Tag: Connemara

The Road Well-Traveled

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In the spirit of a picture saying a thousand words (at least!), I’ll let these vacation pictures from my last week’s Ireland trip do the talking for me. Who knew that trekking through flood waters, cow paddy-laced bogs, and pelting rains could be so much fun–but it was! But then Ireland’s West Country boasts some of the most breathtaking scenery I’ve ever before experienced in any weather.

The three pictures shown here are from the Connemara leg of the journey. The group photo, taken after completing the last walk of the trip, is from left to right, Linda L, Bill A, Ron L, Pol O’Colmain (artist, storyteller, musician as well as Guide Extaordinaire) and Yours Truly–with the wind-whipped hair.

I’ll be posting photos from The Burren/Galway Bay walks as well over the next week. In the meantime, if you have a moment or better yet two, “nip on over” to Facebook.com where I’ve posted all sixteen photos (so far) to an album.

Hope

Going Green…

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In many ways Manhattan is a very European city. For sure it demonstrates that a pedestrian society can not only work but work well. If I kept a car here, I think I’d probably end up having to shoot it like in those old spaghetti westerns when the trusty stead went lame on the trail and there was, well, nothing left to be done. (Really, did those wagon trains not have room for at least one veterinarian, for gosh sakes!).

Fortunately I don’t need wheels here in the Big Apple unless you count my shopping pushcart. Here not only the trains but yes, the subway and buses all run on time. Since moving, I like to say my “carbon footprint” has shrunk from small to minuscule. Think bound foot.

But for the next week I’m not only going green, I’m going to the Green as in Ireland. Or at least a small part of Ireland: Connemara and Galway. I’ve wanted to take this trip for more than ten years, no joke, and a few months ago I decided to make like the Nike ads and “Just Do It.”

And yes, you guessed it–I’m walking.

Well, first of course I’m flying. Once there, though, in the main I’ll be traveling not by horse power but person power. Mine. Got my back pack, got my Timberland hiking boots, and yes, my rain poncho all packed. Fortunately the seasoned guides with the tour group I signed on with, Country Walkers, won’t let me veer too far off course. At least I’m hoping not…

While I’m gone, hopetarr.com will remain in the capable hands–and under the 24/7 watch–of the fabulous folks at WaxCreative Design, so no worries there.

Many of you have emailed to congratulate me on launching Harlequin’s Blaze Historical Miniseries with Bound to Please. Thank you–and please keep the encouragement coming. It means a lot. Though I’ll be mostly offline this week, once I’m back home from the Emerald Isle I’ll be reading and responding to every single email in my in-box as I always do. In the meantime…

Happy Trails,

Hope