Have you been to Dublin?

My children and I are looking for tips on travel in Ireland. Have you been there? Did you rent a car and try driving on the left side? We will be traveling from Dublin to Cashel on the week-end and are considering renting a car but don't know how dangerous or scary it might be for 3 American women who are ingrained with driving on the right side.

Comments and suggestions welcomed!

Thanks,

Alice

Chantdoc plans trip to Ireland!

My children and I have always wanted to go to Ireland to see not only the beautiful Emerald Isle, but also to go to Cashel where our family name began. Of course, Cash is my married name, but it has been my name for nearly 38 years and I do love it!

Cashel has a very ancient history, albeit only documented since the 4th Century. The Rock of Cashel, with its well preserved ecclesiastical remains, is one of Ireland's most spectacular landmarks, rising above the surrounding plain and dominating the land route southward.The large Cathedral, ancient round tower and the very early Romanesque Cormac's Chapel , perched on a dramatic outcrop of rock, were silent witnesses to many of the stirring events of Irish History; St.Patrick converted the local King Aenghus, here in the 5th century; Brian Boru was crowned King of Ireland on this spot in the early 11th Century. The Vicar's Choral has been restored and the site, one of the most visited in Ireland, now provides an interpretative centre, (multi lingual) an interesting museum, guided tours and superb views over the extensive and beautiful plains of Tipperary.

Chantdoc preparing to go to Paris

It seems as though it's been a very long time since I was in Paris for more than just to transfer planes. I spent six weeks there in the summer fo 1987 doing my Ph.D. dissertation research. My dissertation was on "Wanda Landowska and the Revival of the Harpsichord: a Reassessment." I've included a brief clip from the documentary that was later made from my dissertation. . I am hoping to do a presentation at the American Church of Paris, but now it looks as though I might also be able to do a presentation on Landowska to a group of harpisichord afficionados. If you know anyone or any group in Paris that would like to sponsor a lecture or a seminar, let me know ASAP!

Thanks,

Alice

Do you like cruising?

The cruise that my children took me on last August was one of the best vacation experiences that I've had! I have to especially recommend Carnival cruises too because they do such as excellent job of preparing you for the journey, making sure that everyone has a good time and being creative and flexible! For example, the cruise that my children and I went on was originally supposd to go to Key West and Cozumel. At the last minute, Hurricane Faye came our way and when we went to the pier we though the cruise would surely be cancelled. To our surprise and delight, we were informed that we would now be going to Grand Turk, Bahamas and we did and had a great time!
If you're interested, please go to www.CashFamilyTravel.com and book your Carnival Cruise today! You won't regret it!

Stay at Chantdoc's condo in Orlando for Christmas

Hello everybody! You KNOW how much I love Florida an traveling to tropical places, right? Well, it turns out that I have a brad-new timeshare condo in Orlando, fives minutes from Disney World. It's reserved from Dec. 21-28 and I'm not going to be able to use it!! Boo-hoo! It is a very large condo and sleeps eight people comfortably. It's a brand new community-Vacation Village at Parkway and I'm offering it to the highest bidder. Get back to me quickly though because you'll need to get your travel plans in order! I'd like to get $2000.00 for that prime week in a prime location but again, will let it go to the highest bidder. Just Google the location and take a peek at it!

Alice-419-1698

Per your request for Pix of Capri and Anacapri (Italy!)

The trip to Italy is now more than two weeks behind me but I'm still thinking of it on an hourly basis and reliving it through my pictures and videos that I took.

Quite a few people have asked to see pictures of Capri and Anacapri. They are the two towns on the tiny Isle of Capri, a vacation spot for kings, queens, literati, and movie stars for centuries and even millenia! We thoroughly enjoyed our day there although it turned out to be more expensive than I originally thought. Part of that dilemma was that I gave a man a 20 euro bill and didn't get the right change, but didn't notice it till too late!! Also, Crystal and I each got a cappucino at the fancy outdoor restaurant and made the mistake of not asking in advance how much they would be. They turned out to be about $8.00 apiece and it was the end of out trip so we were not happy about that!

Anyway, enjoy these beautiful pix that I took!

Chantdoc Returns from Fabulous Italian Sojourn!

The trip to Italy is over and what a glorious trip it was! We started in Rome and were there for four days, then we moved on to Florence for three days. The final five days were spent in the Sorrento (Naples) area which is very tropical---my favorite! While in Sorrento we made day trips to Positano, Capri, Anacapri and Pompeii. Over the next few days (or weeks) I'll send you some of my best photos with commentary. If there is something particular you'd like to know about it, just email me or put a comment on the blog. The picture on the left is from the magical isle of Capri. The picture on the left is from the amazing Trevi fountain in Rome, the one about which "Three Coins in the Fountain" was written. We walked all over Rome to find this famous fountain and it was well worth it! More tomorrow!