Ireland

Country Information:

The capital of Ireland is Dublin and the country’s population is about 5 million (2022). The dominant religion is Roman Catholicism and the official languages are Irish Gaelic and English. Ireland is 4 hours ahead of EST.

Jim’s Perspectives:

A must-see site in Ireland are the cliffs of Moher; travelers can come out on a beautiful day and have a spectacular view of the cliffside and of the historic O’Brien’s Tower, a serene castle by the sea. Ireland has no shortage of historic sites, parks, and gardens, making the country a great place to visit for seeing elements of nature and history blended together.

Ireland has no shortage of pubs, boasting to have 1 pub for every 100 people. Another fun fact is that the longest place name in Ireland is Muckanaghederdauhaulia; try saying that five times fast!

On my journey around the world, I delayed traveling to certain countries because I wanted my family to join me. Ireland was one of those places. I planned a family tour to the UK and Ireland (and surrounding countries) however aligning busy academic and schedules made that trip difficult. In 2019 I took a father-son trip to Ireland … those trips with family are so special and meaningful.

We spent a couple days in Belfast, then toured around this country’s spectacular countryside, and went to see the spectacular Cliffs (at Moher). Can’t wait to visit here again, next time with the entire family in tow, and definitely want to go to Northern Ireland.

 

New Zealand

New Zealand is one of my favorite places in the entire world ... particularly the southern Island city of Queenstown. This is the world's adventure capital and I just love the place! When I first traveled there in 1992, I visited AJ Hackett's bridge, where bungee...

Austria

Country Information: The  Republic of Austria, founded in 1804! The capital is Vienna. About 8.5 million people live here and the primary languages are German, Slovenian, Hungarian, and Austrian German. In Austria there is religious freedom, but many Austrians are...

Netherlands

In lovely Amsterdam prior to cruise, 1992 Amsterdam is, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. Have visited twice and I absolutely love this place! You should visit Amsterdam for its beautiful canals, architecture and explosive night life. Visitors...