A portal tomb in the Burren in Co. Clare, from between 4,200-2,900 B.C.. For more info click here and if you really want to see it in person I highly recommend taking a bus tour from Galway – Galway Tour Company do a nice one.
travel
Friday photo: Castle Espie, Comber, Co. Down, Northern Ireland
Castle Espie is a gorgeous wetland reserve on the banks of Strangford Lough- worth a visit even for non-birders just to go for a walk in such beautiful surroundings.
One for the fiber enthusiasts – Perfect Blend yarn shop, Saugerties NY
If you’re going to the New York State Sheep and Wool Festival in Rhinebeck this year (more commonly known simply as “Rhinebeck”), a quick detour to the Perfect Blend Yarn and Tea Shop in Saugerties NY is well worth the trip. It’s a lovely little shop, with tea samples and all manner of delightful yarn (including the much-loved Madeline Tosh). The staff are friendly, and there’s even a table and chairs to sit and rest a while (and maybe cast on a new project while you’re at it).
It also happens to be down the road from the gorgeous Saugerties Lighthouse, which is a worthwhile trip in and of itself, and benefits from easy walking to cafes and independent bookstores nearby- click here for more information about Saugerties to help plan your visit.
Architectural trivia: Albany, NY – Fort Frederick Apartments
Behind a (probably half-empty, I’m guessing) office building on Swan Street in downtown Albany NY is the apartment building that is the subject of one of my favorite “wait, what?” stories in the area. The Fort Frederick apartments were completed in 1917 at the corner of Swan Street and Washington Avenue. In the mid-1920s, when it was determined that a building needed to be built to house New York state government offices that were scattered around the city, the powers that be decided that location conveniently across from the Capitol building would be ideal for a brand-new skyscraper, now known as the Alfred E. Smith building (on the National Register of Historic Places, that building is an interesting Art Deco structure itself). So they did what any reasonable person might immediately think to do: they moved it a block away. According to Albany Architecture: A Guide to the City (ed. Diana S. White, pub. 1993, Mount Ida Press), “J.W. and J.P. Eichleay of Pittsburgh jacked the eight-story structure up two feet and placed it on several hundred steel rollers laid on railroad tracks. It was then gently propelled 350 feet south by two teams of horses and two winches at a rate of seventy feet a day.”. And they didn’t even break a single pane of glass.
Amazing.
The annual Edinburgh-in-August recommendations #edfringe #edbookfest
Even though I haven’t been able to make it to Edinburgh in August in a couple of years now, I just can’t resist perusing the program listings for the Edinburgh Fringe and the Edinburgh International Book Festival and picking out the shows that I would get to if I was going to be in Edinburgh this summer- so, the annual Edinburgh recommendations post is too tempting for me to skip. It being the opening weekend of the Edinburgh International Book Festival, I have to say one thing: even if you don’t get to any of the shows on the schedule, get down to Charlotte Square and hang out in the bookstore. Get a cup of coffee, sit at one of the tables and watch the crowds, and just breathe in the atmosphere. It’s magic.
If you can get to the Book Festival, I personally would check out at least one or two of the following:
Christopher Brookmyre, or Chris Brookmyre, Scottish novelist and creator of the Jack Parlabane novels including “Quite Ugly One Morning”, which won Critics’ First Blood Award for Best First Crime Novel of the Year in 1996, will be speaking on the topic “Does Feminism Have a Dark Side?” on August 21st: https://www.edbookfest.co.uk/the-festival/whats-on/chris-brookmyre-1
Thursday August 25th, Louis de Bernières will be speaking about and reading from his second collection of poetry: https://www.edbookfest.co.uk/the-festival/whats-on/louis-de-bernieres-2
This Wednesday, August 17th, Daniel Hahn, Charlotte Collins and Deborah Smith will be talking about the key role of translation in bringing international fiction to an English speaking audience https://www.edbookfest.co.uk/the-festival/whats-on/charlotte-collins-daniel-hahn-deborah-smith
On August 25th, Irish novelist Cecelia Ahern (best known for her novel P.S. I Love You) and YA novelist Teri Terry will be discussing and challenging our preconceptions of right and wrong, and good and evil: https://www.edbookfest.co.uk/the-festival/whats-on/cecelia-ahern-teri-terry-judgement
Be sure to check back with the box office for tickets to see Ian Rankin or Alexander McCall Smith (both currently sold out)- they would be amazing to be at.
I never get to the Edinburgh International Festival itself, but the Edinburgh Fringe is hard to resist.
My first recommendation for the Fringe has to be EPIC BEARD MEN, a.k.a. Sage Francis and B. Dolan, over from Rhode Island for the month to do 20 spoken word shows “Strange Speech, Famous Development” at the Stand. Even if you’re not sure about “spoken word”, believe me – these shows will be fun.
David O’Doherty, purveyor of whimsy with tiny keyboards, will be back at the Fringe (in addition to his event at the Book Festival) with his show “David O’Doherty: Big Time”. Always guaranteed a good laugh and a warm feeling about the world in general (a pretty tall order these days).
Josie Long is a similarly wonderful comedian who I tried never to miss- and she’s doing two shows this year: her “Josie Long: Work in Progress” and “Josie Long and Martin Williams: Investigations”. Both shows run August 16-28.
“Work in Progress” is a popular title this year, as it’s also the title of ever-popular Stephen K. Amos‘s solo show. Always an hour of top-notch comedy sure to make your stomach hurt from laughing. His “Talk Show” is also sure to be well worth the meagre ticket price.
A Dublin friend once called me from Australia to let me know that Andrew Maxwell was in town and planning to do a set in a local (Dublin) comedy club that night so I wouldn’t miss it- that’s how much fun a Maxwell set can be. He’s doing shows in Edinburgh from August 18th through the 28th in the Assembly George Square Theatre- don’t miss it.
Shappi Khorsandi is “celebrating her fortieth year in Britain with a love letter to her adopted land” in the form of her show, “Oh My Country! From Morris Dancing to Morrissey”. Guaranteed to be a good laugh. Continue reading
Hudson Valley postcard: the Hudson-Athens lighthouse, Athens NY
Typically the first place I expect to see lighthouses is by the ocean. So when I heard people talking about lighthouses in landlocked upstate New York, I was initially a bit surprised- but naturally, there are lighthouses on the Hudson (as on any navigable river and even some large lakes, like the Great Lakes). For anyone interested in lighthouses on the Hudson, Kevin Woyce’s book “Hudson River Lighthouses and History” is an excellent source for histories of the lighthouses along the Hudson from New York Harbor to Coxsackie. Continue reading
Time on the water in Boston- Georges Island, in Boston Harbor National Recreational Area
The ferry to Georges Island, one of the thirty-plus Boston Harbor islands, only takes about 45 minutes from Long Wharf, but it could easily be a world away. The ferry itself is a treat- as you watch the skyline of Boston recede, the sea breeze will give you respite from the summer’s heat. As you look out across the harbor, you’ll see the other harbor islands dotting the horizon, and each of them has their own unique and interesting story. You’ll pass Castle Island, which has been the site of a fortification since 1634, and Logan Airport on the opposite side of the harbor. You’ll also pass Spectacle Island, which has been used for a variety of purposes over the years, and currently boasts beautiful walking trails (with spectacular views of the city), picnicking areas, swimming facilities and a weekly clambake on Thursday evenings during the summer. Georges Island hosts Wednesday evening barbecues during the summer months. Continue reading
Visiting the last Howard Johnson’s restaurant- and other things to do in Lake George, NY
CBS Sunday Morning featured a delightful piece on the last Howard Johnson’s restaurant in Lake George, NY, this past Sunday- if you missed it, the video’s here, and is well worth a watch.
While visiting the last Howard Johnson’s, you might want to take in any of a number of other attractions Lake George village and its surrounding area has to offer. Lake George is located within the Adirondack Park, created in 1892, which is today the largest publicly protected area in the contiguous United States, greater in size than Yellowstone, Everglades, Glacier, and Grand Canyon National Park combined. Continue reading
The annual Edinburgh-in-August recommendations
Going to Edinburgh in August? Every year for the past 5 years or so, I write up a post with my recommendations from the thousands of shows available in Edinburgh during the month of August, between the Edinburgh International Festival, the Festival Fringe, and the International Book Festival– so once again putting pen (or keypad strikes) to paper, I submit to you, dear reader, my recommendations for Edinburgh in August 2015. I tend to focus on the Fringe and the Book Festival, never having quite made it to the actual Festival myself- but I hear the lineup this year is terrific. Continue reading
