Upstate New York: Mohawk Hudson Bike/Hike Trail

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Mohawk Hudson Bike-Hike Trail Rotterdam 2

The Mohawk Hudson Bike/Hike Trail is a 36.8-mile trail that runs from Steamboat Square in downtown Albany to Rotterdam Junction in Schenectady County, and makes up the easternmost portion of the Erie Canalway. Sections of the trail are frequently quite busy with walkers, runners, and dog-walkers all enjoying the route. Much of it is a rail trail, created from sections of the old Troy & Schenectady Railroad. For those planning a visit, there’s a handy list of access points (with details about parking) on the website of the Friends of the Mohawk Hudson Bike/Hike Trail. The trail has a number of scenic views of the Erie Canal, passes by multiple canal locks and also offers beautiful views of farmland and wooded areas.

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Friday Photo: Poulnabrone Dolmen, Co. Clare, Ireland

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Poulnabrone dolmen 17 May

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.

Friday photo: Castle Espie, Comber, Co. Down, Northern Ireland

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Castle Espie 9

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

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perfect-blend

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

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fort-frederick-apts-behind-office-building

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

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Edinburgh Castle at dusk

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.

Street performance on the Royal Mile during the Festival in Edinburgh

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 →

Things to do in Boston…

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A co-worker was heading to Boston for a weekend a while ago and asked for my recommendations for things to do. This is what I came up with…

chiarraigrrl's avatarNotes from the journey...

For simplicity for visitors arriving for a few days, I recommend getting seven-day LinkPasses for the T- it’s $19 for unlimited travel on subway and local bus services, and makes it much easier to go through the turnstiles than buying a ticket each time you go. Info on passes is here: http://mbta.com/fares_and_passes/passes/. You can buy passes from the machines at any T station. If you really need a cab, I strongly recommend Boston Metro Cab (and they didn’t even pay me anything)- http://boston-cab.com/

Boston Harbor Cruises and the whale watches go from Long Wharf: http://www.bostonharborcruises.com/ (historic sightseeing cruises are here: http://www.bostonharborcruises.com/boston-harbor-cruises/historic-boston-tour/schedule-rates/)

Everyone forgets about the Harbor Islands, which are a wonderful day out and have something for everyone, from historic forts to good hiking trails and activities for all ages. Info on the Boston Harbor Islands National Park area (and ferries out to the islands) is here: http://bostonharborislands.org/

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Hudson Valley postcard: the Hudson-Athens lighthouse, Athens NY

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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 →

Brownshill Dolmen, Co. Carlow

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previously posted on aroundireland.wordpress.com

Browns Hill Dolmen

This is probably one of the more surprisingly under-visited sites in Ireland. A portal tomb or dolmen dating back to between 4,000 and 3,000 B.C., it has what is believed to be the largest capstone in Europe weighing over one hundred tonnes. Even though it’s as old as Stonehenge, there aren’t the crowds visiting it that throng to Stonehenge- and at Brownshill, you can actually walk over and touch the stones. It’s likely that religious rites and possibly a burial occurred at the Brownshill Dolmen, but as it’s never been excavated little information exists about the history and usage of the site. Situated on a small hill about 3km outside Carlow town on the Hacketstown Road (technically the R726, though no one will know it by the number) on the right-hand side if travelling from Carlow town, it’s well worth a visit.

Browns Hill Dolmen

Browns Hill Dolmen

Browns Hill Dolmen from near carpark

Time on the water in Boston- Georges Island, in Boston Harbor National Recreational Area

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Boston cityscape from Georges Island

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 →