Happy 100th posting to my blog!

So, after 100 blog postings I thought a few facts and figures about the blog would be a good way to celebrate this momentous occasion! - On a practical point: Half way through, I noticed I wrote the dates the American way.  I.e. Month first, then the day.  Sorry! The blog posting which brought Irish Stew for the Soul into being was posted on 12. 8. 2010 with a very respectable 11 viewers for starters.  . Interesting for me is the variation in the number of blog viewers per posting. The statistics dept. in the blogger world indicate that in 5 years of posting - in fact just four days short of exactly five years,  I have had a total of 11,610 page views, which is an average of over 116 viewers per posting.  But viewer numbers are far more higgledy piggledy than that. The posting with the least number of viewers was Fasnacht - when one takes One´s Fun very seriously posted on 2. 13. 13.  A perfectly respectable blog posting with lots of photos. -  But it has had only 3 viewers to date. On the other end of the statistical spectrum is  Mofa - My Speed Drug of Choice posted on 6.5.12.  This is tops to date with 385 page views. That is followed by The Neolithic Age meets the Nuclear Age - up the Road from my Cousins posted interestingly enough only seven weeks later.  This posting received 356 viewings.  One might think that was to do with the words in the heading.... i.e.  Speed and Drug etc.   But other ´catchy´ headings don´t draw a crowd.  For example one might think This Happened on a Beach in Brazil - posted 4.12.12, would tempt a potential viewer to hit the click button.  But that posting was only viewed 54 times. Likewise Views of New York posted on 1.20.13 has unusual pictures of New York taken from a ferry.  It has had only 23 viewers. -  On other hand A happy little story about a happy little cat in New York posted on 4.16.13 garnered 177 clicks. All postings to do with Wellie Racing had very respectable posting numbers with reader numbers ranging from 100 to 200 plus. Similarly all postings with nice pictures of the Bodensee area and from holiday locations area tend to receive 100 plus readers.  Ireland between the Raindrops which was only posted 9.22.15 has had 121 hits already for example.  - And two comments!  But there is one interesting exception to the popularity of the pretty photo blog postings that I do ponder on.   (By times only I hasten to add.  Even I and my ego think about matters other than those pertaining to my blog a few times a day.  At least.  Honest!) Anyway the posting is titled  I feel like I live in a Christmas card on Mr. Rogers´ Mantelpiece!  posted on 12.29.10.  Even if one was not personally acquainted with the aforementioned Mr. Rogers, one could imagine images worthy of a Christmas card would garner loads´a clicks.  But to date this posting has had only 16 views. Another interesting oddity is Berlin is Amazing Part 1 - 4.1.14 which merited 133 reader clicks, but Berlin parts 2 and 3 had only 13 and 14 readers respectively.  Go figure! Some serious postings receive more hits than I would have imagined starting out.  I never meant to ´aim´ for serious on Irish Stew for the Soul.  But hey occasionally ´serious happens´ what can I say!    This Blog Posting is not even a little bit Funny - posted on 3. 25. 11 about various reliable media sources is up there with 175 viewers.  A repeat of the posting albeit slightly modified, also garnered good viewer numbers.  And even more serious Every Relationship needs a Herb Book garnered 24 readers.   As it was only my second blog posting back in December 2010, I was surprised it received attention at all. Other serious blog postings do not garner great numbers of viewer clicks at all.  For example Are your New Year´s Resolutions beginning to teeter of the wagon a bit? - Try working backwards! 1.6. 2014 has had today only 11 readers.  Another serious topic but in a lighter tone and an easy read was The Secret to a Happy Life in less than 100 Words. By W.C.  posted on 4.29.2015.  To date this posting has had only 9 readers. Another surprise for me is the funny postings.   I thought they would be ´a hit´.  Alas they garner relatively few ‘hits´ for my taste.  For example Parental Notice: This blog post is P.G. 11 1/2 years old was posted on 1. 29. 11.  I happen to think this is a funny posting, worthy of viewer attention.  Alas the world thought otherwise; the posting received to date only 20 hits. Another funny posting An Emigrant´s Dilemma in Terminal 2 - Or, get Bertie out of my face!   was posted on 4. 20. 12.  This was a copy of a letter which both the Irish Times and the Kilkenny People deemed worthy of printing in their newspapers. But on Irish Stew for the Soul, reader viewing was not high, relatively speaking, with only 38 views And worse  If this doesn´t give you a laugh - you have a coffee on me!  which was posted 2.9. 14 has had only five readers to date. There is one exception however to the ´funnies pattern of unpopularity´;  For Woman, Ladies and Girls Only posted 5.20.13, received 99 hits. Hausfrau Róisín Housekeeping Tips have poor to so so ratings, ranging between 5 - 35 viewers.  Understandable enough, Hausfrau Róisín is not Jamie Oliver or Martha Stewart!  Blog postings on Travel Tips are more respectable, but still nothing that might cause the editors of  `Lonely Planet´ to feel worried So, other thoughts from ME about MY blog! First Why Blog?  Nope, I don´t make a living from my blog postings, never made a penny. BUT I do enjoy it.  Looking back on the posting reminds me of nice times.  Like anyone who expresses themselves in any way.  I can say what I like; I can talk about what is relevant to me (without incitment to hate and all that usual sensible stuff etc).  In addition, while I don´t think I have written anything that would make any elected official shake in his/her boots, I am glad I have the right to do so, esp. bearing in mind that Amnesty International exists for people who suffered the consequences of speaking their mind.  No, I don´t have a dead line, neither do I have to tow the line nor consider any one else´s line. I have chosen to aim for two blog postings a month.   Except 2011 when for various reasons that I can´t remember, I only posted about six times.  With that schedule, I am in awe of people who write for a living - especially journalists or bloggers.  I mean to write daily for one´s living.. How do they keep up!  HOW do they find things to say, and then say it well?  Daily.  Amazing! Some postings that stick out in my mind.   Two of the above mentioned do: The Neolithic Age meets the Nuclear Age - up the Road from my Cousins is one of my favorite postings because the topic is indeed amazing.  My cousin lives up the road from CERN in Geneva, which is the nuclear age plus.   So one night I walked down the road from my cousins in the opposite direction from CERN and there was a farmer planting crops. It kind of blew my mind a bit; we humans started planting crops about 10,000 B.C.  So if you will - The Neolithic Age meets the Nuclear Age - up the Road from my Cousins. A happy little story about a happy little cat in New York is another favorite because I enjoyed recounting the story of the little cat that lived with me in New York. I enjoy my funnies - even if my reader’s don´t share my taste in funny!   I don´t know about you, but I just don´t get the $200 dainties thing..posted  9. 7. 12 is a favorite funny, but only garnered 18 views. Buggati - a celebration of excellence posted 6. 29. 12 with 60 readers is another favorite of mine.  But that was because the experience of seeing all those beautiful cars was extremely enjoyable for me.  It was a matter of self-discovery that I could get excited about rooms full of cars. Previous to my Buggati experience, I had thought of cars like I think of wheelbarrows - I am delighted they are there, they make life so much easier, but well that is that.  I never thought any I would ever think to give any car a second look.  Then I fell in love with Buggatis..... The blog posting that stands out the most for me is: So, I´ll start at the end of the list: St. Patrick at the Palace of Westminster which was posted on 7. 17. 12.   The reason it stands out for me is because it surprises me that it never stood out for anyone else!  Well only ll people to be exact. The posting as the title implies refers to the Palace of Westminster, the seat of government of the United Kingdom.  There in the very centre of that building, in a room that was once described as ‘the political centre of the British Empire`.  There in that room is a mosaic of  St. Patrick, St. Brigid and St. Columba.  It is really beautiful.  And I had never heard of it, and never heard anyone talking about it.  Clearly with only 11 viewers my blog posting did not get people talking about it either!                                                                --------------------------------- This blog posting celebrating the 100th is dedicated to my Ex-Beau -  Bill X.  He suggested the blog’s name - Irish Stew for the Soul.  Interesting perspective as he was of Puerto Rican stock himself, but it has served me well. Thanks Bill!

Happy Thanksgiving from Lake Konstanz, Germany!

Well there is nothing like a country walk the dav before to build up a good appetite for Thanksgiving.   We headed off to a little village in the Schwarzwald.


....Which happened to be not  too far from the home of Rothaus Bräü Bier, world famous in Germany and a few other places!


Which also happens to be not too far down the road from a decent sized and very beautiful basilica dedicated to St. Blaze.. in the wilds of the Schwarzwald.


Yes, a basilica, a beautiful basilica   - dedicated to St. Blaze, in the middle of nowhere - in the Schwarzwald....

I was not exaggerating one little bit was I now.....   Right there in the middle of the boondocks in the Schwarzwald.





But, I digress.....  Today we are all about Thanksgiving.....





So here we have my co-cooks Anna Bella und Julia focus on dem Nachtisch - Pumkin Pie...

In fact that pumpkin pie recipe was very reason that Thanksgiving on Lake Konstanz came into being this year...

While die Mädles ( girls) were in the kitchen I was focusing on more enlightening matters.

( I know bad pun... but I can´t help myself.)







And of course the turkey - My job for the day....

I was ably assisted in a sort of a fashion by himself...   But,  one must give himself 97.5 % for effort.

                          Mama, daughter and turkey!    Ahhhh.   One more time now... Ahhhh


      After all the good food and enjoy able chat, we finally remembered to take a group shot...

-----Before we ate the yummiest  pumpkin pie ever.

A sweet rose for Thanksgiving.










Imagine in the third week of November.  This is thanks to El Niño, and not global warming...

We understand a mild November due to El Niño will mean a cold winter.










A sweet, happy and safe Thanksgiving I wish you all. Where ever you may be.



.... Oh ho, I have just noticed this is my 100th published blog posting!  Happy Anniversary Blog!

`Er lebt wie Gott in Frankreich´

                         To the People of France:  My Condolences.  And my respect.

Here in Germany, when someone is living the high life, or the good life for what ever reason, they have a great saying to describe it:  Er lebt wie Gott in Frankreich`.   - He is living like God in France.

That is to say the Germans acknowledge that the people in France know how to live the good live, and they do it so well that God chooses to live in France.


In April of this year, I was in Paris for a few days.   Paris had just suffered an attack some weeks earlier.  There were soldiers to be seen in many locations.  But it did not stop people living wie Gott in Frankreich. 

It was as if people saw the soldiers, understood that they were there, and why they were there.  And that was the new reality in Paris.  But it did not stop people living wie Gott in Frankreich.   They enjoyed the good weather, they were out and about, children played, Opas und Omas sat on park benches, laughter and chatter could be heard everywhere.

As it happened where I stayed in Paris in April was less than half a mile from where three attacks in restaurants occurred last week; I passed near one of the streets on my way back to the hostel several evenings.  I am mindful of that as I watch the news now.

The French, rather a lot of the French, feel superior about France and all things French. To a fault many would say.  But it will stand to them now.  The French do know how to live well, and they DO IT  well!  That the Tour Eiffel  was aglow and glitzy in the French colours three days after the attack on Paris is not a surprise.  Living life to the full goes on in Paris .. n´est-ce pas?

My self with my little blog offer  France and the people of France my condolences.  And my respect. Small fry I know. But there are millions of us who do the same.

France is down, but not out, no matter what this won´t stop the French.  They will continue to survive and to overcome. They will continue to live life to the full.   Wie Gott in Frankreich.  
 

Hausfrau Róisín´s Ten Tips for the Trip ....

O.K. so everyone knows when you go on a long trip you need your I.D., funds for the trip, a cell phone and a change of Unterhosen.

In addition to that whether you are going to the corner shop, a day trip on the bike, or halfway around the world, your trip, I opine, will be much easier if you follow the following:

 

Here are Hausfrau Róisín´s Ten Tips for the Trip

1) NEVER leave home without the means to get yourself back there.  

 

And I don´t just mean here your return ticket.   What if plans changed and you had to go home now, today, this minute.    On a long trip that would be the means to buy a new airplane ticket.  On a bike or a hike, best to have info on the local train or bus schedule to hand.  

2)       Write your home address and person-to-contact-in-an-emergency details in the back of your passport NOW.

   

Bet you did not know you could write in your passport. You can, in fact, they ask you to.  Check it out.  Even if the journey does not require a passport, it is always good to carry this info. in your wallet.  

This is a no brainer and it is amazing the amount of people don´t have this basic information on them.

3)        In addition to your home address, if you are travelling with others carry a business card of the location you stayed last night, or where you will be staying tonight:

If you fall off the curb and knock yourself out, it will be much easier for you, the first responders and your fellow travelers, if they can be contacted immediately instead of the local police having to call your Mammy and Daddy two hundred/thousand miles and three time zones away.

True Story:

When I lived in New York a fellow tenant did a three month cycle around the U.S. before his planned return to Ireland.  We expected Liam to arrive back on the 2^nd of September.  When we did not hear from him we contacted the Irish Embassy some weeks later to discuss our concerns.  Turns out they knew about said Liam.

It seems the bold Liam had had a bad accident the day he was due to arrive back to our flat in N.Y.C.   He was in hospital and suffered all sorts of unfortunate drama.  His parents were flown over from Ireland.  Liam was brought back to Dublin…. 

And heck how much easier it all would have been if Liam´s family had had an inkling their son´s roommates were not five subway stops away from the hospital where Liam had been hospitalized.

4)       Carry your medical info: Insurance card, BLOOD GROUP - are you allergic to whatever?  And other time/life saving stuff.

Don´t know your blood group?  You should.  If you ever donated blood the info. on your blood group will be on the card they give you.  Ask your doctor on your next visit.

True Story:

While chatting with cousin Mary (almost) perfect son R. phoned in from Australia.  Almost perfect son R., 24, is doing a Masters in Accounting, so clearly grown up more-or-less. None the less, did not know his own blood group.   A medical situation, they wanted to know his blood group NOW, it would save important minutes.   What if Mum had not been there? 

And more   Mum had to look up her files for the info… ´What , you mean you don´t love me enough to know my blood group without having to go check it out` Shock and horror for junior to be dealt with after the blood donation was administered!

5)          Confuse the bad guys.

Frankly it is easy for me to do this, just look distracted all the time, carry lots of bags - they won´t know which one to rob.  Dress down, not up, esp. if travelling alone. -  But not too down, you don´t want to be put out of the airport!   

Similarly the bad guys will more likely rob an expensive looking case than a bog normal one.  I said bog normal NOT bog awful… A bog awful case will make the bad guys think no body travels with such a bog awful case unless they have something they don´t want you to find.

6)         Wear a security purse BUT ONLY HAVE NON-ESSENTIALS in it.

If I say so myself this is a really good trick.  It should really be part of no. 5, but it deserves a spot on its own. I always have 20 or 40 Euros/dollars and an out of date medical card.  Then in the daily comings and goings I use the dollars there, in addition the card will be able to identify me, but will be useless if someone else tries to use it.

7)           Hide your important stuff everywhere! 

Yes, still coming under no. 5. But like no. 6, worthy enough of a special mention.  If you have a form of I.D and a few shillings or whatever stuck in a few unexpected places, you will always have something to fall back on.  Be it an inside pocket in your toiletries purse, your smelly socks where ever, it will take too much time and effort for the bad guys to find it all. -  Only be sure you remember where you have the money before you wash those smelly socks!

Consider this.  If you are one of these people who insist on carrying all your important papers, money, tickets in a security belt all the time, saying ´I always have the belt on me.` I don´t want to travel with you… because you will drive those around you demented when you forget and take off the f---ing belt.  And you WILL forget the f---ing belt sometime(s).

True story. 

Places I know people left the security belt that they `never’ take off.

-          In a changing room trying on a swim suit.

-          In a massage salon.

-          In a toilet… (Heard this one several times)
       And in each case, the expected drama ensued. 

8)        On the bus/train/ferry/park bench where ever, when you stand up LOOK AROUND YOU to make sure you have left nothing behind.

Just think of the trouble Yo Yo Ma would have saved himself if he had done this the day he left his cello in a taxicab in New York City.  Yep his 280 yr old Domenico Montagnana cello – the very same one valued at  US$2.5 million. 

I have no doubt that you too gentle reader have your own ´left behind´ memory that you can cringe about for a moment, and determine in the future to ALWAYS LOOK AROUND YOU when you get up to leave where ever you were.

9)           Always have the following with you: 

a)      Charger for the telephone

b)      Camera – not only for fun, and happy memories.

c)      Something to write with AND something to write on.  There will be a day you can ´t recharge.

d)      Enough small change in the local currency to quickly buy a bus ticket, or to access a toilet.

e)      Something to read, or amuse you when train/ferry whatever is delayed.

f)       And if possible a radio… one never knows.

10)         Learn some words in the local lingo:

Never leave home without at least:  Hello, thank you, my name is, how much, toilet, embassy, airport, hospital, police… and go from there.

A gifted linguist once told me:  `Someone knowing a bit about brain surgery is absolutely no use to anyone.  But to know a few words of the local language in the country where one travels can make the world of a difference; you immediately connect with the local community, and they are more open to your needs when they see you have taken the time make the effort to learn words in their language.`

And one more tip for good measure.  To be sure to be sure!

Be open to all the possibilities on your travels; the unexpected only happens unexpectedly.  Make the most out of it.  Or, when needs must, make the best of it.  

In fact the same goes for life as well.

 

Ladies and gentlemen readers, the aforementioned gem of advice is the best Hausfrau Róisín can give you today.  Or indeed any day.

Happy travels!                           

P.S. Would welcome any tips from readers.  Or comments on tips they disagree with....