One of my favourite things about returning home for a visit is the opportunity to revisit the awe-inspiring beaches of Donegal. Tucked away in the North-West of Ireland, this part of the land has some of the most spectacular beaches I’ve ever seen. In some ways, although the weather is ‘changeable’ (read ‘ can beContinueContinue reading “Atlantic Donegal”
Tag Archives: featured
The Woman in the Window
I’m a sucker for a thriller I can devour in an afternoon, and from the back cover, this looked promising. With quotes of praise from Stephen King, Gillian Flynn and Val McDermid, my expectations were high. The opening chapter immediately intrigued. Developing in a manner similar to Hitchcock’s ‘Rear Window’, as the protagonist spies onContinueContinue reading “The Woman in the Window”
24 Horas en Madrid
I’m really excited to be heading back to Madrid for a visit this weekend and to dive back into life in a HUGE metropolis. Obviously, the main attraction is reconnecting with all our friends, but I’m planning on visiting a few favourite old haunts and interesting new places. In the process of noting down allContinueContinue reading “24 Horas en Madrid”
Parallax, Sinead Morrissey
Morrissey’s T.S.Eliot Prize-winning fifth collection is defined by the poet at the outset as Parallax (Astron.) Apparent displacement, or difference in the apparent position, of an object, caused by actual change (or difference) of position of the point of observation. It’s a collection about perception and paradoxes, opening with 1801, inspired by Dorothy Wordsworth’s ‘The GrasmereContinueContinue reading “Parallax, Sinead Morrissey”
Hoi An
Faro
I’ll admit that expectations were low. I’d visited Portugal many times, but avoided the Algarve, believing it to be over-touristed and lacking in anything cultural. Oh, how I was wrong! Faro is a compact, coastal town with typically Mediterranean paved streets winding towards the sea. On our approach, we were bemused by the amount ofContinueContinue reading “Faro”
Leontia Flynn: Profit and Loss
Leontia Flynn’s third collection was first published in 2011, but it’s taken a while for us to come into contact. In general, I try to avoid reviews of poetry collection before reading a book and in this case, I think it was a wise decision. Not because the reviews weren’t excellent – they were, mostContinueContinue reading “Leontia Flynn: Profit and Loss”
Iceland
Europa
Sean O’Brien’s collection Europa comes at a fitting time for a poetic exploration of European and British identity. It’s a heavy read, moving across the continent, but still retaining the ability to focus in on the details in breathtaking and meaningful ways. The collection opens with ‘You Are Now Entering Europa’ – a title whichContinueContinue reading “Europa”
Coimbra
Our visit to Coimbra was an accident. A happy accident, but an accident none-the-less. With a close friend choosing to marry in Cascais, we decided to venture into the parts of Portugal between Porto and Lisboa and Coimbra seemed an ideal location. A little bit of research told us it was a lively university townContinueContinue reading “Coimbra”
Nicola Heaney 