Radiance of the Seas

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Radiance of the Seas is a cruise belonging to Royal Caribbean International; built in 1998 and designed in Germany by Meyer Werft. She makes part of the Radiance Class that includes three other vessels. This class is known by the quantity of glass it has on their ships. It has a bit more than 700 balconies. You can find ten dining choices and some of them aren’t included in the basic price of your cruise. The main dining-room has two levels. There is a mini-golf course, some pools and whirpools, a water slide, a rock-climbing wall as various bars or places to just relax. There are different pieces of art decorating all public areas.This ship operates cruising in Alaska during the northern summer season and in spring and fall she visits the Hawaiian Islands and during the winter northern season it cruises to Australia and New Zealand (southern summer).

Tips

If you want to relax in an adult area only, go to the solarium where you’ll find a pool with a whirpool under a retractable glass roof as a nice place where you can have a healthy snack and tea, coffee, water or juice for free.

If you want to buy the excursions, the drinks package or the wi-fi, you can do it before your cruise simply on line as your registration.

Glendalough, Wicklow, Ireland

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Glendalough is a glen (long and deep valley of glacial origin where a river can flow down the valley) and a village in Ireland, located in the Wicklow County Mountains National Park. Its name means Valley of two lakes. The village was established by a hermit priest, Saint Kevin, in the 6th century on the site of a former monastery. Many of his followers wanted to follow him and settled in the valley too. There is a 33-meter round tower, which was used to protect relics, books and chalices, and a Celtic high cross known as Saint Kevin’s Cross. The village was established on the side of Lower Lake and the cliffs north of Upper Lake are recognized as popular climbing places.

Tips

There is no admission fee to enter the park or the site of the old monastery but you should leave your car in the car parks nearby and pay for your place. From here you can visit everything on foot.

You can visit all year round respecting the opening hours of the parking barriers, which are closed at night.

You will find several mountain trails. However, there are no guided or supervised hikes.

 

Cabbagetown, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

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Cabbagetown is a neighbourhood located on the east side of downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its name derives from the Irish immigrants who moved to the neighbourhood beginning in the late 1840s, said to have been so poor that they grew cabbage in their front yards. The area today known as Cabbagetown was first known as the village of Don Vale, just outside of Toronto; in 1850 they established in the area the city’s main cemetery. In the late 19th century the area was absorbed into the city. It became home to the working class Irish inhabitants who were employed in the industries along the lake shore. After the First World War the area became increasingly impoverished, and it become poorer and poorer with the years and the houses deteriorated. But in the beginning of the 1970s, professionals gentrified Cabbagetown and many residents restored the small Victorian row houses. We can find vintage clothing stores, health food stores, a gestalt therapy clinic and a farmer’s market. The area is also distinguished by a large number of rooming houses and other forms of low income housing. Many artists live there (musicians, journalists, writers, etc.).

Tips

If you go to visit the town at the same time of its annual festival, you must go on the second weekend of September. You’ll find many events during the week and the festival takes place at the weekend. The festival starts on Saturday morning with a band. There’s an arts and crafts fair. You can also do a tour of homes paying for it.
There’s another festival into the festival for film lovers. It’s a short film & video festival presenting productions running no longer than 15 minutes.