This summer, I got an email from a friend wanting someone to translate as she traveled through Italy. That got me think of a cool idea--Celtic Invasion Vacations. The idea is to run a small tour to various exotic places. The day time is spent traveling and seeing the local area, with an emphasis on experiencing the local flavor more than "seeing the sites". The evening is spent in a song with music provided by yours truly and anyone who wants to lift their voice in song.
The first Celtic Invasion Vacation is underway. The goal of this trip is
not to see everything. There's just TOO much to see. Instead, the goal is my recent mantra,
"Good food, good drink, and good company." With that said, I will take a very small group to Tuscany.
We will spend nine days living and experiencing a small piece of Italy. Seven days will be spent living in a renovated vacation villa just outside of San Gimignano, a medieval town famous for its towers. We will get to know this cute artist town, wander its streets, and share in the scents of Tuscany. This is a vacation. So you may find pleasure ijust relaxing there. But if you want to do more, we will have day trips to a local winery, Volterra, Siena, and Florence.
After a week of Tuscan bliss, we will head down to Rome to stay two nights. Then the world is open to us. We can visit St. Peter's and the Vatican, or roam the Roman forum or Appian way. There are crypts, churches, museums, and the food... Oh, the food! If we're really lucky, I'll get us into an Irish seisun! By the time we leave, your eyes will glaze with excitement for a country I call home.
Does this sound interesting to you?
The planned dates are May 12-22, 2009. Attendance is extremely limited. At present, I am only able to offer TEN people slots on this vacation! So if you want to join me on this tour, when I open the gates, you will need to get your deposit in ASAP.
In the meantime,
check out the Celtic Invasion webpage to be notified as soon as details are available.
Originally published at Marc Gunn .com. Read. Interact. Breathe. It's easy; it's free.Labels: travel
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posted by Marc Gunn @ Sunday, September 21, 2008
Back home safe, aside from the week after effects of a cold I caught in Ireland. Guess there are worse things. ;)
Vacation Tour of Ireland, Day 6We left Tubbercurry early as usual into John's home turf, County Sligo. Our first stop was an adventure. It was the Carrowkeel Passage Cairns. I napped all the way there, but when we arrived in valley between two mountains and were told we could hike up to the Cairns, I was excited.
I was one of the last to make my way up the trail. The site was gorgeous. Sheep lined the road (along with their droppings;-), and there were photo ops all along the road that were like something out of a biblical picture. Beautiful!
When I saw one such picturesque scene with a large rock beneath a tree and climbed up for a closer look I decided to keep climbing. While most followed the path, yes, I climbed OVER the mountain.
The mountain was covered with heather. It wasn't blooming, but it was fabulous nonetheless. And the view! You could see most of Ireland.
Down the other side I was tired but joyful as I continued up the long and winding road. Then it was up the side of another mountain, less decorated by heather, to the cairns. Strong stone structures with a cool story behind them. The first I entered and bumped up my leg. I should've known then that trouble was brewing.
The next cairn we went into... Well, John said they had 18 people in one once. I can't imagine that. After crawling in and hearing all the shuffling about in this tiny stone structure, I started feeling claustrophobic and had a panic attack. Weird, because I never have 'em. But I quickly crawled back out and breathed well.
We left the mountain, again, filled with joy in the blissfully cool air. But I kinda wonder if it was too cool now.
From there was a big blunder. John took us to the Celtic Ways "Two Worlds Theatre". The site is no where near done. It was basically a construction site. I'm sure it'll be great when it's done, but at the time it ticked me off, because it really was just a waste of time. We made for it when we arrived at the Cromleach Lodge.
Wow! Can you say "Schwank!"? The room was ginormous! Big, glorious bathtub and a vista that was breathtaking.
Earlier in the day, we had passed some caverns and a bunch of the tour folks wanted to go see inside the caverns. But not me. Instead, I took a nice hot bubble bath, and relaxed, chatting with Jamie as we sat and sipped bourbon.
That's when it first struck me. It started with an upset stomach, then chills. I caught a cold. I was able to make it through a brilliant dinner and still enjoy it, but by the time we finished, I was spent. I had to miss seeing Claire Roche perform. Instead, I went to bed and slept for the next nine hours.
Vacation Tour of Ireland, Day 7The next morning I was still a bit tired. I slept as we drove to the Shannon Pot. Before we arrived, we stopped at the grave of Turlough O'Carolan, the great blind Irish harper who wrote and preserved hundreds of tunes. At the grave, Andrew and I played "Eleanor Plunkett" and composed a couple of original pieces on the fly. At a holy well, I drank some water to hopefully heal my cold. Looks like it didn't work. *sigh*
The Shannon Pot was the next destination. This was the source of the River Shannon which extends throughout Ireland. It was an enchanting pool and crossing to the other side, John instructed us on the creation and spirituality of making Brigit's Crosses. It was quite relaxing and perfect for my dazed sense from the cold.
From there we made our way into Northern Ireland for another afternoon of disappointment. We went to the Augha Killy Maude's Men of Straw Theater. This was basically a museum to keep the Mummer tradition alive. The problem was the guide there apparently didn't have any guests, so it turned into an hour and a half lecture that could've been summed up in twenty minutes. Very disappointing.
So I was extra happy to get back to the Cromleach Lodge for another evening of amazing food and self-pampering. After dinner, we went for a walk on a trail with delicious darkness in the trees. When I got back, I played a few songs until Andrew was ready to join me. Then we put on a wee show in the lounge. It was short, but I was tired, and we only had one day to go.
Vacation Tour of Ireland, Day 8, The Last DayOur last drive for the trip went to Tara Hill. This was the court of the High Kings of Ireland for 3000 years. Too much of the day was spent driving, but since I was sick, I don't remember much. I think we stopped at an old tower somewhere, and a Celtic cross. But again, I was tired.
Tara was lovely as usual. We arrived later than anticipated so our tour was a bit too brief with not enough story. But since I heard some of it last year, I was fine. It was the rest of the group I felt had missed out. The day was cold. The vista spectacular. And I picked up a nice book of Irish songs when I saw it was by Brendan Behan, author of "Come Out Ye Black and Tans" and many more.
Then finally, we arrived at Deer Park Howth. Some of us decided to go for oysters before dinner, so John was kind enough to drive us down Howth to find some place to eat them. We did. They were spectacular, as was the company. The dinner was poor, but ahhh the oysters. Then a group of us drank wine, beer and more as we spent our last evening together in Ireland.
Final ThoughtsAll in all, it was a fantastic time. Good food. Good drink. Good company. We had it all. The rest was just beautiful sites to see in between those. I wish I didn't get sick, and there were definitely a couple sites that fell flat at the end of the tour, but overall, wow! How I wish I could do this every year. Ah well…
Now I'm in the airport at JFK, waiting to fly back home. I must admit, I can't wait to get home and see my cats. Plus, I have a lot of catch up to do. Podcasts. Andrew and I never did A Brobdingnagian Minute sadly. But I have a Pub Songs one to do. And there are some live sessions I'll post.
Yes, the session in Leenane was by far my favorite. It reminded me a lot of Lisdoonvarna from last year. I hope to do that again some time.
And Gougane Barra. That was definitely my favorite spot of the trip. I wouldn't mind just staying there a few nights of peaceful-filled bliss and meditation in that valley. Yoga. That would be something amazing to do in some of these serene spots. I need to get back to that.
And of course, I have to get back to promoting
Whiskers in the Jar which is
now available on CD Baby. So much to do and yet so much to miss and reflect on in Ireland.
Originally published at Marc Gunn .com. Read. Interact. Breathe. It's easy; it's free.Labels: travel
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posted by Marc Gunn @ Friday, June 13, 2008
It's hard to believe that there are only a few more days left on this tour. Time has flown by.
This morning, we left Leenane at our usual time, around 9:30am and drove along the road to Westport. We stopped at a few gorgeously scenic locations. One with waterfalls and rhododendron out the wazoo! It was spectacular, even with the light mist of rain. And the mountains... oh! They were covered with scintillating mist. They were just delicious.
We stopped just outside Westport to visit an old abbey and statue of a famine ship that commemorated the deaths of thousands of Irish as they were deported from Ireland during the 1840s. Then off to Westport.
Westport was a cute little town. There were a number of shops that I wanted to venture into. But before I hit the shops, we went to eat. There were a number of restaurants listed in Rick Steve's Ireland, but we arrived before noon and none of them were open. So we found one just down from Matt Malloy's. I ordered Irish Stew, and all the food was tasty. Yes, I snagged a few bites of others. ;)
Afterward was shopping time, but I wasn't in the mood. So I visited the cathedral and then as I was walking around town, John Wilmott mentioned Matt Malloy's again. So we went back the pub and found it open. Inside, I ordered a Guinness. We chatted, and I even met a local musician, also in for a pint.
Then it was back to the bus and off to Hennessey's Irish Heritage Center. The center was a delight. We started with tea and homemade scones. Then we went into this old Irish home where the proprietor told us stories about his family living in this now three room house for two hundred years. He collected stories from a lot of people in County Mayo and had some great tales to tell. The house was fascinating and full of preserved history.
The rest of the tour varied. There was a lot of history about Irish people, tools and what not. It dragged a little long, but it was the personal stories that really stood out every time. My ears would perk up excitedly from beginning to end.
We left the heritage center for our final destination, Tubbercurry in County Sligo. It's a nice gem for a somewhat dirty looking town. But there was a nice restaurant and pub across the street, and the whole of us went there for dinner, followed by one of the last Irish ceilis.
Apparently, the ceili is dying in most of Ireland. John said the Scottish ceilidhs are full of young people, but this was mostly elderly folk. But that didn't stop it from being an awesome event. Set dancing, brooms, accordions, poetry recitations, solo singers and more. Andrew and I played a few songs, and now I can barely sleep.
I must confess that this trip has me daydreaming about doing more vacation tours. I have all these cool creative ideas for them. I just wish it was a viable option. Ah well. I reckon I need to crash as we have another busy day ahead, and I'm already plenty sleep-deprived.
Originally published at Marc Gunn .com. Read. Interact. Breathe. It's easy; it's free.Labels: travel
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posted by Marc Gunn @ Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Oy am I tired. Today was a busy day. Fortunately, I had a good night's sleep last night, maybe too much of one. I woke just after nine. My wake up call was supposed to be at 7am so I could join the rest of the tour in the pretty town of Adare, to have a look around. I was a bit late, but made it in time for breakfast before I the bus took off.
We drove up the coast a bit to the Burren and stopped at the Singing Stones. The name reminds me of Three Amigos, and while there was no singing tree or stones for that matter, it was a beautiful place. Rocky terrain with several rocks standing on in, which some were wondering if they had some cultural meaning. I'm guessing a bunch of kids decided to stand them up because they looked cool. The view was lovely and the sound was fascinating. Andrew and I started talking 50 feet away as if we were five feet away. We could hear each other perfectly.
From there we drove to a Burren perfumery. It was a quaint little place. The café had some of the best coffee I've had in a long while, certainly in Ireland. And the smells… I love the scents we create. There's such power to it.
There was a lovely garden that after wandering around a bit, I ran back to the bus and grabbed my autoharp and Andrew's recorder. We played in this nice stone backed nook that would be an amazing stage at a Ren Faire. Soft, relaxing music was just the start for our final destination-Brigit's Garden.
Brigit's Garden was beautiful, relaxing garden built around the theme of Brigit with landscaping around the various Celtic holidays. It was all human constructed but beautifully designed for peace, serenity and even some playfulness. We had a short tour and after a very late lunch, Andrew and I played a few serene songs on top of a hill in the garden, which attracted a number of interested visitors.
Afterward, I walked around, playing a little bit, some with Andrew and some alone as I saw the site. Then we boarded the bus once more for Leenane, Connemara in County Galway. In this small hotel with had another delicious dinner and a group of us went into town to check out the two pubs. The first was hot and packed watching some football game. I'm not entirely sure what the game was. It wasn't quite soccer or American football. We found out about that when we went to the second pub where there were fewer people, and the temperature was cooler.
I was pretty out of it. But Andrew and I played a few songs. After he left, we had a wee sing-a-long and slowly others in the pub got interested, and we had a bigger sing-a-long. One lady, Brigit, oddly enough, came up and raved about my voice, which was nice as I wasn't sure what the "natives" would think. Last year in Lisdoonvarna, it was all fans. This year was split with fans and locals. And the locals enjoyed the songs. Brigit said I had a whole Pearl Jam sound to my voice. I thought that was amusing considering I used to play Alternative Rock.
Well, I stayed up far too long, and we wandered home feeling wiped. Another day ahead and oy am I tired. I should get more sleep, but I'm having too much fun!
Originally published at Marc Gunn .com. Read. Interact. Breathe. It's easy; it's free.Labels: travel
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posted by Marc Gunn @ Monday, June 09, 2008
Oy! What a day. I woke up too early. I couldn't sleep last night, so I pulled in four hours of sleep. It made for a rough start to the day for both me and Andrew who I woke up from my insomnia.
I was awoken in time for breakfast and ate quickly. We drove off North. This day was a bit less eventful than the previous two days. A couple of our group had to depart for business, sadly. So we had a few more deadlines getting places.
We drove up through the McGillicudy Mountains and stopped briefly a couple times. And in Inch, we stopped for some panoramic views of the ocean, but I was a bit disappointed we didn't stay longer.
The restroom break in Dingle was nice, but again short, and then we were off to the Celtic and Prehistoric Museum. That was a little interesting, but I think I would've preferred spending time on the beach, rather than visiting a tiny museum.
After that, we were famished and made our way back to Dingle for lunch. That lifted our spirits with some more good food, and spirits. We wandered for a brief bit before we drove to Adare in County Limerick.
All in all, it was a bit slower day than I would've preferred, but it brings us closer to our destination tomorrow at Brigit's Garden. And the stop at Adare in County Limerick was grand. The food was wonderful. Then we heard that a piano player would be in the pub at 9pm and liked to have musicians play with him. I showed up 30 till and sang songs as the pub got more and more packed.
The piano player never showed up, but closer to 10pm, Andrew did. And we played some more songs to a packed crowd. So packed in fact that our instruments were probably unheard by most people, but our tour group enjoyed the show, and that's what matters the most.
Afterward, the few remaining folks went outside, sat, chatted and drank until pass out time. Then off to the Jacuzzi bath tub. What a great way to end the day! The food, drink, and friends once again made up for the slowness of the day.
Originally published at Marc Gunn .com. Read. Interact. Breathe. It's easy; it's free.Labels: travel
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posted by Marc Gunn @ Monday, June 09, 2008
I woke up early in Gougane Barra. Not sure if it was the whiskey the night before or if my schedule is just totally messed up. But I got up, showered and went for a walk outside. Others in our group beat me to it. The weather was cool. The water was placid. I think blissful might be the word of the trip. Because it was.
We had a filling Irish breakfast with Cashel cheese. Mm… How I love cheese! The sun shone in throw the windows. And it was a pleasant dream looking out across the lake as we ate. Finally, we boarded the bus and started our next journey.
John told us that the weather was exceptional. So we would stop at a couple extra sites, one, a stonecircle overlooking Bantry Bay. There were tiny roads but we made our way up there, and the vision was spot on. The sky was uncharacteristically clear. The bay was beautiful.
The stonecircle had everyone bouncy, it seemed. It was located in this cow patty filled field, but despite dodging droppings, it was fascinating. Over three thousand years old. This was our start of the Beara Peninsula. John told some stories about the deities that the area was named for. The walk back to the bus was filled with reflection.
Our next stop was another out of the way place. A one lane road led to it. There we met an aged man, rugged from the sun and years, with a thick Irish accent. John bought us some postcards and paid our "ticket" to the next stonecircle. This one was even more spectacular than the last.
The path led across some bog and rocky terrain up over a hill and there was a stonecircle with the most panoramic view of a lake field valley behind it. When we arrived there were four waterfalls in the distance from the falling rain that met our bus going out there. By the time, left there was just one, because the sky was clear. The wind was blowing. I sat and lounged leisurely on a rock up on a hill overlooking the stonecircle. I missed most of John's speech about the stones, but the vista was so amazing. I wasn't too worried.
Everyone was feeling blissful by the time we left, and a little bit hungry. So our next stop was a small fishing town where we would run into a grocery store, grab some food and have a picnic at our last vista.
When we arrived, the toilet was calling, so three of us ran to a pub, used the toilets and then grabbed a pint. Mine was Murphy's. I'm trying out more drinks while I'm here. As much as I love Guinness, it's a heavy drink and for me, tough to consume in great quantities. I know. I know. That's sacrilege, but that's the way it is.
We left there and went to another ladies home to see an Ogham stone. Once again, we paid our way up the hill, and there we had lunch, beneath the shadow of this ancient rock that held the key to an ancient language. Once again, beautiful weather and great company. We ate delicious local cheeses and had a wonderfully relaxing time before we drove to Kenmare for our final stop for the night.
By then, I was quite exhausted. The sun and wind wore me down a bit. I lay down for a few minutes, before meeting some of the folks who wanted to go shopping.
That struck me immediately regarding CIE tours versus this one. I talked about it over dinner too. This trip was so much different from the "let's do our best to part as much money from tourists as possible" CIE tour we did last year. There is no to go and out gift shops. Consequently, by the time we got to Kenmare, I think everyone was fairly starved for shopping.
I like that. The focus is about the country and companionship and not the almighty dollar. That's definitely something I'll remember for the future.
My dinner wasn't spectacular, but was still good. I was still a bit full from lunch, so I ate less. And after checking some email, I joined others who were already out for a pint and listening to some trad music. No. I haven't heard "Danny Boy" since I've been here, and that's just fine by me.
Sadly, I couldn't stay out late. I was too wiped. So I head home for some happy sleep.
Originally published at Marc Gunn .com. Read. Interact. Breathe. It's easy; it's free.Labels: travel
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posted by Marc Gunn @ Saturday, June 07, 2008
Good friends. Good Drink. Good company.
I've said it before and I'll say it again. Those three things are what I look for in life. Our first day is over, and it is shear perfection.
Our plane arrived late this morning. But John Wilmott of Celtic Ways and most of the tour group were waiting for us. Thirty minutes later we were on the road. It was a slow trip getting out of Dublin and a long bus ride to Gougane Barra. But so worth it.
I played some music. We sang around the bus. I finally got my Guinness, and we had a delightful lunch. We chatted, relaxed. I stretched.
Then Andrew picked up his mandolin and recorder at lunch and we played some more. The country passed by like a postcard. The weather is cool with spots of rain. The air is fresh. My heart is blissful.
We arrived at 7pm in Gougane Barra. Wow! It's in the middle of valley. There's a lake there with a church on a peninsula. Dinner was amazing with a pear and blue cheese salad, lamb, and apple cobbler. I drank Murphy's Draught for the first time in Ireland. Haven't had that here. Then we went for a walk as the sun set. I am filled with joy and peace. And this is day one.
Originally published at Marc Gunn .com. Read. Interact. Breathe. It's easy; it's free.Labels: travel
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posted by Marc Gunn @ Thursday, June 05, 2008
