Changes of Gauge

Delta flight 160, Denver to Amsterdam, landed today (December 1, 2014) in Amsterdam with no Denver passengers on board. This is not uncommon: it also happened with DL160 on November 13.

The explanation starts with a "change of gauge," a term rooted in railroads.

My Long Journey to Ireland

I disliked history classes at my high school in Newcastle upon Tyne, England.

The focus on studying for examinations did not fit my learning style. The teaching style often reflected the teacher's lack of interest in teaching.

To be fair, I did not then have the life experiences to sufficiently understand the nuances of how the world works.

Then, one day my ears pricked up when I heard the teacher talking about exploding mail boxes and post offices.

We had reached the Ireland of 1916. Domestic terrorism seemed so improbable.

Ireland by Numbers

Today we reluctantly leave Ireland: Dwight heads back to Minneapolis, and I continue my travels for a little longer.

18: # days in Ireland

It never rained, not once.

0: # days it rained
0: # days I wore a jacket

And it was warm.

We walked almost every day.

150: # miles walked (approximately)
75: # miles walked with backpacks

We took advantage of the good public transport system both in the Republic and Northern Ireland.

9: # buses (public transport)
2: # trains
0: # taxis

To be fair, we did rather enjoy being driven around by friends on a couple occasions.

Sheep's Head Way

I like to hike in peace.

Consequently, today, we find ourselves hiking the Sheep's Head Way  along "a peaceful, unspoilt peninsula" in a remote southwest corner of Ireland

If I Google "Sheep's Head Way" I get 14,500 results. If I Google "Giant's Causeway" I get 3.8 million results. We'll give The Giant's Causeway, the Blarney Stone, and numerous other "must-sees" a wide miss.