Okie Travels

http://www.bayberryhouse.com/

Just outside Galway city on the way to Salthill, this fine house is run by exceptionally friendly and helpful hosts, who add considerably to the enjoyment of staying there.

The house is Georgian in style, but was purpose built as a bed and breakfast, which is not a bad thing as it means the bedrooms are better than average size and have very good modern bathrooms. The bedrooms and bathrooms are pristine, there is a nice guest sitting room and the gardens, though not at their best on at the time of our visit, look as though they would be wonderful in Summer.

There are lots of things here that show the amount of care the owners took to provide a high standard for their guests - good and plentiful towels, power showers (very welcome at the end of a busy day’s touring!) and quality bedding. We stayed on a cold night in winter and were very warm and cozy.

Breakfast is plentiful and there is plenty of choice for those who have had enough cooked breakfasts and want something lighter - though the full fry-up is a good one.

It is a bit of a walk into Galway - their Web site says 10 minutes, but that would be at a very fast pace indeed! If you are driving though there is ample parking, and it is well situated for heading off on a day in Connemara.

After hearing how great this place was and how much we should try it, Emily and I decided to venture down to Ivar’s Acres of Clams one evening after our conference. We were not disappointed…it was DELICIOUS! Definately the best clam chowder I’ve ever had. Great for a chilly day. I have to give a shout out too to the appetizer we had - a seafood cocktail medley. It was Emily’s choice and it was wonderful…granted, it could of had a few more shrimp (it only had two) but it was the freshest I’ve ever had.

Another great part of the experience was the view. We went in the evening and sat inside so we had a wonderful view of the docks outside. The lights on the boats and surrounding docks were very serene. The staff was friendly and the service was prompt. I would definitely recommend a visit to Ivar’s if you are ever in the Seattle area.

Arch d Triumph

This is a wonderful monument and something that is a must see if you travel to Paris. It’s been a few years since I visited it, but what I do remember is the narrow staircase on the way up. It seemed like it lasted forever and it’s certainly something you should probably be aware of before deciding to make the trek up. I would probably go during the day when your legs are fresh and not after a full day of sightseeing if you’re going to travel these stairs. The picture to the right is a photo I took during the day of it.

Summer Palace

The Summer Palace was a really neat site to visit because it’s trenched with history and as you’re walking around you see things that you’ve only previously seen in textbooks. One thing I must note though is beware of shady vendors. Much like most tourist sites in China, the Summer Palace is infested with vendors of all types. If you’re going to make any purchases pls. be cautious about the transaction you’re making. I say this with the Summer Palace post but it’s only because this happened there…it’s not secluded to this location. Our travel companion Patty purchased some things from a vendor for her daughter there and ended up with some counterfeit money. She only found out later at lunch when she unknowingly tried to use it to pay for her meal. Just beware.

Warwick Castle was a great all-around experience in exploring an ancient mediaeval castle. While a lot of the castles we visited on our trip to the U.K. were self-led (meaning we just walked around without any tours or shows going on), this one had tours of people stopping in with plenty of jousting and sword fighting to watch while you explored. The picture to the right was taken of the gardens just outside of the castle. I call them gardens but I really think this was natural. Not something that was maintained as part of the original castle in other words. It was beautiful and spoke to how pretty the English countryside really is. For more information about the castle, please visit their Web site at: http://www.warwick-castle.co.uk/ . Just looking at their Web site should give a good idea of how much they care about the experience you will have at their castle.

Forbidden City

We visited the Forbidden City one afternoon when we were free from teaching. It was simply amazing. While it was under major reconstruction when we went in 2005, I bet by now they’ve completed most of it (especially since the Olympics will be there next year). What was so neat about it was the history of it. Serving as the home to the Emperor and his household for almost five centuries, it was the Chinese Imperial Palace from the mid-Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. During that time, it was the ceremonial and political centre of the Chinese government.

Playing such an important role in Chinese history, it is no wonder the images most commonly associated with China are those from within the walls of the Forbidden City. As I was walking through, it seemed as if I had seen all these images before. It was then that I realized that it is the Forbidden City that Hollywood often uses for scenes based on the ceremonies of the Chinese government.

I would recommend getting an audio tour and exploring the grounds yourself. There might be a few good guided tours going on but it was my experience that those tours were crowded and hard to hear…especially if you get stuck in the back.

Windsor Castle , the largest inhabited castle in the world, is one of the Queen’s official residences. Since William the Conqueror built the first castle in 1080, its proximity to both London and the old royal hunting forest. The State Apartments house excellent works of art including masterpieces by Rembrandt, Rubens, Holbein and Van Dyck as well as magnificent French and English furniture and porcelain.

Roman Baths and Pump Room, Bath
The Roman Baths and the Temple of Sulis Minerva, built in about 75 BC around the largest of the three hot springs, are extraordinarily impressive and one the most visited places in London, especially on summer months.

Built in honor of goodness Sulis Minerva Romans made a temple and baths and date from 2000 years ago. The Great Bath features Roman paving and a lead base and is bordered by 19th century arcading. The Pump Room is a fashionable Neo classical meeting place and is the social heart of Bath.

Giverny, Monet Gardens

This is a great way to spend an extra day if you have time. Giverny, only an hour or so from Paris, is home to the house of arguably France’s most famous artist and, more importantly, his waterlily garden. Catch the train from Gare St Lazare to Vernon and then get the bus or taxi (easier and as cheap with four people) to Giverny. It’s not easy to make the connections so leave early and plan to spend most of the day there.

The garden is just like all his paintings — the bridge and the lilies are all there, as is Monet’s house/cottage, which is quite cute and filled with copies of his works, plus works of others who inspired him.

Try to visit around summertime to get the garden in its finest full bloom. As a day trip, the cost isn’t too bad, especially if you are under 26 — it probably cost us around 20 euros for the day.

http://www.sloppyjoes.com/sloppys.htm

The two most popular activities in Key West are fishing and drinking. Duval Street, which is home to some of Key West’s most famous bars, has a guided day tour which takes you to the most famous bars in Key West. To liven up the experience, the tour includes a drink in five of these bars. Most people prefer to do their Key West Pub Crawl in the evening, and without the assistance of a tour guide because of the time flexibility they have on their own.