“The water isn’t salty Mum”, my five year old son shouts joyfully as we swim back to the deserted white soft sands of Kiani Akti, He is right because the water which flows into this section of Souda Bay, on the North West corner of Crete, is from one of the mountain rivers, which gathers speed as it gushes past hillside olive and orange groves, culminating in a tumultuous surge at this tiny beach. The effect is not only the [...]
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Northern Ireland
ArticlesMy Cretan OdysseyFriday, November 6th, 2009Voicing Irish concernSunday, November 1st, 2009
Photo: Tourism Concern The Irish are famous worldwide for their sense of justice and human rights. During my travels, this is something that many people comment on and admire. One active conservationist company providing hiking holidays asked me to write about them recently, and requested specifically that I choose an Irish target audience, “We love Irish visitors” they told me, [...] On a slippery slopeTuesday, October 27th, 2009
Ski touring with Wilderness Scotland A long slippery slope should be a good thing for skiers. The environmental one, however, looks more like a rocky road to disaster than a fun day out on the piste. In the Alps, as in many other mountain areas, the glaciers are disappearing at an uncomfortably rapid speed, [...] Green is the new blueSunday, October 18th, 2009
Charles Plunket at Belle Isle, County Fermanagh Ecowarriors come in all shapes and sizes. Yet castles and country house owners are not always the ones we expect to be pushing the ethical message. Ireland’s Blue Book (irelands-blue-book.ie), with its collection of exclusive country getaways is, however, [...] Smile, you’re on a bikeWednesday, October 7th, 2009
Don’t be a stranger with TripbodSunday, September 20th, 2009
Times have changed, however, and as my travels take me further afield I, like many others, use the [...] Paddle for the planetSaturday, September 5th, 2009
In search of ‘The Other’Saturday, August 22nd, 2009
So if you are after that ‘Other’, you are spoilt for choice out there. There are grinning greenies sleeping in treetops, tipis, boats, railway carriages and mud huts in some of the most fantastic locations around the world. There are converted containers at Cove ParkClick here to read more For women with a sense of adventureSaturday, August 22nd, 2009
Disturbing the peace – jet skisSaturday, August 8th, 2009If you are a keen sea swimmer on holiday, there is always a list of dangers to look out for: unpredictable currents, jellyfish, sea urchins and, at worst, sharks. But few people point out one of the greatest dangers. Jet skis. On my recent swimming holiday in Croatia,(click here to read the article) there was one particular piece of coastline where we were told by our instructors to hug the shore, as jet skiers often broke all codes of conduct at this location. They watched us, and the water, like hawks, but luckily it was [...] |
Just as Dubliners and its visitors are now discovering, with the arrival of Dublin Bikes, cycling definitely makes us smile. Is it that ‘get back in touch with nature’ vibe (albeit not really a feature of 
I headed to Paris for a three year stint in the early eighties, knowing noone and feeling very much the stranger in town. Someone recommended that I post an ad for digs at The American church there, as that is where most English-speaking expats congregated to exchange information. It worked - I found a flat, some cool flatmates, a bike, a futon, and a few party invites to boot. Social rather than spiritual guidance, it has to be said.
If you are refusing to hang up your wetsuit for another year, and squeeze just one more weekend of frivolity out of these rapidly shortening days, Lough Erne in Fermanagh is calling. Regular readers will know that I am a Fermanaghphile. The cluster of exemplary responsible tourism businesses in this area is inspiring, to say the least. At their core is The Share Holiday Village in 
Having an adventure on holiday