The Rucksack Foodie

When “work” looks like this, you feel a tiny bit guilty! (Just a tiny bit!)
Today kicks off a fabulous 12 day Keyrow Tours in the Puglia region of Italy, and this group of travelers have already set the bar for a fun filled trip! So great to have repeat-offenders on another journey with me and to such a fascinating and lesser known part of Italy.

Our first few days we are staying in postcard-esque Polignano a Mare. Perched high atop some of the country’s most dramatic limestone cliff coastline.
2400 years ago the Greeks settled upon this rocky shore line among the Adriatic Sea and the Romans solidified its location with the historic Via Traiana trading route running straight through it.
Medieval times saw the town ruled by the Byzantine Empire, the Normans, the Angevins, and Aragonese all leaving their marks and creating a unique cultural sphere - this land is not your typical Italy! It’s an arid and rocky place that’s true value was its position along the Mediterranean & Adriatic Sea routes. Fishing and salt were the main sources of trade for this region for centuries and then came the olive & almond trees (but more on that later in the week)
The old town is a maze of narrow lanes of artist shops, wine bars & eateries amongst ancient stone buildings shadowing us from the always hot & always shining sun.
And the food!! Yes it’s amazing but distinctive!!
ALL of this - this is why fabulous folks chose to travel with us on a Keyrow Tour, it’s never a typical tour… Especially in Puglia!!

My 36 hour side quest to Westport Ireland was all too short. Although the rain dampened the activities & coastal picture taking, it did not dampen the hospitable spirit that resides here nor the warm welcome from locals.
The unofficial capital of County Mayo & a favorite for tourists, it still holds on to a bit of small town magic. One of the best towns in Ireland to find traditional music most every night of the week, and numerous music festivals of various genres year round. The pub options are endless & many are like stepping back in time with friendly local banter a guarantee. And so many delicious places to indulge, it was tough to narrow down my dining choices with only 36 hours here!

MY FAVORITES (for this visit!):

Toby’s Bar: warmly welcomed the moment I stepped in on a rainy afternoon. The aged dark wood & stained glass accented with random paraphernalia, back lit by vintage bar lights & the smile of the publican pulling pints for locals popping in after work to chat with neighbors. Very little change in the past 120 years they’ve owned it (and it’s been around for almost 200 years!)

The Gallery Cafe, Wine & Tapas Bar Westportan unassuming sidewalk sign pointed me up a dark alley path to find a mini courtyard of commerce featuring this bit of heaven. Stepping into this small eclectic space discovering deliciousness for all the senses. Music coming from the corner turntable, the walls stacked to the ceiling with the owners outstanding vinyl collection. His organic menu selection offering something for everyone & magically prepared in a very tiny galley space. And the wine list was phenomenal!

Christy's Harvest (breakfast) THE place to taste a Boxty! This traditional griddle fried potato pancake comes topped with a few delicious options. Staff are lovely and it’s a favorite of locals popping in for a morning cup while they read the paper & chat with neighbors.

A File Bar Westport the BEST chowder in town! Rich & creamy w/ loads of seafood & seasoned thoughtfully perfect bites with every spoon full

Clew Bay Heritage Center: a treasure trove of artifacts capturing life & history of Westport. Right on the bay on a good day the view over to Croagh Patrick is stunning

MORE WESTPORT TIPS:

EASY TO GET TO: Take a train direct from Dublin to Westport! And plenty of buses from Galway.

THINGS I’LL DO NEXT TIME:
Westport Cruises Boat adventure from Clew Bay & photos of Croagh Patrick ! … Sadly the weather was sh*te & my boat cruise was cancelled & no visibility of Croagh Patrick or the historic beauty spots in Clew Bay but I will definitely be exploring with Westport Cruises next time!

Tour Westport House… a stunning & historic 18th-century Georgian country house set on a 400-acre estate overlooking Clew Bay , the original home foundations built in the 16th century by the famous pirate queen Gráinne Mhaol (Grace O'Malley).
The House is temporarily closed to visitors while undergoing extensive restoration work, with a full reopening planned for 2028.

OTHER PUBS
Morans: Sip inside history- not much has changed over the century in this traditional old shop-pub. A lovely place to grab a pint and find some chat in a more quiet & comfortable setting allowing you to just take it all in. Great banter from the barman the night I was there too.

Matt Malloys: an iconic spot to listen to some music & enjoy a pint

The only thing I knew about the Isle of Man was it was an island between Ireland & the UK with a cool flag - but WOW …so much more!!!
An ancient place where man has been settling for over 10000 yrs. One of the 6 Celtic nations and possibly the richest in folk lore & mystery. A Parliment that has existed since 962AD. Victorian’s leaving a treasure trove of architecture & innovation. And tip-to-tip 32 miles of ENDLESS historic sites & scenic views!
I could blether on about it’s fascinating ancient sites, the towns full of architectural gems, the numerous engineering wonders still in use, the amazing local food scene, the absolutely lovely locals, the TT races, the very UNIQUE political & tax structure … but I’m just gonna leave it there & tell you that you NEED to put the Isle of Man on your TRAVEL LIST!

Send me a DM if you’d like specific itinerary suggestions and WATCH THIS SPACE as I’d love to pull together a small group trip for next year!!

I barely scratched the surface off all there is but here are some top recommendations:

- The Manx National Heritage Museum: an enormous collection spanning the entire history & cultural expressions of the Island. FASCINATING collections & wonderful staff!

- The VillaGaiety Theater: possibly one of the best architectural history tours I’ve ever taken. A gorgeous preservation with almost all original theatrical elements been preserved & some the last in the world.

- The Victorian Trains & Tram: Isle of Man Transport a fabulous slow journey across the island , by the sea, over the mountain and through time in antiques coaches. Steam, Electric & Horse powered

-Food & Drink: spectacular from the abundant local produce, beef & fish found at fabulous eateries like The Boatyard Restaurant , to the Isle of Man Creamery farmer’s coop cheeses & butter, to Noa bakery’s amazing loaves from locally milled grain, to island beers from Okell's Brewery & Bushy’s & Millers T’Ale to spirits from distillers The The Fynoderee Distillery , Kella Distillers, the Home of Manx Spirit & Manx Whisky Company

- Old world charm: the island’s local communities are lively & every village seems to have a busy social calendar from live music at a village hall, special exhibits showcasing local history o& traditional festivals and marked moments worth exploring.

- Outdoor exploration: there are hundreds of miles of diverse walking paths from “green lanes” connecting to train stops, routes connecting medieval pilgrimage sites, to breathtaking coastal paths & majestic views from atop Snaefell mountain

- Easy to get to: Ferry from Ireland or Uk and a good sized airport serviced by numerous airlines

- Easy to get around: use the Island “GO Pass” , a handy transit card that works on the numerous public buses, the Steam & Electric Rail lines & the Horse Drawn tram line. 3 days cost me only 45£ & was so cheap for the amount of rides I took!

- Taxis: taxis are honestly some of the cheapest I’ve seen in tourist areas around UK & EU

- Accommodation options are limitless from old school family owned like Ashfield BnB in Douglas, to country dark sky gazing cottages, to modern hotels-literally 100s of options across the island!

The strength of tradition is a powerful thing, and the foundation of community especially in Ireland. Often a place holds many layers of memories/moments in history all melting together as the centuries have gone by. Tonight was a perfect example of how layered Irish history can be in village tradition… as I attended a special annual church service with about 50 people who followed a 1 mile procession of a statue of Mary, through the village, down to the ancient holy well located next to the Boyne River. A place that has been a vital part of tradition in this community for over 1500 years. This holy well has known to exist even before the arrival of St Patrick to the hill of Slane only 500m away. It was well known to St Erc (St Patrick’s 1st convert) as a sacred place where he built his hermitage, held mass & healed the sick with the waters. And even still today each year on the eve before The Feast of Assumption (a sacred Catholic day honoring Mary’s assent into heaven) the village parish holds a procession to bring a statue of Mary from the church to the ancient well, to lay in wait until the next day August 15 the actual Feast Day of Mary, when hundreds of locals will arrive in from dawn until dusk to say prayers & fill bottles with the wells holy water.
This water will be used throughout the year to bless family members, to sprinkle about the house or car for protection & sometimes drunk or used topically for ailments.
Tonight prayers were said, some collected water (but one older woman told me not to get water until tomorrow on the actual Feast Day of Mary) , you could fill out a “petition to Mary” asking her to fix things or heal your ailments, and there were rose petals to take as a memento.
This tradition is strong across the village community even for those who don’t attend church. 100s will attend tomorrow, some come to socialize, some will linger with a picnic by the river, and all will be filling their bottles & vials. Just they have for hundreds of years.

There are over 3000 known ancient holy wells in Ireland, each dedicated to a saint such as Bridget or Patrick or to Mary (as this one is) and each are thought to possess healing properties. Maybe it be the power of prayer or positive thought from faith BUT it is scientifically proven that many of these ancient wells have high mineral contents with healthful properties. A holy well that had a high mineral count for Sodium chloride would have been perfect to use in ancient times as an eye wash for infection especially for folks sitting around a peat fire all day long.
Other wells contain high mineral counts of Magnesium (used for muscle function and heart) , Sulfur (good for skin conditions), Iron rich (for anemia) and even a few holy wells have been known to be effective on healing “crazy” villagers but it’s because the wells had very high counts of natural Lithium!

Looking for a lesser visited but stunning region in Ireland to visit? 📍Check out Lough Derg!!!
Located between Co Clare, Co Galway & County Tipperary.
I was invited out for a Sunday drive by my pal Captain Gary who owns a lovely old cottage in this region, for an exploration of many new roads I had yet to travel.
There were gorgeous views over the Lough around every turn, idyllic villages time has forgotten & much history to be found along the country roads of the Lough that is actually the River Shannon as well.

There are loads of outdoor activities both on the water with boat excursions & fishing to many walking trails such as the Lough Derg Way, The Clare Way & especially the Lough Derg Nature trail that follows to Portumna, Killaloe, and Terryglass.
Endless little villages you’ll want to stop in for a coffee or lunch (we enjoyed a lovely lunch while watching the Women’s Camogie Finals with the locals in a fab little pub Walsh's Bar & Restaurant, Woodford )
Many postcard shop fronts along the way with bakeries, antiques shops & artisans dotting the countryside and weekend markets to plan on visiting like the Killaloe Farmers Market on Sundays (definitely dropped a few euros here!!)
There are so many perfect options for overnight stays as well! My top Accomodation suggestions are CosyCottage_Nenagh for a beautiful & tranquil farm location or Sonja Aylward for a stunning medieval castle experience.
AND of course, so much history in this region especially related to early Christian settlements, medieval castles, and the turbulent political & religious turmoil that played out here spanning from the Normans to the English.
I wished i had captured more moments in photos but one day is definitely not enough to properly enjoy this beautiful & lessor visited part of Ireland!! Guess I’ll just have to go back for a longer adventure!

Capt. Gary also is a a bit of a renaissance man.. pilot ships around the world, expert historian on Irish history, can repair just about anything including restoring his 300 yr old cottage AND makes a deliciously dangerous elderflower champagne & potín! 🤪🥂
Thanks Capt. Gary for the day out exploring your beautiful neck of the woods!