Break

GG and I have been eager to explore Ireland more and Derry has been on our must-visit list for years. One of the advantages of getting older is that we both have free travel passes north and south, so we took the train to Belfast first and then another one on to Derry. It was
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Florence

Trip to Tuscany with Travel Department

The Dublin to Pisa flight with Aer Lingus on our Travel Department Holiday to Tuscany was pain-free and on time. We were met in Pisa by our guide Claudia and were in our hotel by 11 am on day 1. Our first impressions of Tuscany were that it looked very much like Ireland. Its terrain
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Whistles jumpsuit

Packing Tips for a Week-Long Holiday Abroad

I love going on holiday but I dislike airports. Remember when travel used to be fun, but now airports are so stressful, particularly until you get through security. And then there is the packing. I nearly always get it wrong, returning home with half of the clothes never seeing the light of day. But last
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Health and Holidays in 2023

Happy New Year and welcome to my first post of 2024. A special welcome to new subscribers; I hope you will find something of interest in my posts. So here is my review of 2023, loosely titled ‘Health and Holidays’. Well, they begin with the same letter and it is important for your health that
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MIAMI SOUTH BEACH

Miami and Key West: A Wonderful Holiday

Florida USA was our destination for a long-awaited holiday in November with good friends…four of us flew out for three days in Miami South Beach before linking up with two other friends in Key West for another ten. MIAMI SOUTH BEACH After a 3-hour delay leaving Dublin Airport, we endured another 2 hours waiting for
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Finn Lough Bubble Dome

Magical Stay in Finn Lough Forest Bubble

Finn Lough is a luxury, magical hideaway on Lower Lough Erne in County Fermanagh, half an hour’s drive beyond Enniskillen. And if there is a more relaxing place on earth, I have not found it, yet.  From the moment you arrive in Finn Lough, you feel you are in another world. Firstly, the welcome is
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Piran Slovenia

Slovenia and the Coast of Trieste with Travel Department

Before we went there with Travel Department, I knew very little about Slovenia except that it was part of the former Yugoslavia (it was one of the first to declare independence 32 years ago). Yes, I had heard it was a beautiful country and was fast becoming a popular holiday destination. It lived up to
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Dubrovnik Infinity pool

Dubrovnik Perfect for a Wedding and a Holiday

There are many reasons to visit Dubrovnik in Croatia, one of which is that it is a very beautiful wedding destination. We spent a week in Dubrovnik recently. Alison and Ian’s wedding gave us a good excuse to visit the city where we had spent a half day while on a cruise many moons ago. The
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Brandenberg Gate

Berlin is the Perfect City for a City Break

If you have not been to Berlin, put it on your list. GG and I had a wonderful three days there in March with Travel Department. We left a wet and damp Ireland behind for a cold, but sunny German capital. Map created with Wanderlog, a road trip planner app on iOS and Android Berlin
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view of Lisbon

Top Tips for Visiting Lisbon

Heading off to Berlin soon with Travel Department so republishing our visit to Lisbon pre Covid. If you are thinking of a city break, can really recommend Lisbon. Also loved Porto and you can listen to my podcast with Senior Times (interviewed by Gary Cooke) where I talk about city breaks HERE 1. CLEANLINESS Graham
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Halong Bay Vietnam

My Podcast with ‘Senior Times’

I have just recorded my very first podcast – and it was with ‘Senior Times’. What is ‘Senior Times’? It’s a magazine and website for older people who don’t act their age. Well, many people would say that is me. And I bet it is you too. It is Ireland’s only dedicated and nationally distributed
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Killarney Royal Hotel

Killarney Royal Hotel Gets Top Marks

Our night away began as soon as we stepped on the train at Dublin’s Heuston Station.  We were off to stay at the Killarney Royal Hotel. We left a stormy, wet and wild capital behind with relief. And sat back and enjoyed the journey. There are still no catering facilities on Irish Rail (since Covid)
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Regensburg

How to Visit 7 European Destinations in 7 Days without Unpacking

Yes, we visited 7 different places in 7 days and we did not unpack! How? We went on a River Cruise. Our River Cruise with Travel Department on board M/S Amadeus Silver III was three months ago. But we love looking back on the photos and re-living our experiences. That is one of the reasons
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Amadeus Silver 111

Wonderful Holiday with Travel Department on a Danube Cruise

  Thank goodness we were travelling with Travel Department on our Danube Cruise. As we approached D-Day (Departure Day), and flights were being cancelled left, right and centre, we sat back and waited. We knew that we would be informed if there was a problem and that the company would do everything possible to get
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Porto

Porto with Travel Department

Porto is the perfect city for a short break. We travelled with Travel Department in mid-May and it proved to be the perfect time to visit. I was delighted to accept Travel Department’s offer of a press trip. And, of course, GG (Gorgeous Graham) had to come too. Travel Department Regular readers know that I
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The Taj Mahal

A New Grandchild and Planning Holidays Make Me Happy

Hello, my friends. I am feeling positive as we enjoy the holiday weekend. And I hope you are too. I have lots of happy news to share with you. We need to celebrate when we can, don’t we? And count our blessings. GRANDDAUGHTER As many of you know, we have three wonderful grandsons – Logan
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3 Must Visit Attractions in Seville Spain

Visiting Seville, while we were staying in The Algarve in Portugal, was surprisingly easy…just a two and a half hour drive from Faro and we didn’t even use the motorway. We arrived in time to check into our hotel and grab a quick lunch before we met our guide for the afternoon. As you can
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The Grand Canal

Exploring Dublin and Meeting some of its Literary Giants

While staying at Dublin’s Merrion Hotel (by the way that special offer I mentioned in my post is now finished….sorry) Graham and I pretended we were tourists and enjoyed exploring Dublin. So here is a little snapshot of where we went and who we met. JAMES JOYCE It was Bloomsday when we were there and
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The Merrion Hotel Courtyard

The Merrion Hotel Dublin A Review

GG and I spent a night in The Merrion a few weeks ago and it was heaven. We were actually supposed to go after Christmas, but then we had another lockdown! We have been starved of pampering because of Covid and at this stage of our lives we do enjoy a bit of luxury now
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Malahide Castle

Malahide Castle and Gardens is one of North County Dublin’s Top Attractions

I feel blessed to live in Malahide with its abundance of natural amenities, one of the most outstanding being Malahide Castle and Gardens. I tend to walk along the coast most days or around Paddy’s Hill if I want a climb. But I always head to the ‘Castle’ when the coast is too raw and
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