"Instead of "we almost” let the world say about us,” we did." – Don Ward……………… Doing the 'Hard' yards in search of 'The Perfect Pint' within the Emerald Isle and shores beyond – Definitely a Bog to bookmark if you have an adventurous spirit, that likes to travel whilst enjoying - the odd pint of Guinness,beer,or wine depending on the mood,the 'company',and the environment!

Sunday, May 28, 2006

Freedom of the Seas v's The Garden

Another beautiful day waiting for me outside.. After the recent rain we have had I can almost see the warm weather encouraging the grass to grow whilst I am watching – hmmm -a major pile of lawn clippings in the making for the compost bin next weekend. .

Bit grumpy today. Now that we have finally a spell of good weather I’d prefer to be spending the weekend planting the garden out but today finds me preparing for a 4.00 am start tomorrow to leave dodge for a few days – destination Miami.

I have been invited to have a sneak preview, test drive and review the largest cruise ship in the world – Royal Caribbean’s ‘Freedom of the Seas’ before it goes into service – in 7 days, 4hrs, 22mins, 47secs – howszat for some trivial preciseness.

Having 160,000 tons supporting 3634 passengers – I could park all the permanent residents of our town in it and still have 31 berths free. It replaces Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 as the world’s largest cruise ship. Gets me thinking of cruises to Ireland. The Queen Mary doesn’t pull into Ireland so I doubt if the freedoms of the seas will – perhaps a good thing – what do you think?

Their promotional spin is:

Freedom of the Seas

Innovative-Extraordinary-Adventurous-Unexpected

Setting sail for the Caribbean in June 2006, our largest ship yet - Freedom of the Seas! Though we're not quite ready to reveal all of the spectacular features, rest assured this Royal Caribbean International masterpiece will come complete with a rock-climbing wall, Royal Promenade and ice-skating rink. We'll also be including extensive WiFi capabilities and connectivity for cell phones as well as flat-screen TVs in every stateroom. What else could we possibly put on a cruise ship? You'll be amazed. More astounding details coming soon!

Keep tuned in – I’ll be recounting an insiders view of the above on my return.

Saturday, May 27, 2006

Destination: Ireland


What a beautiful morning outside – blue sky clear after the heavy rain that we had last night. A delightful smell is wafting through my open office window - it has its origins in the flowering Lilac trees outside. The scent is especially pungent thanks to the night’s rain.

Looking outside I see shimmering glimpses of our lake through the dense green of our surrounding oak, maple and pine trees. The green vista helps sharpen my thoughts which right now are focused on the emerald isle of Ireland. What could the content of my first Post be? Nearby a cluttered pile of post-it notes offers a variety of choices.

Heck let’s keep it real simple – I want to get out into the garden and enjoy the day.

My blogs destination is to diary the creation and parking of a little touch of Ireland within a piece of Cyberspace real estate. What better than a few words from the beginning of an article on the real Ireland The article was published recently by Jim Langford initially targeted for travel agents and reprinted with permission from him.. (Our eventual website will contain the full article.)

“Destination Ireland
By James Langford.

As your plane begins its descent toward Dublin International Airport, and you cross into your fifth time zone as well as clear the western coastline of Ireland, if you're lucky enough to have a window seat, you can look down and see Eire, the green island. First time visitors are always amazed how rich the color of the island actually is and how it looks from the air. Just ask your local friendly neighborhood astronaut.

I cannot explain it, but Ireland will fill your clients, especially those who are explorers and have a sense of history and imagination, with a sense of wonder. That landscape is not only a part of the mystique of the island, but it is a critical part of the Celtic heritage and the people who eventually became the Irish.

Ireland has always been the home of dreamers, poets, writers of all disciplines, dissidents and warriors. It also has always been charmed.” ………

For now – do come back – this is the beginning of quite a story ....