Published on Friday, February 17, 2012 by Richard F. Downes The Galway Quilting Holiday is not like other foreign quilting holidays, where guests can easily get lost in the expanse of a huge convention centre. This event has the distinction of being held in a custom built Quilter's Hamlet, beside the Corrib Stream. This creates a much more intimate experience, where one can roam among the numerous stalls and workshops of the...

Published on Thursday, January 26, 2012 by Richard F. Downes If you're looking out for a major EU city to go to that has personality and warmth then Amsterdam Netherlands is easily worth considering. Located in the North Holland province, it is the Netherlands capital of finance and culture. It is a relatively little city, nonetheless it is chock-full of architectural and art history, which mixes well with the relaxing and jo...

Published on Wednesday, January 18, 2012 by Richard F. Downes Warsaw is Poland's capital and one of its biggest towns. It is spread over just below 2 hundred square miles along the banks of the Vistula Brook. Life for its 1.7 million inhabitants, the majority of whom are Catholic, is good ; membership of the EU has made it the recipient of a range of grants and world investment, which have enabled development of a variety of i...

Published on Sunday, November 27, 2011 by Richard F. Downes The wonderful Dingle Peninsula is a vital destination for the visitor to get a little taste of 'real Ireland'. Most of the Peninsula is a Gaeltacht. This suggests it is in an area where the Irish language ( Gaeilge or Gaelainn ) is spoken in day to day life and Irish, not English is officially recognised as the first language to preserve the local culture. The Trav...