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Further Afield's Journal
The Travel Nook
Saint Valentine’s Day 14th February.
If Paris and Milan consider themselves the cities of love, where will that leave Dublin, the capital city of Ireland? In 1836 Father Spratt arrived back in Dublin with the remains of St Valentine. Since that day the remains have been on show for all to see in Whitefriars Street Church in Dublin’s city centre. The Shrine contains an alarmed casket enclosing a number of St. Valentine’s bones and a vial of his blood.
The story of St. Valentine is pretty gruesome. In 270 AD he was working as a priest in Rome. The Emperor Claudius II was in power, remembered as ‘Claudius the Cruel’. Roman men were not joining the army when they were married, they cherished the attachment of their wives and families. Claudius II banned all marriages and engagements to get rid of this problem. Valentine realized this injustice and defied Claudius II by continuing to perform marriages in secret for young lovers.
On the 14th February around 270 AD, on the instructions of Claudius II, Valentine was confronted by a group of men who attacked him with clubs and then beheaded him. His martyred remains were buried in Rome. The Catholic Church canonized him in 1537.
Enter the Irishman Fr John Spratt in the early 1800s. A powerful preacher in Rome whose reputation had reached Pope Gregory XVI. After one of his sermons at a church in Rome where the Pope was present to hear Fr Spratt speak, the Pope was so impressed that he gifted him with St. Valentine’s remains. The priest carried the remains back with him to Dublin in 1836, where he in turn gifted them to Whitefriars church. Included was a letter from Pope Gregory XVI proving their authenticity. The remains had a Shrine and a statue erected in the church in the 1950s. The Catholic Church had an enormous following at that time and as word spread of this Shrine, people venerated it from all over Ireland, especially on the Saint’s patron day, the 14th February. As the tourism business became popular in Ireland, thousands of young and indeed, not so young people began to gather on his feast day in Whitefriars Street Church in memory of the Saint of Love. On a walking tour of Dublin this church is sometimes included.
SHAMROCK SPARKLE; IRELAND'S TIDY TOWNS TRIUMPH
In 1958 a competition was set up in Ireland to find the prettiest or tidiest town in the country. Only about 60 towns entered the competition in the initial year. Some boys, with the old flat caps, declared ‘that some politicians have too much time on their hands and that this gimmick won’t certainly last too long’. The Glenties in Co. Donegal won the first one and followed up with retaining the title for two more years.
It’s a voluntary organization, with the main sponsors being the SuperValu grocery stores, with many other organizations also involved, namely Guinness, Tourism Ireland, phone companies, pharmaceuticals, the farming communities, Aer Lingus the state airline, and others. Starting in March of each year, flowers are planted, trees are pruned, shop fronts and houses are given a makeover. Going through towns and villages in the early mornings, it’s an awakening and heart lifting experience to see the dedication and the pride that people have in their locality. Cleaning up the streets, renewing flower boxes etc. People from eight to eighty are involved, schools encourage students from an early age to keep their sweet papers or other rubbish they may have until they can dispose of it in a waste bin. The organization is well established and is administered by the Department of Rural and Community Development. It’s represented by a chairperson, secretary, treasurer and the other members of a board of directors with the skills and know-how, that are needed to deliver the necessary support.
The idea of the competition is not just the aforementioned effort but also to bring attention to these areas. Investment from overseas is a must for all of Ireland and the IDA (Irish Development Authority) has attracted many companies under the FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) to set up here. Small and large multinational companies are government funded and grant aided when agreeing to locate. First impressions are everything and the tidy towns are the injection that impresses a company that “what a lovely place to offer to employees’. Schools, churches, community facilities, and much much more are constantly being updated. It’s so important for an area to have this investment, statistics show that for every 10 employees in a work place they are supporting 6 others in that area with money being spent through housing or stores. Another point to remember is, with the UK having left the EU, Ireland is now the largest English speaking country within the European Union, with a highly well educated young workforce.
With the environment having a more ‘Green’ belief now, it will be more easier to keep offices, government buildings, schools, warehouses, dwellings and all other stores cleaner and less stained by emissions.
Adjudication for the competition takes place in June with results coming out in September or October. No monetary value for the winners. A gold medal for the winning town, silver and bronze for the runners up. Over 700 towns take part now after 70 years. Outliving the boys with the flat caps, even the caps have disappeared. For the towns that win or those that are close to winning the bar has now been raised. The top towns have to try and stay at the top and the runners up have to continue and achieve their ultimate goal.
Best wishes and thanks to all who take part. Driving throughout the country with tourists it makes us as people involved in the tourism business very proud having people remark how lovely everyplace looks. No other country in Europe has this competitive approach to a tidy town. That having been said, when driving throughout Europe one will be impressed by the beauty and cleanliness of their towns and cities, despite the lack of any competition incentive.
Ireland’s Tidiest Village 2023
- Geashill, Co Offaly
Ireland’s Tidiest Small Town 2023
- Abbeyleix, Co Laois
Ireland’s Tidiest Large Town 2023
- Killarney, Co Kerry
Ireland’s Tidiest Large Urban Centre 2023
- Cork South, Co Cork
Regional Award Winner 2023
- Midlands & East
Tree Project Award
- Shannon TidyTowns, Co Clare
Mongolia
Just where is Mongolia? It’s a plateau of Central Asia between China and Russian Siberia. It occupies an area of about 1,560,000 square Kilometres and has a population of about 3 million people.
When we see the word Mongolia, and our minds immediately flash back to Outer Mongolia, imagining troops of horsemen, charging into battle, the ground thundering and shuddering as these warhorses plough the earth beneath their feet. The Mongol Empire was founded by Genghis Khan, who forged an empire by uniting nomadic tribes of the Asian steppes and creating a devastating cavalry. The Empire or the ‘Golden Horde’ as it was called survived for over a century but with rivalry within successive generations the empire began to crumble. The Manchu-led Qing Dynasty of Outer-Mongolia was formed. This territory of China was ruled from 1691 to 1911, until modern day Mongolia got its independence during the Xinhai Revolution.
The Gobi Desert is the fifth largest Desert in the world and covers 30% of the land mass of Mongolia plus a similar size of China. The climate of Mongolia is very varied, with the mountain ranges of Altai, the Khangai and the Khentti and the desert determining the temperatures of the seasons. The average temperature in winter is from -10 to -30 and summer from +10 to +30 degrees centigrade.
The numerous lakes and rivers have an abundance of fish from trout, perch, pike, salmon, roach. Birds to be found are plovers, lapwings, egrets, eagles, hawks, ducks, swans, etc. Wild animals, grey wolves, snow leopards, bears, wild horses, camels, foxes, deer, yaks and so many more.
Employment for such a vast country and a low volume of population is a major problem for parliamentarians to have employees for the many vacancies that need filling. The state has a vast wealth of minerals, coal, copper, gold and uranium, oil and textile production are the main industries. Being a landlocked country adds more expense to imports and exports of materials. China is its main trading country, a large number of migrants from other countries are employed in Mongolia, especially in the education, medical and engineering sectors.
Mongolian cultures, traditions, music, art, literature and history are deeply influenced by their nomadic existence. Their sporting identity of horse racing, wrestling and archery is intermingled with the traditional way of life of the Mongols, the farming community of herding animals. The festivals involved in the history and cultural heritage are beautiful to watch. Traditional clothing designs display ones standing within their communities. Tibetan Buddhism is the dominant religion. When couples are getting married, the ceremony begins in the morning with the groom’s family arriving at the bride’s home or the place where the event is taking place. Both families are involved in the ceremony and expenses. The bride leaves her home and goes to live in her husband’s home.
For international travellers and tourists who thrive on adventure and exploration, this is the jaw dropping attraction that will embellish your dream world. People are always anxious to hear of someone’s latest adventure. As such your trip to Mongolia will entitle you to an open invitation to many a party or an event. Retirees or individuals taking career breaks should have this destination implanted in their to-do list. The citizens of Mongolia are a hardworking race of people, graceful and sometimes austere individuals. In the family environment 2 or 4 children are the norm, nowadays when children mature they move to the cities, leaving the rural areas to the older generations, Ulaanbaatar the capital and largest city is the most attractive city for university, college and employment. The youngest son usually inherits the land and family home.
For more information contact, Further Afield Travel and Tours.
Spain as a Tourist Destination
Spain is one of the largest tourist attractions in the world. The number of visitors that have Spain as their first choice of destination is 84 million people per year. This number accounts for 12% of the country’s GDP. 2.25 million people are involved in the tourism sector. This number was at 2.6 prior to the pandemic but it’s recovering now.
Spain and Portugal are the two countries of the Iberian peninsula, on the southern part of Europe, bordering Morocco, Andorra, France, Gibraltar and Portugal. They also border the Mediterranean Sea, the Bay of Biscay and the Atlantic Ocean. Spain has a population of 48 million people and an area that covers 505,000 square kilometres with a coastline of 5,750 kilometres. The mountain ranges are mainly in the centre of the peninsula.
Popular places to visit are, Costa Blanca, Costa Dorada, Majorca, Salou, Costa Del Sol, Benidorm and Ibiza. Europe awards a status of Blue Flags to beaches and resorts that attain a certain level of excellence, that is for cleanliness and purification of the water and the environment. Blue flags have been awarded to 680 Spanish resorts, the most to any country’s beaches in the Northern Hemisphere. With the length of the coastline the choice of beaches is overwhelming.
For sports fans and supporters of soccer clubs a visit to Barcelona or Valencia could be included in a trip. The Olympic Games were held in Barcelona in 1992, in the Catalonia area of Spain. The Olympic Stadium, was built in 1929 in the failed attempt at being awarded the Olympic Games of 1936. The games were held in Berlin instead. Barcelona soccer club used the stadium afterwards. Today the Nou Camp stadium is Barcelona’s soccer football ground, it has a capacity for almost 100,000 spectators. It is open as a visitor-attraction centre throughout the year, not on football match days of course.
Cultural and business tourism is very popular in Spain. Madrid is the capital city of the country but it is also the world’s headquarters of the tourism industries, UNWTO which is the United Nations World Tourism Organization. Including Barcelona these two cities have an extensive market for commercial conferences, media, education, entertainment, fashion, science, technology, arts, sports, pharmaceutical, filmmaking and computer software. Museums, libraries, galleries abound and for the museum of the Americas, there are no others worldwide to compare with this one in Spain. From Arab, Byzantine, Hellenistic, Roman, Medieval or Renaissance periods there is an avalanche of artifacts to be seen in every museum and gallery in this country.
Religious holidays, Catholicism and Spain are interlinked. After the Vatican in Rome and Jerusalem, Santiago de Compostela (the way of Saint James) in Galicia, is the third holiest place to visit in Europe. In Saville the processions of Holy Week, at Easter time are an outstanding celebration of colour and devotion. At Christmas the festival begins on the 22nd of December and continues until 6th of January. Christmas Eve is the special event for exchanging gifts, celebrating a meal with friends and families. Strolling through Christmas Markets in cities and towns with the beautiful aromas of spicy food, mulled wine and candles or looking at scenic Nativity cribs.
Festivals are a part of the pageantry of what makes Spain so attractive. Most of the festivals revolve around Labour Day holidays or Patron Saint’s days. Folklore embraces legends of local cultures, music, dance and costumes for old and young. The running of the bulls in Pamplona is world famous but there are many more areas throughout the country where similar events are held.
Wine tasting and manufacturing gatherings:
With the exception of Italy, Spain is the largest wine-producing nation in the world. France and the USA follow on. The export of wine has been popular since early times, when monks in the monasteries and abbeys discovered the art of distillation and brewing. With famine and plague throughout Europe, water was not safe to drink but turning the water into alcohol was a better prevention rather than a cure. Speaking of Abbeys, the order of the Poor Clare’s was an order of nuns that were founded in the 13th century, in the 15th and 16th centuries the order attracted young widows and spinster noblewomen, each having a sizeable dowry with them when they entered the convent. A shortage of men due to Wars and the demand for sailors left a shortage of husbands. The convents of the Poor Clare’s were to become the richest in Europe. At the beginning of the 20th century during the construction of the Underground Railroad, in Madrid, the remains of some Mercedarian Monks were discovered at one particular location. Not knowing what to do with them the workers gently deposited the remains on the platforms and then covered them with plenty of mortar and thick commercial floor tiles. Be careful as you walk through the stations, ‘You’re being watched by some of these spirits’.
Madrid and all the major cities and towns in Spain such as Granada, Santander, Bilbao, San San Sabastian and others all have wonderful museums, galleries, libraries, gardens, Cathedrals, churches, restaurants, town centres and squares, beautiful architecture, universities etc. The subway in Madrid is worth a visit to experience the engineering work that went into the design and creativity of the tiered lines on the different levels that’s a city below a city.
The Canary Islands off the coast of Africa in the Atlantic Ocean, are Spanish territory and a very popular destination for tourists. Known for the volcanic activity, it has one of the third largest volcanoes in the world measuring 3,700 meters from its base. The film starring Raquel Welch ‘One million years BC’ had some of the scenes filmed on the island of Lanzarote. The average number of tourists visiting here each year is about 3.5 million. The islands in the Mediterranean belonging to Spain are Ibiza, Mallorca and Menorca.
Spain together with Portugal and Greece became members of the European Economic Community in 1986. The EEC as it was called back then, had been founded in 1957 by France, Italy, West Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, in the hope of achieving an end to European wars, especially between France and Germany. Britain, Ireland and Denmark were admitted in 1973. Bringing the total number to twelve states, if you look at the EU flag it has twelve stars on a blue background. Regardless of how many more countries join the EU this will remain its flag. The EEC became known as the European Union in 1993. Tariffs were lifted between member states and the freedom of movement was granted. Through the years, other countries joined, 10 countries joined in 2004 including some from the former eastern Soviet bloc. The total number of countries in the European Union now is 27. Britain voted to leave in 2016.
Most of the countries within the EU, including Spain, use the Euro as a common currency. The use of the euro has made travel through Europe so much easier. No more changing money as you go from one country to the next. One knows the price of goods compared to one’s home country. There is an old saying attributed to Oscar Wilde ‘he knows the price of everything but the value of nothing’.
The employment industries in Spain are the Automotive sector, Commercial Banking, Finance, Medical technology, Chemical production, Shipbuilding, Textiles, Electronics, Computer Software, farming and wine making and tourism.
The age of discovery in Spain.
From the early 1400s sailors were encouraged by the monarchies of different European countries to explore the world in search of new lands, products, materials and wealth. Portugal was one of the first nations to begin exploring. Spain followed very quickly and started to conquer and develop new territories for Spain. The Conquistadores, were explorers-soldiers who conquered much of South America, Herman Cortes claimed Mexico, Francisco Pizarro conquered Peru, Balboa got Panama, De Vaca reached Texas.
Christopher Columbus was born in Italy but went to Spain at an early age, he was a worthy seaman. King Ferdinand II and Isabella I of Spain sponsored him to captain a ship to India via the Atlantic Ocean. There were three ships with a crew of 90 men in total. The trade routes around the cape of Good Hope off the African coast were too dangerous and the routes through the Danube and the Black Sea were no longer safe due to the fall of Constantinople. He believed that the earth was round so if he went west he’d get to India. Heading west however, there was a chunk of land that no one knew of.
Columbus arrived in the Bahamas, marking the first European to discover America in 1492, he returned with wealth in gold and silver, spices, plants, shrubs and trees. He was to make a further three trips before his death in Valladolid, Spain in 1508. Many areas are called after him, including Columbia in South America, British Columbia in Canada, towns, cities, schools and universities. In the 16th and 17th centuries Spain was the largest Empire in the world.
For those travelling to Spain your suitcase can be lightweight. The temperature in the springtime from April to June are in the low 20 C in summertime July to September is usually around 30 C. The food is exceptional for the tastebuds, the wine is a titivation for the palate and after lunch it’s “siesta” time. Food is worth preparing and waiting for, to eat in a relaxed atmosphere and a time to digest in comfort.
For more information call or email Further Afield Travel and Tours.
Ireland in September
Here’s a date for your calendar for this year, 15th September 2024, the Signature Tour of Ireland. A country that’s close to many people’s hearts, it’s a land of mystique, intrigue and pageantry. An island hanging on the edge of western Europe.
A happy new year to you all from Further Afield Travel and Tours for 2024. The company has reached a milestone in business, celebrating its tenth anniversary. Many thanks to you all in helping us to achieve this accolade. Your support, commitment and promotion through the years is appreciated. The team are diligently working with confidence in booking more and more vacations each year.
The island of Ireland is 32,000 sq miles in total, one fifth of which, Northern Ireland is governed by the United Kingdom. The combined population is almost 7 million people. The west coast has to most enchanting scenery. The coast has been shaped and gouged out by Atlantic storms that bombard the island, having crossed 3,000 miles of a turbulent ocean. The multitude of islands off the coast vary in size, Achill island off the Co. Mayo coast is the largest and is steeped in history. The Aran Islands in Galway Bay that struggles to preserve the native language, the Blasket Islands in Kerry, famous for its history of distinctive writers, Rathlin island off the coast of Northern Ireland and its association with Robert de Bruce King of Scotland. There are about 50 other islands that are inhabited, some with only a handful of people each having their own haunting stories and myths. There are others islands that are tiny, not much more than large rocks but they are still recorded in ordnance survey maps as part of Ireland for the purposes of exploration and the rights that may pertain to the findings of such research. Ireland’s international waters extend to a distance of 200 nautical miles.
The Cliffs of Moher, Slieve League Cliffs, the mountain ranges of Cork, Kerry, Galway, Donegal along the west coast portray themselves as a barrier against the incessant attacks of the elements. The challenges offered to climbers, hill walkers or cyclists is in proportion to one’s ability.
The Signature tour begins in the south west of Ireland in Co. Kerry. You find yourself transported back to prehistoric times, to pagan mythology and a time when humanity was exuberantly linked to the classical elements of water, earth, air, fire and spirit. Hear the stories of fairy ring forts, the fairy trees that are the portal entrance to the underworld, mythical tales of sea creatures, banshees crossing through the peat bogs. Folklore, Leprechauns and Halloween.
As you travel around the countryside you will see the ancient ruins of Castles, Churches, Abbeys, Tower Houses, Monasteries, Manor houses and 18th and 19th century farm buildings. Agriculture lands with dairy cows, beef cattle, flocks of sheep and stud farms. Relish the beauty of fields of barley, wheat, oats and canola (used in the manufacture of cooking oil), these cereals maturing and ripening in their golden colours, their heads nodding in the breeze with the weight of grain, as if to say ‘welcome’ as you pass by.
Looking back at the history of Ireland and the devastation that the failure of the potato crops that resulted in a Famine that lasted from 1845 to 1852. The population was in excess of 8 million at this time but the numbers of hunger related deaths and mass immigration resulted in the population falling by 50%. The census of 2023 was the first time in 170 years that the population is coming up to what it was back then.
As you visit the towns and cities you will witness the modernization of the country, with up-market office blocks, apartments, shopping malls and hotels. Buildings that have now become a symbol of modernity in Ireland, housing companies that have their European headquarters here in Ireland. Companies like Intel, Apple, Pfizer, Google, Facebook, LinkedIn, PayPal and more including Banking Services, Construction and Engineering works.
Visiting Northern Ireland and the city of Belfast you are invited to enjoy an area of the island that is now experiencing peace and prosperity instead of warfare which had been an obstacle to growth and investments. Your visits will include the Giant’s Causeway, the Titanic visitors centre, Bushmills Distillery (the oldest licensed distillery in the world), the American Folk Park and the City Hall of Belfast.
Dublin is the capital city and by far the largest city in the country with a population of 1.5 million people. A thriving cosmopolitan city with four universities and many business colleges, and hospital training facilities, the largest commercial sea port in the country, with several passenger crossings each day to Britain.
Employment in Ireland is stable. Tourism, Education, Computer manufacturing, Pharmaceuticals, Technology, Engineering, Farming exports of dairy and beef products, Transportation with the amount of exports. Guinness is one of the largest breweries in the world and very popular as a tourist attraction. The unemployment figure in the Republic of Ireland for 2023 was 4.5% out of a workforce of 2.6 million people.
For a relatively small country, it packs a significant punch in the entertainment sector. Music and dance, film production and location, and a destination for many foreign companies to advertise their products or services. Cruise ships docking in the many ports around the country for 2023 numbered 150.
Some space is still available for that date in September. For further information email or call, Further Afield Travel and Tours or phone 1.844.564.1076