Posts by cassoverby

By mid-September, Mac and I had run out of Schengen time—you’re only allowed to be in Europe for 90 days out of every 180 on a tourist visa. So while we waited to be let back in, we headed to Morocco (northern Africa) to at least wait in style. I had been to Morocco once before, for three days back in college, when the country had completely captured my imagination. I enthusiastically sold Mac on the romantic Moorish architecture, colorful jalabas (traditional clothing) and exotic camel safaris. So off we went for a three-week adventure. Little did we know we’d be getting way more adventure than we bargained for.    To be honest, it probably didn’t help that we were coming to Morocco from England. In just two hours on a plane, we went...

After soaking in the magic and mystery of Scotland, Mac and I continued south to England. I was nervous about this part of our trip. After all, the dollar is notoriously weak against the pound; I knew it was going to be really expensive. Also, as counterintuitive as it may seem, it’s actually harder to plan a memorable trip to a country that’s really similar to your own. You have to work twice as hard to seek out the exotic and the impressive. Luckily, with a lot of research and some great recommendations from friends, we landed on 10 experiences that made our time in England not only worth the time but also worth the expense. Here they are, in no particular order. 1. Hiking in the Lake District The weather wasn’t gorgeous most days, but the...

After visiting Northern Ireland, Mac and I were eager to see more of the United Kingdom. Our original plan had been to go straight to England but at the last minute we took the advice of fellow travelers and bought plane tickets to Scotland. We’re really glad we did—from surreal scenery to fascinating folklore, there was so much magic in Scotland that we easily fell under the country’s spell. What made it even better was the fact that it caught us entirely by surprise. Here are the top 5 things that enchanted us about Scotland. The hiking: From the far reaches of the Scottish Highlands to the outskirts of busy Edinburgh, there was no shortage of incredible wilderness to explore. It wasn’t simply the wilderness that captivated us, though. It was...

After spending three weeks in the Republic of Ireland, Mac and I continued on to Northern Ireland. Because of its brutal recent past with the Troubles, a decades-long conflict between Catholics and Protestants, it’s a part of the world not many tourists have made it to. Indeed, the tourism industry in the country (Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom, not the Republic of Ireland) is less than ten years old. Both of us grew up with the Troubles—and their many bombings—dominating the nightly news. Once the smoke had cleared, we were eager to see Northern Ireland and learn what all of the violence had been about.    Despite its sordid history, Mac and I assumed that Northern Ireland was almost going to be an extension of the Republic of...

In the beginning of July, Mac and I traveled to Ireland. Our plan was to spend three weeks exploring the green country by foot, bike and rental car. Even though Ireland isn’t all that big, we wanted to experience its diversity, from urban Dublin to touristy Dingle to quiet Connemara. We had several must-sees on our Ireland travel list but were also both hoping for something more—something unseen. For Mac, it was about connecting with his Irish roots. I was after a glimpse of the true Irish spirit. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. In the beginning, it was enough just to soak in the sights and sounds of Dublin. Bright colors made the buildings pop against a perfect and decidedly un-Irish cerulean blue sky. There were friendly pubs and street...