Thoughtsofanidlemind's Blog

Category: Travel

  • Back to Kilkee

    Kilkee is a seaside resort in County Clare on the west coast of Ireland. Originally developed as a resort in the late Victorian era, Kilkee continues to be a popular destination for tourists from all around Ireland and elsewhere. My family used to be frequent visitors to Kilkee in the…

  • Ambling up to Cherbourg

    Driving from the Cote d’Azur to Cherbourg is a 1,350km trek over thirteen or so hours behind the wheel, depending of course on the number of “bouchons” (traffic jams) that you encounter on the French autoroute system. To be fair to the companies that operate the autoroutes, they do their…

  • The plight of the mother bat

    One of the joys of a house in the country is the wildlife that occasionally make an appearance. Bats are common visitors as they roost under the eaves of the house and behind doors. I haven’t quite worked out what species of bat visit us but suspect that they are…

  • A day walking the Somme battlefields

    I’ve been interested in the battles that flowed across France in both World Wars for many years. My interest was partially awakened by spending time close to the D-Day beaches in Normandy but I also had the chance to live with a French family in Verdun in 1973 for a…

  • Wandering down through France

    It was time to head back from Ireland to France. This time we decided to take the ferry from Rosslare to Roscoff on the basis that the route was shorter and we’d spend less time cooped up on the boat being a captive audience for Irish Ferries. We’d also have…

  • Rugby, weapons, and conferences

    Lots has been happening over the past two weeks with trips to Las Vegas to speak at “The Experts Conference” (TEC), Flayosc (south of France) for some vacation, and England for rugby. It’s time to consider some of the incidents encountered along the way. I landed in Las Vegas late…

  • Travel challenges in professional refereeing

    Being part of the refereeing team that works professional matches sounds interesting to people who are fans of the different sports that support professional teams and it is truly wonderful and privileged to be a part of massive sporting events such as a Heineken Cup final. However, like most things…

  • Where did all this snow come from?

    Ireland isn’t used to snow but we’re getting it in bucket loads at the moment (at least in Dublin). Not only is the quantity a surprise, it’s also the fact that snow is falling in late November and early December. Must be evidence of all of that global warming that…

  • White van returns to Ireland

    Our journey from Ireland to the South of France and back is now complete. The drive back from the Côte d’Azur was long but passed reasonably well, even if the journey was lengthened somewhat by the need to pass by Nice Airport to drop family members who had chosen to…

  • White van to the Côte d’Azur

    I am delighted to announce that I have joined the “man with white van” movement after driving a Mercedes Sprinter van from Dublin to the South of France and back. The van was hired from Van Rentals.ie, a company that offers fast and efficient service for Internet bookings and whose…