Saturday, February 24, 2007

World Traveller








OK, here's a piece of nonsense for you to do -assess your globe-trotting activities over the years. It would appear that I have visited 28 of the states in the USA and 32 countries (except this algorithm lumps the constituent parts of the United Kingdom together). Anyway what's a Celt or two between friends? According to the this TravelBuddy thingy I've visited 15% of the countries in the World. That's ok I suppose but there are some shameful omissions. I haven't been to South America, Central or Southern Africa, Russia or China. I'm hoping a trip to Thailand might come up towards the end of the year and jaunt to Zanzibar might be in the pipeline. So many places, so little time (and money)...!

Monday, February 12, 2007

Gift of the Gab

Kissing the Blarney Stone
Mad Dog Indulging in Tourist Silliness

In case any of you wondered about my whereabouts, I've spent the last few days in the Emerald Isle attending to a collaborative project. While in the delightful town of Cork I took time off to visit Blarney Castle where I shamelessly kissed the Stone of Eloquence (and ignored rumours that the locals urinate on it). As if I needed an endorsement to blather on and on and on...

P.S. SInce writing this post, it has been drawn to my attention that there is an epidemic of "Winter Vomiting" going around these parts. It's due to a really contagious bug called a norovirus. I'm really anxious I might succumb. Ironically I'm working on a diagnostic for this very disease back in Seattle. Ah, well, home tomorrow...