I have just arrived back from Lanzarote. I had expected to be writing my blogs from there but the internet situation over there proved to be very difficult. However I had a wonderful time over there. I rested a plenty, walked a lot and drank and ate a little too much at times but in the main I behaved myself but I sang plenty of songs.
The greatest thing I did over there was to walk almost every day. Due to a back problem I could only walk for 100 yards at first but ended up in my last few weeks walking along the beachfront in Peurto del Carmen for 6 miles. I took plenty of rests but I felt a great sense of achievement when I did that and I must pay tribute to my great friend Frank O’Dwyer, who cajoled me into walking every day.
The weather was mostly between 75f and 85f so it was wonderful to soak up the sun all Winter. Lanzarote is a wonderful island and there was something to do every day and the time passed so quickly.
I am now back and prepairing to start my first tour on Tuesday next April 15. I will be travelling with Chuck Brodsky and I am really looking forward to this tour. We are starting in West Cork, then Dingle and onto Co. Clare and finishing in Limerick.
We have had some cancellations due to the state of the US Dollar and the state of the ecomomy, but these things happen and I am really looking forward to the upcomming tours.
I will write again soon and report on the Chuck Brodsky Tour. Goodbye for now………………………..TOM
I did a tour with Johnsmith and Tom last summer. It was awesome. Tom and John together are a great team and I recommend any trips by them. I think a trip with Tom alone might be good too. I arrived early for my tour and Tom picked me up and brought me to Doolin where I spent a night above McGanns that he had arranged. Although I don’t know why I stayed up chatting with new friends from all over there until at least 3:00 AM.
Tom knows the secret places and many people and his tenor voice—it’ll make you cry.
I was so impressed with the tour and my new friends that I created this Web site to remember the tour. Its called http://www.fairplaytometour.com named after seeing John Spillane at the Ballyshannon Folk Festival in County Donegal.
If you want access to the site, let me know at prutter@gmail.com
Paul
April 4th, 2008 | #