March 5, 2018 - Memories of Rome & Ireland and Little Ireland, The Bronx

Tanya's Daily Scoop
Covering the West Coast & the World
NEXT TRIP DEPARTS IN: 1 DAY

Memories of Rome and Ireland

Hi there! How's everyone doing out there today?

​The weekend was great and now Monday is here! 

We only have 1 more day before taking off on that big bird in the sky and I'm feeling pretty good about being ready to go.

We still need to finalize packing the odds and ends, as well as our carry-ons. But this should be easy peasy!

Being vegan it is always a struggle for onboard meals. We always request them. I always confirm and reconfirm them. But there have always been those times that the airline "loses" or request and then we are without food.

I'm definitely not a fan of being hungry - no surprise huh?!
I've learned that it's always better to plan ahead and carry food onboard. Having more than we need is always better then not having what we need.

So I've shopped for snacks and of course I'll be taking my romaine!  I love to eat, but at times I can also eat like a rabbit. LOL

Munching on my Romaine (c)travelincousins.com

We'll be picking up some more grub tonight on our way to choir at our normal Monday night stop and if all goes well then we'll have plenty-o-foods to choose from as well as the onboard itty bitty meals that have been requested.

Our regular Monday night stop at Thein Dang (c)travelincousins.com

I've already had a bunch of errands and calls that needed to be taken care of before we take off. So timing wise I think we are sitting pretty!

Now to get you and me in the mood for Rome and Ireland even more, I'll share a few pictures and memories with you, as well as finally sharing our daily itinerary!! 

Let's start with Rome...

Looking out at Rome (c)travelincousins.com

Piazza Navona (c)travelincousins.com

Blisters in Rome - can you avoid them? (I'm hoping to!)

The Colosseum (c)travelincousins.com

Loving every moment in Rome (c)travelincousins.com

And there have also been some amazing visits to Ireland...

UNESCO Giant's Causeway (c)travelincousins.com

Waking up like a Princess on my Birthday at the Ashford Castle!

My outstanding time at the Ashford Castle (c)travelincousins.com

Ring of Kerry (c)travelincousins.com

Visiting the Killarney National Park (c)travelincousins.com

The rugged Skellig Michael (c)travelincousins.com

I hope these pictures and stories have caught your interest enough to follow along side by side with me each and everyday through Rome and Ireland.
​
We are heading to Rome and Ireland!!

I'm gonna go and finished up now,
-Travelin' Tanya

Elisa's Daily Scoop
Covering Long Island & NYC Boroughs
​CURRENTLY ON LONG ISLAND

Little Ireland, The Bronx

Hey Guys!! What a day today has been!

I had to rush out this morning and never blogged, so here I sit at 2:30 in the afternoon writing to you, my favorite peeps!

As Tanya is getting herself ready to take off tomorrow for her European trip to Ireland and Rome, I took my own trip today up to "the Bronx" to the area of Woodlawn Heights, better knows as Little Ireland!

Today in Woodlawn Heights in the Bronx. (c) travelincousins.com

After dropping off the girls at school and Punkin at doggie daycare, I got on the road and headed into Queens to pick up my Aunt Ro.

Together, we made our way over the Triborough Bridge (now known as the RFK Bridge, which I refuse to call it) and onto the Major Deegan Expressway to Woodlawn Heights.

What a great day of historic discovery and sites led by our personal tour guide, Alexandra Maruri, from Bronx Historical Tours.

Our morning and early afternoon consisted of driving around the Woodlawn Heights area, taking a stroll along The Bronx River and touring within Woodlawn Cemetery.  

I must say, I garnered quite an education about the area and the Bronx, general, from Alexandra, who is a wealth of information!

A section of The Bronx River (c) travelincousins.com

A bit of Bronx trivia - do you know why it is the only borough that has an article in its name?

It was settled in in 1639 as a Dutch colonial province by Scandinavian, Jonas Bronck. At the time of his death in 1643 (at age 43), the only thing that remained of his farm was "Bronck's River" - the stream that ran along his farm.  
The River was named after him and in order to allow for easier pronunciation, the "ck" was changed to a "x" and it became The Bronx River.

Many years later when the borough was named, they named it for the river and that is why it is The Bronx, rather than just Bronx

During my visit today, I came to the realization that there is way too much in this section of the Bronx for just one article.  So, as a result, I'll be doing several. 

The first of these will be published next Monday, March 12th and will feature the Woodlawn Cemetery.  Designated a National Historic Landmark in 2011, this 400-acre non-sectarian cemetery is the final resting place of more than 310,000 individuals, many of which are well known Americans.

The monuments and mausoleums within have been designed by the nation’s most accomplished architects, landscape designers and sculptors. 

Ok folks, that's a wrap!

AND...don't forget to read my newest article in Elisa's Long Island and Travelin' 25 today, celebrating Women's History Month:
Women Pioneers of Travel.

Isabella Bird, English explorer, writer, photographer and naturalist featured in my latest article: Women Pioneers of Travel (photo credit: wiki)

See ya tomorrow!
-E
xoxo