Thomil's Random Ramblings

Cycling in Cork. That’s a topic I could write on and on and on about. Oh, wait. I have . To claim that it is being treated with disinterest and ignorance by some, and outright hostility and derision by others would be the understatement of the year. And given the fact that I’m writing this in the waning days of 2018, I have a quite a bit of reference material to go by. However, so far, every serious political player here in  Leeside had at least provided lip service to alternative, sustainable transport options. Until Friday evening. Enter Joe Kavanagh , member of Fine Gael and city councillor for the electoral ward of Cork North East. For those of you who don’t know Cork, this effectively covers everything north of the Lee and east of the N20, with a few exceptions around MacCurtain Street. Just a rough outline, but you get the area. Mr. Kavanagh has traditionally not been one of the more progressive councillors in Cork, which in itself isn’t bad. As much as I love progress and...

Christmas – Huh! – What is it good for? That is indeed the question, and it’s been on my mind for quite some time now, ever since I missed out on my first Christmas without my parents last year due to the mother of all flus. Well, at least one mother showed up last Christmas anyhow, but I digress. Just as I’ve found myself thinking more and more about the meaning of life, destiny, fate, mortality and all that kind of stuff, my mind has turned increasingly to Christmas, and what it stands for, as the dreaded date in 2018 draws inexorably closer. Originally, this was due to the fact that I wasn’t looking forward to spending it without my parents. But more and more, my thoughts have turned towards what Christmas with them actually meant, rather than the cold hard facts. And looking back, Christmas has, for me personally, always been about coming home.  Since my teenage years, when I was sent out to attend a boarding school in Austria , Christmas has always meant hitting the road wh...

Please be advised that this post contains strong language throughout! You know that feeling when you’re already having a really shitty day and you run across a news item, headline or email that really makes your blood boil? Well, that’s how I felt this morning when I saw the headlines about London Gatwick Airport being closed because of a drone over the airfield. Again. Are people really that stupid? Or do they just not care about the damage they might be doing? Whatever the reason, I hope they find the perpetrators and lock them up for a loooong time. These fuckers don’t deserve anything better. Embed from Getty Images The drone incident at Gatwick Airport would in all likelihood not have been prevented by stricter laws. Anyone who flies a drone over an airport simply doesn't give a fuck about the law! For me this whole thing is doubly galling, as I’m not only an aviation enthusiast but a drone operator myself. Those of you who’ve been following my blog for some time w...

Monday, 0700h local time. Warwick, Rhode Island. It’s time to leave for home. Well, not quite. My flight doesn’t actually leave until 2050h local time, so I have an entire day to kill here in the US. And what better way to kill time than by shopping? So that’s exactly what my plan will look like for the day. First, however, there’s the little matter of checking out that needs to be settled, after breakfast that is. Getting my suitcase put into storage isn’t really the issue, that is done quickly. However, during the checkout process, the reception agent tells me that my credit card payment hasn’t gone through. Gulp! Not what you want to hear when you’re a transatlantic flight away from your bank! Apparently, it’s just an issue with the card, and another payment with the local card terminal goes off without a hitch. Still, that’s another couple of months taken off my life expectancy. Hey, where'd the sun go??? Kennedy Plaza, the main bus interchange in Providence. Not reall...

This is part 4 of a five part series on my visit to Providence and Boston.  Be sure to check out Part 3! For the first time on this visit to the US, I’m actually pulled out of sleep by my alarm clock. It is 7 AM, and I’m beginning to feel the first twinges of exhaustion, as the last two days catch up with me. Well, today is going to be a more relaxed day, not least because it is Sunday, and most of Providence doesn’t really get going until the afternoon. Still, by 9, I’m back at the airport to catch the bus into the city. Now, last night, after WaterFire, I’d taken the No. 1 Bus back to the airport, and gotten a glimpse of South Providence. However, this morning, as I take the No. 20 bus, I’m taken aback by just how run down and deprived some areas in Warwick and South Providence are. I know that the entire area has taken a hit economically over the last few decades, but some of that stuff is really an eye-opener for someone with a European background like me. The morning ...