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Coming to America
Mrs. Mark and I are visiting the USA for a week, very soon. We are going to Boston, then New York. One of our daughters is in the former for a while, so we look forward to meeting her.
As Irish citizens, we can avail of the ESTA Visa Waiver Programme. With all the controversy around people’s rights to enter and to remain in the States, I can say that there is a huge amount of form-filling and disclosure of personal information, as well as assurances that one won’t engage in nefarious activities. Being admitted to the programme is no guarantee of entry, and one must still be subject to scrutiny by INS officials at the airport. At least we have pre-clearance facilities in the two airports with flights to America.
With TDS spinning out of control here, I have had strange reactions when I have told people about my plans. Some think I shouldn’t be “giving money to Trump”. Others warn me that my phone might be searched for anti-Trump or anti-semitic material – no fear on either count. Some ask if I am not afraid of being detained. All among the crazy conspiracy theories that are circulating here in Ireland and elsewhere. I remember total hysteria at the beginning of President Trump’s first term, when some Irish guy living in the USA was being deported, until it turned out that he had been convicted of a serious crime.
We will, of course, take the opportunity to visit Harvard. I might do a tour – I hear they could do with the money.
The centre-piece of our trip to the Big Apple was to be a Mets game, but it turns out that my beloved team is playing away while we are there. So I will have to settle for the Yankees. God help me!
Anyway, it’s our first visit in over 15 years, and my first time in Boston. Looking forward to it!
Published in General
Yankees!!? Two words: Fenway Park.
Welcome back.
It is interesting to hear how the rest of the world views us. I imagine that the press in Europe is equally as anti-Trump biased as our own, with less center and alternate right leaning sites than we have.
On the flip side, based on what have heard about the Muslim takeover of Ireland, you may want to consider staying here !
I don’t attend many sporting or arts events. They are great, but have become so expensive that I can no longer justify the entertainment vs value evaluation. That said, one of the most memorable events ever attended was a Yankees / Red Sox game at Fenway, many years ago. Not a Yankees batter was spared continuous and raucous “BOOOS” every time they were introduced for the batter’s box. Awesome.
You’ll have a great time! Too bad you won’t be in Florida.
We’re doing a tour of Fenway. I couldn’t inflict two baseball games on Mrs M, and we have more time in NY.
Why Florida? When you could be in (…wait for it…) Tennessee!
We were there in 1995, mostly in Clearwater Beach, but we did three days in Orlando, and got to Busch Gardens. We had a great time, but couldn’t believe how early everyone went to bed.
The tour is excellent—maybe even better than some games.
Welcome back. Hope you enjoy it! Also hope that after your visit you’ll post your impressions here of experiencing Boston and New York in 2025.
One of my sons was in Nashville a couple of years ago. He and his friends were on J1 visas. They drove from Chicago for the 4th July weekend.
Too bad you couldn’t experience the craziness that is NYC, then head upstate to Ithaca and experience the awesomeness of the Finger Lakes (lest anyone get the idea that NYC is New York State).
I think it’s a scream that you have to jump through that many hoops just to be able to visit for a week or two, when they unabashedly let millions just stream across the border. (Well, they did until we got a new president.)
And I’m sorry that most of Europe has been so systematically poisoned against Trump. I’m heading to German in May for a couple of weeks, and I’m bracing for it. Luckily, my German is bad enough so I will once again adopt my alter ego as “Martina’s quiet American husband, who smiles a lot”. So I really don’t have to get into it with them. I could probably work out how to say “Alice, you go girl!” auf Deutsch, but I’d probably better just leave that one alone. 😁
A visit to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston could be worth your time. A couple of hours would do it.
The empty frames from the incredible, unsolved art heist are worth the trip alone.
Thanks for the tip. Speaking of tips, I have loaded my credit card so that I can pay 30% on every drop I drink and morsel I eat. Quite the tariff, if you think about it. It was 16%- “double the tax” – last time I was there. Anyway, I once worked for tips myself, so I shouldn’t begrudge.
Welcome back!
In Boston. I recommend a visit aboard USS Constitution, world’s oldest commissioned naval warship still afloat.
Thanks. Sounds good.
Did that (from Texas). I agree!
If you’re driving around Boston, you’re very likely to be on Storrow Drive at some point, which runs along the Charles River. Check your traffic app to avoid the inevitable back up that occurs (very) frequently when an 11- foot high truck attempts to pass under a 10-foot high bridge. This happens enough that it is known as “Storrowing.”
I would also like to recommend a visit to the national heritage site that is my place of birth, but the admission fee is frankly exorbitant.
Even better than visiting your birthplace is having the real thing here on Ricochet.