Just the words, “World Travel,” sound romantic. What’s it like to really chuck it all and travel around the world for a year? After visiting over a dozen countries on a shoestring-budget, I thought I’d do a little visual re-cap of some of the highlights. First stop, on my world travel adventure – Australia, including the Great Barrier Reef in Cairns, where I took a leap of faith as well as a leap in the ocean, and...

Galway, a fair-sized harbor city on the west coast of Ireland, boasts the usual castle, cathedral, and old town square, but my favorite spot was in the winding lanes of the Latin Quarter, amidst portions of medieval walls, where a vibrant Irish music scene lives in the pubs as well as out on the streets. Galway is also home of the original makers of the famous Claddagh Ring, two hands holding a heart with a crown, symbolizing friendship, love,...

Lisdoonvarna is the matchmaking capitol of Ireland, and I just happened to be passing through during their annual festival. Even though I wasn’t looking to get matched, I admit I was curious, and have to say it’s hilarious! The town is studded with signs about matchmaking, along with hearts and cupids. A friendly old chap stopped to ask me if I’m here to get matched. When I told him no, he asked, “Have any of the old...

What in the world is the Burren? I’d read an article about it on my flight, but it looked pretty rugged and stark so I wasn’t sure I’d like it. Turns out it’s a magical place (a description I use a lot in Ireland). The Burren is a region in County Clare, and means “great rock.” It covers about 250 square kilometers, and the criss-crossing cracks in the limestone are called “grikes.” I headed first...

The famous Cliffs of Moher are one of the most visited tourist sites in Ireland, with almost a million visitors a year. After taking the car ferry over the channel from Troger, I headed for Loophead first, to check out the lighthouse and walk the loop around the peninsula head, with breathtaking cliffside views, before driving to the Cliffs of Moher. The drive on the peninsula is on some of those quintessential Irish roads – two-way...