Educational European Tours

Wednesday, April 05, 2017

Last month I focused my posts on Dublin as we’ll have two afternoons forth of free-time there. This month, I’d like to offer posts with some information and ideas for free-time at the end of our tour.

On day 8 of our tour we will be in Galway with a tough choice to make! On one hand participants can choose to have a full day of free-time in the Galway area, and on the other there is an optional excursion offered that day to the Aran Islands.

photos courtesy of passports.com

For me it’s an especially tough call as Galway is my favorite city in Ireland, and the region surrounding it is absolutely breathtaking and packed with places I’d love to revisit or see for the first time. So, of course, I have tons of suggestions for those who choose the free-time option (but those will have to wait for another post later this month).

However, the Aran Islands is such a unique experience (and something new for me as it was not offered as part of our last tour) that I’m planning to join that optional excursion. Thus my first April post is on the Aran Islands optional excursion.

Excursion to the Aran Islands

Take a seat aboard a minivan for a tour led by a driver/guide well acquainted with the history of the Aran Islands and the way of life of its inhabitants.

Windswept, yet never touched by frost, Inishmore, like the other Aran Islands, is a paradise for wildflowers, with hundreds of varieties. These islands are also renowned for their crafts, in particular the famous Aran knitwear. You may want to begin your explorations at the Aran Heritage Centre, Ionad Arann, located near the port of Kilronan. A tour of the center will present two millennia of this Celtic island's history, language and traditions.

Visit the stone fort of Dun Aenghus, one of Europe's finest prehistoric monuments, located in a spectacular setting at the edge of a cliff, some sixty feet above sea level.

The Aran Islands are the perfect site to explore for those who have an interest in the Irish language, cycling, walking, nature, Irish music and crafts, archeology and history. The day 8 excursion is $70.

photos courtesy of passports.com

Want to know more about the Aran Islands before deciding to join our optional excursion? Enjoy these great links!

http://visitaranislands.com/

http://www.aranislands.ie/inis-mor-inishmore/

http://visitaranislands.com/dun-aonghasa-world-heritage-site/

http://visitaranislands.com/2015/04/17/why-should-one-visit-aran-islands-once-in-their-lifetime/

https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/read/articles/irelands-aran-islands-bleak-and-beautiful

https://www.facebook.com/AranIslands/

photos courtesy of passports.com

Thursday, March 02, 2017

Our itinerary for the May 2018 Emerald Isle Tour allows for free time in Ireland's capital city on both the day we arrive and day 3 of our tour. Participants are free to use this time to search out sites that our dear to them, relax and stroll the bustling city or join a small group of us in visiting some sightseeing highlights in and near Dublin.

For those interested in adding to our day 3 city tour, there are many other sites to enjoy without leaving Dublin. You can revisit sites from our guided city tour in more detail, including Dublin Castle and Christ Church Cathedral, or take a walk through St. Stephen’s Green or along the River Liffey.

Other ideas for free time in Dublin include:

1. Phoenix Park - One regret I have from our 2009 tour is not finding time to visit this sprawling public park. Highlights of Phoenix Park include the residence of the President of Ireland, Dublin Zoo, the Papal Cross, beautiful gardens and monuments. The park is west of the city center and could be coupled with a visit to the National Botanic Gardens to the north-west of the city center.

2. Museums - Dublin is home to many museums. The National Museum houses St. Patrick’s Bell and the Tara Brooch, the National Gallery features famous Irish paintings, Kilmainham Goal Museum tells the stories of political prisoners and the Easter Rising and the Guinness Storehouse gives visitors the history of Ireland’s most famous beverage. Dublin is also home to the Dublin Writers’ Museum, the James Joyce Centre and the National Maritime Museum.

3. Unique Tours of the City - There are many tours of Dublin available from a variety of open-top or hop-on, hop off bus tours to kayaking the River Liffey. There are also Haunted History Ghost Tours or Viking Splash Tours that take you around Dublin by both land and water.

For those who'd like to visit the surrounding areas, I have several suggestions for great tours near Dublin. Each of these are accessible from Dublin through half day bus tours:

1. Glendalough - This 6th century monastic settlement was a true highlight of my time in Ireland in 2009. Glendalough had such an aura about it that I am definitely being drawn back for another visit. The bagpipes and rain combined with the ancient stone buildings could make a person forget what year it is.

2. Malahide Castle - One tour I'd love to take for the first time is a half day excursion to Malahide Castle and the nearby fishing village of Howth. The castle offers great architecture, art and gardens. So a trip to Dublin's north coast and Malahide Castle would make for a relaxing, scenic trip. Trips to other nearby coastal villages, such as Dalkey (which is featured on http://www.visitdublin.com/insider-tips), can also be a relaxing idea for free time excursions.

3. Powerscourt Estate - I was able to spend part of a day wandering Powerscourt Estate on our 2009 tour. The house, gardens and waterfall are a great, picturesque half day tour.

Some additional links for free time ideas in and around Dublin ...

https://lovindublin.com/dublin/12-places-to-bring-your-friends-that-are-actually-worth-it

https://lovindublin.com/explore-dublin/bored-10-brilliant-free-things-to-do-in-dublin-this-weekend

https://lovindublin.com/dublin/23-stunning-walks-in-and-around-dublin-you-must-attempt-at-least-once-in-your-life

Full Itinerary for May 2018 Emerald Isle Tour

To prepare for our upcoming Emerald Isle Tour, I'll be posting each month from now through April 2018, with Ireland travel ideas (some specific to our tour and others more general).

Featured Travel Notes ...

To prepare for our upcoming Emerald Isle Tour, I'll be posting each month with Ireland travel ideas (some specific to our tour and others more general).

For more information on the May 2018 Emerald Isle Tour, contact me at jessicadebra@gmail.com or visit our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/2018EmeraldIsleTour/

If you missed my previous posts, check out the blog archive for these great topics:

March 2017 - Free Time in & near Dublin Ideas
April 2017 - Free Time in & near Galway Ideas
May 2017 - Food in Dublin, Killarney, Limerick & Galway
June 2017 - Live Irish Music
July 2017 - Irish Souvenir Ideas
August 2017 - Irish Castles, including Dublin Area Castles & Galway Area Castles
September 2017 - Irish Genealogy
October 2017 - Preparing for Our May 2018 Tour, including Passport Questions
November 2017 - Day 5 Itinerary Options

~ The Purpose of This Blog ~

My purpose in composing this blog is to share my travel experiences with others, get the word out about our annual tours and connect with people who have had great travel experiences.

I hope this blog will help others who are planning trips to Europe by offering ideas of great tour sites, and maybe even help our groups gain participants for our future tours.

Also, if you have a great travel story or photos to share, please e-mail me at jessicadebra@gmail.com. Please include your name so that I can give you a byline credit should I choose to post your story or photograph.

Who Travels with Our Tour Groups?

Our tour groups began as an alternative to longer, more expensive study abroad programs for students at our local university. Over the years these tours have evolved to include anyone 18 years and older with an interest in educational travel. We have also allowed younger teenagers to travel in our groups provided that they are accompanied by an adult relative.

Past participants have ranged in age from 17 to 80 and come from all across the United States. Our participants include college students, university alums, university faculty & staff, family members of students and community members both locally and from other states.

It's wonderful not only to be able to explore the world on an educational tour, but also to meet so many diverse people with the similar interest of educational European travel.

Special Thanks to ...

Jamie Lackey Stefko for all of the great pictures from the Berlin, Prague and the Alps tour, the Grand Tour of Italy tour and the Grecian Odyssey tour. She has a special knack for getting great shots of our tour participants, as well as, some breath-taking scenery images.

Christie Brook for some amazing pictures of Ireland. She takes some of the best sunset pictures I've ever seen, and even a few pretty amazing ones from a moving bus!

Dr. Marvin Thomas, professor of European history, for being our nearly fearless group leader on all of our travels abroad. Thanks to him we're never at a loss for great travel stories. He's been a great sport, trecking around the world with a bunch of students and sharing his endless knowledge of European history.

Anna Ezzolo and Sherie Wallace for being my assistant organizers of the 2009 tour. Thanks to them I was able to truly enjoy my dream tour of Ireland without having to worry about the details on tour.

All of our past and present tour participants because we've always had such great and interesting tour groups. I hope all of you enjoy our tours as much as I do.

Reflections ~ The Louvre (May 2008)

It would take weeks to tour all of the Louvre and have the time to appreciate the treasures of each room. It's a truly humbling and sureal experience to be in the presence of legendary works of art such as the Mona Lisa and the Venus De Milo. Still, I came away from the experience more taken with the architecture than the great works of art.

The interior of the Louvre has been modernized, the light colored walls and large open spaces offer a clean feeling. And in spite of the throngs of tourists, the Louvre never really felt crowded, primarily due to the multitude of rooms to tour.

Although much of the interior has been modernized, with escalators and fabulous lighting from skylights, there are still any areas of the interior that offer beautiful artwork as part of the structure itself. Many of the ceilings have exquisite carvings and paintings.

But the most breath taking site for me was the outside architecture of the building. While I am not a fan of the ultramodern entrance (that gaudy glass pyramid), the rest of the buildng is some of the most beautiful architecture I've ever seen. I'd even go so far as to call it the most beautiful palace I have ever seen (externally), surpassing Versailles and the Zwinger museum in my opinion.

To me the building has an old, soft elegance. The intricate carvings and statues add to its grandeur while not taking away from the strong lines of its columns and arches.

The spurting fountains give a final impressive touch to the view of the Louvre, as well as, providing a cool place to sit and enjoy the view. And from a distance the green hedgerows in front of the courtyard offer a contrast that reminds the viewer that this is one of the great palaces of Europe.

I once felt that Paris was a city I'd like to see once but not return to, a place with treasures not to be missed but then to be just memories and things to boast of having seen. And while I expected to have Versailles take my breath away (which it did, especially the interior), I never thought that the one site that I'd most long to return to in Paris would be the courtyard of the Louvre.

Pictures do not do it justice, and I would recommend the Louvre as a must see for anyone who loves history or architecture.

Top 10 Favorite Meals on Tour

I'll admit, I'm no great gourmet. And sadly I have not really taken note in the past of what I've eaten and where (at least not the specifics, which is why only a few of these have the actual restaurants listed - and all of those from our most recent tour). But since food can be such a memorable and unique experience when traveling, I thought this would be a great bit of personal travel experience to share.

Bon Appetit!

My top 10 favorite meals that I’ve had on tour …

1. Leberkäse with a side of Sauerkraut (Munich, Germany) – the sauerkraut cooked in white wine with caraway seeds was out of this world! I had this meal on tour almost 6 years ago and I still remember it fondly enough to place it as #1 on my list of favorite meals on tour =0).

2. Cod & Chips (The King’s Head Pub, Galway, Ireland) – fabulously fresh cod, battered and fried, with a bucket of “chips” (or fries to us Yanks =0) and side of mashed peas. Great atmosphere and great food!

3. Tuna Sandwich (Rome, Italy) – toasted roll with unbelievably fresh tuna in light oil dressing with huge, mouthwatering slices of tomato. I practically dreamed about this sandwich when I got back to the states! And I truly couldn't eat tuna for months because it just wasn't the same =0).

4. Lamb and Mashed Potatoes in Jus (Zuni Restaurant, Kilkenny, Ireland) – can’t remember what the jus was (red wine reduction maybe) but it really made the meal. We went to this restaurant for lunch on the recommendation of 2 locals - lesson learned, I will ALWAYS ask the locals for recommendations in the future =0).

5. Swordfish (Capri, Italy) – grilled swordfish with side of new potatoes and, of course, gelato for dessert =0). Our local guide actual directed us to the restaurant (sorry, I don't know the name of it) because it had reasonable prices - which can be a trick to find on Capri, but that definitely didn't hurt the quality of the food any.

6. Lamb Cutlets (Kennedy’s Restaurant in the Abberley Court Hotel, Dublin, Ireland) – such a beautifully presented meal I took a picture (which I would normally never do) to show my brother the chef when I got back. The prawns appetizer was also delicious and, as you can see from the picture below, so was the dessert =0).

7. Tuna & Sweet Corn Sandwich (Blarney Castle area, Ireland) – wonderful homemade bread with tuna, mayo and sweet corn filling with salty, fresh tortilla chips plus a Guinness, of course =0).

8. Pizza Margherita (Pisa, Italy) – with the most beautiful, huge tomato slices and easily the best crust I’ve ever had on any pizza (after all, you can’t go to Italy and not eat pizza =0). And the outdoor area of the restaurant had a great atmosphere (again sorry I don't remember the name, but this one I'm checking on because a friend had been there before and might know).

9. French Dessert Pizzas (Paris, France) – one was topped with chocolate and the other with apples and both had an insanely thin crust. The dinner pizzas weren't quite as filling as I'd have liked, but they were also quite good.

10. Deep Fried Cheese Sandwich (Prague, Czech Republic) – the cheese itself was deep fried and then placed in an almost pita like bread bun, actually very tasty – though I don’t want to think about the health value =0). OK, not the best or grandest of meals during that tour, but I was quite fascinated by this lunch item.