leararhodes

Paris for the Weekend

The Hotel of Dieu was billed as location, location, location. Well, I will have to give it that, it is just within 50 yards of Notre Dame. Tourists, tourists, tourists. But in our cell block on the 6th floor of the oldest hospital in Paris and still a working hospital, we were far away fromContinue reading “Paris for the Weekend”

Traveling to Oxford

Many nice people helped me along the way. I started out this morning in Liverpool, got an early train with only one change to Oxford. Not far outside of Crewe, England there was trouble on the tracks ahead and we sat for 40 minutes, which meant that I missed the connection to Oxford. Two pullContinue reading “Traveling to Oxford”

Ferry Cross the Mersey

Gerry Marsden of Gerry and the Pacemakers wrote this song in 1964. It was a hit in the UK and the US. On Friday night I took a ferry from Belfast to Liverpool. At the ferry office in Belfast, none of my credit cards worked. It seems they always have problems with American credit cards.Continue reading “Ferry Cross the Mersey”

Bloody Sunday

The Free Derry museum down in the Bogside where Bloody Sunday took place has artifacts showing the violence, video shot during the violence and the peaceful marches, and much reading to tell the story. John Kelly was working at the museum and asked what I thought. I thought about the LaFontant coup I had beenContinue reading “Bloody Sunday”

Coast of Northern Ireland

A private tour took us to Dunluce Castle, the Giant’s Causeway, and Bushmills Distillery; all different, all amazing. The tour of the distillery was interesting because I never thought whiskey could smell so strong. There is a book published in 1896 on all the distilleries in the United Kingdom. I had read the book priorContinue reading “Coast of Northern Ireland”

Flags of Belfast

Though I am now in Derry-Londonderry (you call it based on whether or not you are a nationalist or a unionist, some are simply referring it to the “slash city”), I am not finished thinking about Belfast. The Flag Issues: The Union Flag of the UK is the only official flag. It is flown byContinue reading “Flags of Belfast”

University of Ulster

I meet with the head of the school of communication today at the Jordanstown campus about 20 minutes from Belfast. We are discussing a collaboration of my next academic book project. Then I pull luggage next door to the hotel and take a train to Derry/Londerry for three days. I will meet with another divisionContinue reading “University of Ulster”

Belfast

I am staying at the Europa Hotel in the heart of Belfast, Northern Ireland. The hotel was used heavily by the media covering the “Troubles” and other uprisings in the city. I understand why–there are numerous pubs about, it is next door to the train and bus terminal and in the center of Belfast. IContinue reading “Belfast”

International Communication Conference / London

What I have learned so far at the conference: Taxis from Heathrow to the Hilton hotel are expensive. Women wearing loud perfume ride elevators. Strangers at a conference are quite nice and helpful. Hotels will find rooms for people when their rooms are not ready yet. Service charges are included on all bills. People shouldContinue reading “International Communication Conference / London”

London here I come

Leaving rural Ireland is fine…I will be back. Journey to return the rental car was fine. People are so nice and even when you did not have the correct forms, no problem, they’ll take care of it and they did. The Avis people got a big laugh at the fact that the man’s car IContinue reading “London here I come”