Ireland

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.

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!

Jim’s Perspectives:

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.

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...

Gabon

Country Information: About 2.5 million people live in Gabon, and the capital is Libreville. The official language is French, though a smaller percentage of the population also speaks called Fang. The main religion is Christianity, primarily Roman Catholicism and...

Morocco

Chris, Todd, Jim (and Alonzo) on the way to Casablanca! Jim's Perspectives: As Morocco is so close to Spain - a ferry ride from Tangier to Tarifa takes only an hour, making it a great place for travelers to go for an afternoon or a few days from Spain. This is what I...