Shamrocking it up: A 6 day tour of Ireland. What the craic!
The official definition of craic is enjoyable time spent with other people, especially when the conversation is entertaining and funny. The perfect description for the Shamrocker team, the sister company of the Haggis tours across Scotland. From history to dancing and whiskey to Kilkenny beer, the trip back to my ancestral homeland was a blast.
Twelve Hours in Riga, in all its colour and beauty
Striking architecture, flipping churches and a complex history. This is Riga, the capital of Latvia.
Saint Petersburg: The cultural and historic mecca of Russia
From the moment you arrive in Saint Petersburg, the culture and history seep from the wide-lined streets and stunning architecture. Where Moscow was drab and dreary, Saint Petersburg brought light and shade in a warm, welcoming, upbeat hug.
Moscow
Moscow in winter is a delicatessen of architectural style. Simultaneously dreary and delightful, it slowly drew me in, one cathedral, ballet, train station, city wall, mausoleum, cemetery and ice skating rink at a time.
Irkutsz to Yekaterinburg
Dog sledding, sleigh rides, Russian babushkas, long train rides and victims of war.
Ulaanbaatar to Irkutsz
The Ulaanbaatar to Irkutsk trip started with flying colours with the arrival of a Mongolian family on the Mongolian side of the Russian-Mongolian border, where we had arrived at some point in the middle of the night. Arriving at Irkutsk two days later, ee were whisked away by our lovely guide, Ivan, to the nearby village of Bolshoe Goloustnoe, where we were to spend a relaxing homestay for two days on the shores of Lake Baikal.
The Tran Siberian railway – Beijing to Ulaanbaatar
The first leg of the famous Trans-Mongolian train journey, winding from Beijing in China to Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia. Monasteries, Ger Camps and train bogies were all in my future.