Travel Tales with Fergal

My guest travel writer Conor Power shares his experiences from our recent trip to the wonderful region of Extremadura in south west Spain on the border of Portugal. We chat about the Ribera del Guadiana Wine and Cava Route, in the region of Extremadura and its wine-growing tradition and exquisite regional gastronomy, historical Roman and Moor heritage, archaeological sites, monasteries and castles.This area is where the Spanish go on holidays for a cultural and food fix. It is in a way an idealised version of Spain with open planes of fields of vines and olive oil as far as the eye can see to the distant horizon. Think spaghetti westerns landscape where farms are often 1,000’s of acres. Where brilliant sunsets blaze the land orange every night. The capital Mérida is a destination you should put at the top of your list when it comes to visiting Extremadura. As the capital of the Roman province of Lusitania, Mérida boasts an impressive collection of Roman ruins that have earned it the status of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Roman Theatre, still used for performances today, is a remarkable testament to the city’s ancient past. If you haven’t already, I'd ask you to give me a follow on whichever platform you listen to your podcasts and you will be the first to get a new episode. Fergal O’Keeffe is the host of Ireland’s No.1 Travel Podcast Travel Tales with Fergal which is now listened to in 130 countries worldwide. The podcast aims to share soul-lifting travel memoirs about daydream worthy destinations. Please follow me onInstagram @traveltaleswithfergalFacebook @traveltaleswithfergalTwitter @FergalTravelYouTube @traveltaleswithfergal  

Porto is gaining a reputation as one of Europe’s coolest cities both as a holiday destination and as a gateway to northern Portugal.I explore this great city and the Minho region above Porto with lush green hills and Vino Vert vineyards and the stunning medieval towns of Braga and Ponte de Lima. I also talk about the areas below Porto including the Douro Valley, the Arouca region and the River Paiva which is great for rafting. Check out my Instagram for more detailed info on the trip.If you haven’t already, I'd ask you to give me a follow on whichever platform you listen to your podcasts and you will be the first to get a new episode. Fergal O’Keeffe is the host of Ireland’s No.1 Travel Podcast Travel Tales with Fergal which is now listened to in 120 countries worldwide. The podcast aims to share soul-lifting travel memoirs about daydream worthy destinations. Please follow me onInstagram @traveltaleswithfergalFacebook @traveltaleswithfergalTwitter @FergalTravelYouTube @traveltaleswithfergal  

We have just returned from a family holiday to Provence in France and I am in love with all things French. I discuss this magical part of France with my favourite returning guest and wife Eimer. We talk about the glitzy beach town of Cassis on the coast,following in the footsteps of author Peter Mayle around the medieval hill towns of the Luberon and the city of Aix en Provence. We also cover the Alpilles region around St Remy and Beaucaire and the wonderful ancient Roman cities of Arles and Avignon. We talk about the great markets, restaurants, food and wines and the friendliness of the people of Provence. This is the episode for Francophiles!If you haven’t already, I'd ask you to give me a follow on whichever platform you listen to your podcasts and you will be the first to get a new episode. Fergal O’Keeffe is the host of Ireland’s No.1 Travel Podcast Travel Tales with Fergal which is now listened to in 120 countries worldwide. The podcast aims to share soul-lifting travel memoirs about daydream worthy destinations. Please follow me onInstagram @traveltaleswithfergalFacebook @traveltaleswithfergalTwitter @FergalTravelYouTube @traveltaleswithfergal

Welcome to my Donegal destination special, in conjunction with Ireland’s Blue Book, celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Wild Atlantic Way, which stretches 2,500 kilometres along the west coast of Ireland from Donegal to Cork. The Blue Book is also celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Today we are focusing on Donegal, which is the start of the Wild Atlantic Way, with an interview with Karoline Sweeney from the Castle Grove Country House. Castle Grove is a family-run Georgian house, built in 1695 and set is its own 250-acre estate. Castle Grove Country House is one of the few remaining private estates in the northwest of Ireland which overlooks Lough Swilly and is ideally placed between Letterkenny and Rathmullan so it’s the perfect base from which to explore beautiful Donegal and Wild Atlantic Way. For further details go to https://www.castlegrove.com I love the Blue Book because they are generally family owned and run Irish Country House Hotels, Manor Houses, castles and restaurants. You really get to see Irish hospitality at its best and the properties are generally old country houses, so you get a real sense of the history of the area you are staying in and their website is https://www.irelands-blue-book.ie.If you haven’t already, I'd ask you to give me a follow on whichever platform you listen to your podcasts and you will be the first to get a new episode. Fergal O’Keeffe is the host of Ireland’s No.1 Travel Podcast Travel Tales with Fergal which is now listened to in 120 countries worldwide. The podcast aims to share soul-lifting travel memoirs about daydream worthy destinations. Please follow me onInstagram @traveltaleswithfergalFacebook @traveltaleswithfergalTwitter @FergalTravelYouTube @traveltaleswithfergal

Welcome to part 2 of my Kerry destination specials, in conjunction with Ireland’s Blue Book, celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Wild Atlantic Way, which stretches 2,500 kilometres along the west coast of Ireland from Donegal to Cork. The Blue Book is also celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Today we are focusing on Kerry, probably Ireland’s most famous tourist region, with an interview with Frank Slattery from Carrig Country House.  If you haven’t already, I’d recommend you listen to part 1 with Patrick Hanley from the Lansdowne Kenmare. I love the Blue Book because they are generally family owned and run Irish Country House Hotels, Manor Houses, castles and restaurants. You really get to see Irish hospitality at its best and the properties are generally old country houses, so you get a real sense of the history of the area you are staying in and their website is https://www.irelands-blue-book.ie. The Carrig Country House is hidden away on Caragh Lake and lies at the foot of the northern lower slopes of the MacGillycuddy’s Reeks at the head of the Caragh Valley. It is a magnificent tranquil location midway between the bustling town of Killorglin to the east and the charming village of Glenbeigh and Rossbeigh Beach to the west. Check here https://carrighouse.com.  If you haven’t already, I'd ask you to give me a follow on whichever platform you listen to your podcasts and you will be the first to get a new episode. Fergal O’Keeffe is the host of Ireland’s No.1 Travel Podcast Travel Tales with Fergal which is now listened to in 120 countries worldwide. The podcast aims to share soul-lifting travel memoirs about daydream worthy destinations. Please follow me onInstagram @traveltaleswithfergalFacebook @traveltaleswithfergalTwitter @FergalTravelYouTube @traveltaleswithfergal

Today we continue our series in conjunction with Ireland’s Blue Book celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Wild Atlantic Way, which stretches over 2,500 kms along the west coast of Ireland from Donegal to Cork. The Blue Book is also celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.You should check out my previous two Blue Book episodes on Connemara. But today we are focusing on Kerry, probably Ireland’s most famous tourist region, with two great interviews with Patrick Hanley from the Lansdowne Kenmare in part 1 and Frank Slattery from Carrig Country House in part 2.I love the Blue Book because they are generally family owned and run Irish Country House Hotels, Manor Houses, castles and restaurants. You really get to see Irish hospitality at its best and the properties are generally old country houses, so you get a real sense of the history of the area you are staying in. A Blue Book voucher would always be my top travel gift recommendation and their website is https://www.irelands-blue-book.ie.The Lansdowne Kenmare has been an intrinsic part of the history of Kenmare since 1790 and was fully restored in 2021 by my guest today Brian Hanley whose family have been associated with the centre of Kenmare for many years. The Heritage Town of Kenmare is affectionately known as “The Jewel in the Crown” as it is a landmark destination on the famous Ring of Kerry. For more information check out https://www.lansdownekenmare.com.If you haven’t already, I'd ask you to give me a follow on whichever platform you listen to your podcasts and you will be the first to get a new episode. Fergal O’Keeffe is the host of Ireland’s No.1 Travel Podcast Travel Tales with Fergal which is now listened to in 120 countries worldwide. The podcast aims to share soul-lifting travel memoirs about daydream worthy destinations. Please follow me onInstagram @traveltaleswithfergalFacebook @traveltaleswithfergalTwitter @FergalTravelYouTube @traveltaleswithfergal

My wonderful guest is Kevin Flanagan, from the brilliant travel podcast The Top Travel destinations with Kevin Flanagan, which I highly recommend. Kevin is a travel writer for the Sunday Independent, a best selling author and documentary maker, actor and ballet dancer so a true renaissance man.But what really shines throughout this episode as we meander around the world is Kevin’s passion for travel. When I travel it is much more than the geographic location that brings place to life – it’s the history of a place, the culture, the food, the drink, the fun and the sun. It’s the architecture and the people. Kevin gets that so if you like all things travel then you will love this episode. If you haven’t already I'd ask you to give me a follow on whichever platform you listen to your podcasts and you will be the first to get a new episode. Fergal O’Keeffe is the host of Ireland’s No.1 Travel Podcast Travel Tales with Fergal which is now listened to in 120 countries worldwide. The podcast aims to share soul-lifting travel memoirs about daydream worthy destinations. Please follow me onInstagram @traveltaleswithfergalFacebook @traveltaleswithfergalTwitter @FergalTravelYouTube @traveltaleswithfergal

The 2nd Connemara Destination episode is an interview with Henry Hodgson from Currarevagh House, whose family were founding members of Ireland’s Blue Book collection, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Currarevagh House is an early Victorian Country House, set in 180 acres of private parkland and woodland bordering on Lough Corrib. Visit here https://currarevagh.comThe Wild Atlantic Way, which stretches from Donegal to Cork, over 2,500 winding kms of glorious scenery, beaches, villages and hotels, is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year and we will be interviewing famous hoteliers along this world famous route over the coming months. I love the Blue Book because they are mostly family owned and run Irish Country House Hotels, Manor Houses, castles and restaurants. You really get to see Irish hospitality at its best and the properties are generally old country houses, so you get a real sense of the history of the area you are staying in. A Blue Book voucher would always be my top travel gift recommendation and their website is https://www.irelands-blue-book.ie.If you haven’t already I'd ask you to give me a follow on whichever platform you listen to your podcasts and you will be the first to get a new episode. Fergal O’Keeffe is the host of Ireland’s No.1 Travel Podcast Travel Tales with Fergal which is now listened to in 100 countries worldwide. The podcast aims to share soul-lifting travel memoirs about daydream worthy destinations. Please follow me onInstagram @traveltaleswithfergalFacebook @traveltaleswithfergalTwitter @FergalTravelYouTube @traveltaleswithfergal