#folksytravel Archives • Folksy Travel by Bill Smale

October 25, 2025October 25, 2025

Off to Kells

if you are going off to Kells you will pass through a number of small towns which are very interesting and very beautiful with local shops which are very old and a lot of old signage. Many of the churches are not open unless they have services which is understandable nowadays. You can find the Irish sense of humor outside in many places so keep your eyes peeled. The town of Kells itself is where the book of Kells (the old Bible from the ninth century) was transferred when they Vikings pillaged the islands off Scotland. And then this very old Bible was moved to the library in Trinity College to protect it from the invading saxons and Normans which are now considered the English.

Church accounts — The churches accounts for 2024

Heavens gate — I went around the corner but I did not see heaven

Book makers off to Kells — It’s all legitimate

My childhood nickname — The store named after my childhood nickname

Italian and Chinese food — This makes sense. Italian cuisine next to an “oriental restaurant”

Cattle auction — I heard the auctioneering on the sidewalk and decided to come in to watch the cat auction, reminding me of my young days helping my dad at his auctions

Auction board — The auction board representing the cow currently in the ring

Old Cross — The cross in Kells. I was told it is probably 1200 years old

Story of Jesus — These carvings are the story of Jesus and Christianity

Low clouds — The low clouds rolling in reminded me of the fog rolling into the city (San Francisco)

I walked up here for the view but also to go to see an ancient relic but the grass was wet and slippery and when I got up on the hill it was clear I would have to walk a long distance more and decided it was a great place to slip and fall so I went back to the car

Beautiful view — The rain keeps Ireland green

October 22, 2025October 22, 2025

In an Inn in Inniskeen

Around and in Inniskeen you see some typical and historical building and things, giving you a cross-section view of rural Ireland. Be prepared to eat before you arrive since there isn’t really anything open to provide food that I could find. But you can always sit by the river, listen to the sound of the rushing water and just enjoy a beautiful walk around town.

Telephone booth in Inniskeen — Atypical telephone booth still standing

A Caesar salad in Inniskeen — I stopped in Naul Village to get something to eat. The Caesar salad was not bad and had bacon pieces in it which gave it some flavor and the bread was very good and filling, a thick and nutritious brown bread

The pipe man in Inniskeen — He must’ve been very good on the pipes since he is now permanently sitting here in Naul

My guest house — This is the very nice guest house B and B, Gleneven guest house in Inniskeen

Rushing river — The rushing river from the bridge

River path — Taking a walk on the Patel along the river

Old church ruins — From the golf course, a pitch and putt, the older church and ruins of the very old church

Pitch and-putt — I didn’t check to see if this was the long hole

I tried to pump — I tried pumping water but it did not work

Poem machine — You turned the handle until the light turns red next to the poets name and a poem comes out the top speaker

Old church — The old church tower from the ninth century and a newer church

Cemetery — Hey neglected cemetery but it did not feel bleak. I got the feeling the residence were used to be left to their own entertainment.

Old design — A very iconic Irish design on an old headstone

Preserved graveyard — A preserved graveyard area with a harp in a traditional Irish crest

Member only pup — A typical small town pub except that the entrance was posted “members only bar“ so I didn’t go in since I’m not a member.

Direction signs — Informative direction signs

Poets museum — The Patrick kavanaugh museum for a famous local poet

October 19, 2025October 19, 2025

Relaxing in Japan

Himeji

I rented a car in this area and drove around for four days to some places I have not been in 48 years. I highly recommend going to the Japan Seaside from the Pacific side if you get the chance. The area around here is extremely beautiful and not over developed.

Relaxing in Japan breakfast — The buffet breakfast you can get in some hotels can be very filling but you need to understand how to put the different ingredients together.

Japanese style spaghetti — This was one of the least appetizing breakfastS with a very dry spaghetti and meatballs but the salad was OK.

Smoking accommodations Relaxing in Japan — Most of the restaurants now do not allow smoking inside but make provisions for the smoking addicts

Station piano — This countryside station copied the French idea of placing a piano for customers to enjoy. It’s a nice addition

Rice Fields — The race fields are really beautiful in September

Himeji Castle — Himeji castle from the station

Good beer Relaxing in Japan — My second favorite beer

Korean food — Nice food at the Korean restaurant

Nice lunch — For me this was a plentiful lunch

Tottori

Sand dunes — These are the famous sand dunes

Popular for tourists — Now a very popular tourist destination

Dunes map of Japan — This map spots the different sand dunes in Japan, large and small

Mountain side — The beautiful mountain side

Map of Mitokusan where I almost lost my life 48 years ago

National treasure — This is a “national treasure”. Look at the photos below and you will see why it is so interesting

Secluded — Almost the ultimate in seclusion

Mountain top temple — Ron and I climbed all the way up to this temple on the mountain when the access gate was closed, climbing up was banned because the snow was 3 feet deep.

Full service gas stations are still the thing

Daisen tori — I came to this restaurant for the famous open range chicken, Daisen Tori

Delicious food — Very delicious countryside food

Okayama

Tonkatsu — One of my favorites, TONKATSU

Hotel — The hotel on the way back was not expensive, very new and clean 20 foot containers

Wakayama

Having dinner with an old friend at a very nice restaurant

Tokyo

Fishing — Back in Tokyo with good friends from the software industry. This is a restaurant where you fish for your food and look what my friend caught. I was the net boy

Italian beer — A new Italian addition to the beer industry

All the crazy construction going on in Shibuya. It’s very hard to find your way around. Get prepared to get lost. And the number of people in this area is just unbelievable now

September 23, 2025September 23, 2025

Sutherland – Scotland

Scotland is a wonderful country. It is expensive but the people are more than friendly. A Scots friend of mine says the Scots are “chatty”. They will come up to you and start a friendly conversation. In the North you will notice a lot of sheep. A lot of this culture was brought about by the Sutherland family. Their origins are in France, possibly Normans (viking descendants). They “moved out” the tenant farmers to make way for expansive sheep farming. Those farmers had a hard time trying to adapt to their new professions on rocky areas or as fishermen. The starving and depravity forced many to leave Scotland for the US, Canada, Australia and other places. If you visit the Highlands where the Sutherlands did their deeds enjoy the beautiful countryside and sthe wonderful hospitality of the people living there.

Sutherland Scotland River — Beautiful river

Sutherland Scotland growth — Growth is everywhere

energy Sutherland Scotland — Lots of renewable energy

pheasant — He needs to watch out for shotguns if hunting is still allowed.

countryside in Sutherland Scotland — The deep countryside

The wolf stone. Maybe if they didn’t focus so much on sheep their might be a few wolves left.

hard life — A hard living for those displaced by the Sutherlands in “the clearances”

Ruins — The wall is still the largest structure

the clearance — Recognizing the deeds of the people who chased these farmers off their land

THE EMIGRANTS
COMMEMORATES THE PEOPLE OF THE HIGHLANDS AND ISLANDS OF SCOTLAND WHO, IN THE FACE OF GREAT ADVERSITY, SOUGHT FREEDOM, HOPE AND JUSTICE BEYOND THESE SHORES. THEY AND THEIR DESCENDANTS WENT FORTH AND EXPLORED CONTINENTS, BUILT GREAT COUNTRIES AND CITIES AND GAVE THEIR ENTERPRISE AND CULTURE TO THE WORLD.
THIS IS THEIR LEGACY.
THEIR VOICES WILL ECHO FOREVER THRO THE EMPTY STRATHS.
AND GLENS OF THEIR HOMELAND.
UNVEILED BY THE FIRST MINISTER OF SCOTLAND, RT HON ALEX SALMOND MSP, 23 JULY 2007

deer roving Sutherland Scotland — Oh, many deer left

spaceship cloud — Some might think there is an alien spaceship hiding in this cloud

standing stones — Standing stones are everywhere

September 22, 2025September 22, 2025

Gods Colosseum and museum

At Ephesus near Selçuk in Turkey you will see this amazing city requiring several hours to walk around and investigate. It is one of the most fascinating and expansive Roman city I have visited. It should be one of the highlights of your trip to Turkey.

Proof I was there. No photoshopping or AI.

September 19, 2025September 19, 2025

Turkey town hopping

Hopping around towns in Turkey is easy and exciting. Driving in Turkey is pretty much the same as in Thailand. The laws and rules are “suggestions”. There are many police check points as you go from one area to another. But the police and everyone in the country are friendly and helpful so there is nothing to really be worried about when traveling around.

Avilik

This is almost the first Adriatic side town south of istanbul. It is where the front license plate fell off the front car plate frame which I didn’t notice was broken when I rented the car. The broken frame showed up on the photos I took before getting in the car at the rental office which saved me the price of replacing the plate. The police stopped me so many times but I explained the issue and even though most of the time language was a barrier they let me drive on. The police in Avilik told me to continue my trip and contacted the rental company and traffic police. They were very helpful.

view from restaurant towns in Turkey — A nice little town and a nice view from a restaurant on the hill

Kaş

A cute little town driving south and worth a visit. I gave a ride to 3 girls from Kazakistan waiting for a bus. I learned some interesting things about traveling to Kazakistan.

Beach town in Turkey — A cute town with a nice beach

artist in town in Turkey — A clever artist

tractor parking — Where else would you park a tractor?

calimari in town in Turkey — Very tasty calamari

cute Renault — This is the electric Renault I could buy if I lived in a city.

Konya

big lunch — A tasty wrap. Almost too much lunch for me

city statue — Every town in Turkey needs a statue

show mountain — Going over the mountains to the next town in Turkey Along the coast

Antalya

ice cream in a town in Turkey — Un dia sin ice cream es como un dia sin sol (a day without ice cream is like a day without sunshine)

heinz hot sauce — I never knew Heinz made hot sauce

ancient ruins — Ancient ruins on the other side of the river

September 17, 2025September 17, 2025

Walking around Taksim

across the bridge from Topkapi in Istanbul is a very busy area and series of streets called Taksim. It seems this area is extremely popular with everybody looking for something different from the “imperial“ area on the other side of the river with most of the main tourist attractions. But they’re very narrow streets here with some very nice restaurants and coffee shops that make this area feel like a major tourist shopping street but also a very “local“ area. When visiting Istanbul, this is an area you really have to visit and just spend a day or two walking around. There are a couple very fun cable cars which go up steep hills and a street car which goes down the main shopping street with all the famous and expensive brands of imported goods.

The place to wash your feet around Taksim — You can wash here before going into the mosque

Turkish ice cream around Taksim — This is a Turkish style ice cream cart with an interesting and fun activity for the customers

Nighttime crowds — The main streets get very crowded around Taksim at night time

Turkish coffee shop — Turkish coffee parlors are much cheaper than the western style café and I highly recommend visiting a couple and sitting around local people enjoying some chat, local information and conversation conversations.

Famous tower around Taksim — You can go up inside this famous tower for a big price

In front of the tower — Proof, I was there

Expensive tower — It’s a little expensive to go up this tower

Aile restaurant on a backstreet provides very delicious Arabic food

Aile menu — This is their menu and it’s very highly rated

Olive vegetarian food — The vegetarian style food with a lot of olives was just delicious

Purple is the color — Purple seems to be the color here for some reason which I didn’t bother to ask about. Purple and white are Cornell colors

Street car tracks — A few cars travel to Main Street along with the street car, which is ancient

Steep streets — There are some very steep streets, reminding me of San Francisco

A lot of people — Even though the Backstreets can be pretty crowded

Cable car entrance — This is the entrance to the very inexpensive cable car

Cable car — This is the cable car, leaving the platform going down the hill

Cable car history — This gives you a history of the cable car

Old building — Some beautiful old buildings

And of course, there needs to be a Guinness

Homeless cats — Everybody loves and feeds the cats and they seem to behave and probably do their job catching the mice. These cats are very busy standing guard, but most likely waiting for food.

Grand bazaar entrance — An old entrance to the grand bazaar

You can find all kinds of Turkish delights which are dried fruit, fruits, nuts, and sweets, rolled up and ready to eat for snack, snacks or dessert. There are so many varieties.

Not popular Street — Some streets are not that popular

Interesting building — This is a very interesting building

Shopping area — A shopping area outside the mosque

Nice spaghetti and tea — I forgot to take the photo before eating the tasty food. Tea is usually served for free unless it’s a very touristy place and then they want to charge money for it.

September 16, 2025September 16, 2025

Fun in Okinawa

After Ishigaki Jima I flew to Naha on the main Okinawa Island and contacted one of the people I met drinking one night in a small drinkery in Ishigaki town. They brought the whole family for a fun night f food and drinks at a local place they frequent.

Fun in Okinawa. Go carts — Tourists like driving go carts

close, not closed — It was “close”, I was standing right in front of it. This spelling replacement for “closed” is a misunderstanding of the word usage and is prevalent throughout Japan an Thailand.

The convenient overhead monorail going to the airport.

Spam is an influence from the post war US occupation.

September 14, 2025September 17, 2025

Searching Ell for family

Searching for ancestors records in Luxembourg is easy. It is done in the main city and there are people there to help. You even get an archive library card after doing some searches. However, finding gravestones and other physical proof of ancestry proved to be much harder. It seems almost all the gravestones in the churches are not older than 150 years or less. The old ones left are put leaning against walls indicating some major disruptions at the churches, something I need to investigate further. But renting a car and driving through the countryside proved to be the best part of my visit to Luxembourg. It s very beautiful and organized and clean country though fairly expensive. I started searching Ell where my great great grandfather was born. In the end I found no traces of the either of my great great grandparents, the Strotzs. I highly recommend the village of Larochette. You will enjoy the myriad of cafés, restaurants, walking and hiking areas as well as old castles. I want to stay in this town on my next visit.

Strotz church searching Ell — Most likely the Strotz church

inside church in Ell. Searching Ell — Insdie the small church

cream cheese searching Ell — This looks like a soft cheese but is actually an interesting favored cream cheese

separated school — A school separating girls and boys. The ranching word for young female horse definately comes from the French word for girl

Prefecture office — The district office. This is where Japanese got the English translation (prefecture) from the Japanese word for something like a state, a KEN (県）。

rental car — The car I rented. My cheap small one was not available so Europecar upgraded me to a Mercedes.

Larochette searching Ell — Larochette where my great great grandmother was born

Larochette church — Most likely where my family went to church in Larochette

enjoying weather Searching Ell — Enjoying the beautiful weather outside the church

road to Ell. Searching Ell — The road to ELL

confessional — I had nothing to confess except that my search in the hometowns turned up nothing on this trip

September 13, 2025September 13, 2025

Hopping in Kiso and Mt. Fujij

As I was traveling around Japan I decided to go to my old school area on Mt. Fuji, Fujinomiya, and also to a place I love to visit. The Kiso trail goes from near Matsumoto area to Nagoya and still has old villages with places to stay and a walking trail along the centuries old walking trail. These two areas are close to Tokyo so easy for day or several day trips. The Chuo line goes from Tokyo along the Kiso trail and is one way to see this beautiful area.

triumph car near Mt. Fuji — An old car museum display of one of my favorite type cars.

pokemon go players — Near my hotel in Kashiwa all these people are standing around playing Pokemon Go

the ghost musical — I am guessing this musical is based on “the ghost and Mrs. Muir”

motorcycle stop wakayama — Actually this is near Wakayama in the mountains and has been a favorite motorcyclist stop for over 50 years

The river view which is superb during the cherry tree blossoming season

bagdad cafe wakayama — The old sign for the “bagdad cafe”, evidently a hint from the movie

Map of customers — At a local restaurant a map with pins of were customers live

Measuring the CO2 level in the restaurant

few shops open — Many shops were not open due to dwindling tourist arrivals

noodle shop — I had delicious noodles here

March view — A view from the top in March

A small private garden. There are millions of these in Japan

mountain view Mt. Fuji — Later in the evening he snow dusted hills change color

Mt. Fuji view — A view from my grad school campus

shiraito no taki — Shiraitonotaki (white thread water fall) near my school has become quite a developed tourist destination

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Himeji

Tottori

Okayama

Wakayama

Tokyo

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