Tales of a Technogypsie

The Whitby Abbey* Abbey Lane, Whitby, North Yorkshire – YO22 4JT * I have always been drawn to the iconography of the Gothic Abbey atop the hills of Whitby, England. It is that vaguely interwoven backdrop of the gothic culture that is drawn to this city that once was home to Bram Stoker and the [...]

Fontana Lake* Smokey Mountains National Park, Fontana Dam, North Carolina * Named after the Italian word for “fountain”, Fontana Lake is named after the flooded town of Fontana, which was the Smokey Mountains infamous lumber and copper-mining hub back in the day at the mouth of Eagle Creek. Now a reservoir contained by Fontana Dam [...]

Duffy’s Pond along Old Bluff Road, enroute to Congaree National Park, Columbia, South Carolina, USA I don’t know much about this pond historically and would welcome any local knowledge to be shared on this page. The following are photos I took roadside:

Congaree National Park100 National Park Road, Hopkins, SC 29061 * Phone: (803) 783-4241 * (outside of Columbia, South Carolina) * http://www.nps.gov/cong/ * One of the natural attractions to Columbia, South Carolina is the infamous Congaree National Park which preserves the largest tract of old growth bottom land hardwood forest that remains left in the United [...]

The Hill of Uisneach / Cnoc Uisnigh or Ushnagh, in the heart of County Westmeath, is a 182 meter high sacred hill that was once considered to be the absolute center of Ireland. Located along the northern side of R390, and 8 kilometers east of Ballymore, next to the village of Loughanavally – it is [...]

Keflavik Reykjavik, Iceland When you fly into Reykjavik, you actually land just outside of Keflavik. “Keflavik” means “Driftwood Bay” and is a prominent town in the Reykjanes region of Southwestern Iceland. With a population of just over 8,000 it is part of a larger municipality region called Reykjanesbaer totalling over 13,000 inhabitants. The town was [...]

Jeannie Johnson Tall Sailing Ship & Museum Dublin, Ireland Sitting in the Harbour of the River Liffey, just outside the CHQ Building is the replica of the infamous “Jeanie Johnston” ~ the three masted barque built in 1847 by John Munn that brought settlers over to the New World during the great Irish Famine. This [...]

Borre Viking MarkedViking Market / Festival, Borre, Borrekaupangen – the historical Borre Park, Norway: Sunday, 8th July 2012. http://www.borrevikinglag.com/?page_id=961 An amazing trek across the Irish and North Seas, through four countries, three days to reach, three days to embrace, and three days to return … I was taken captive by a Jorvik Viking from York [...]

Chronicles August 02, 2011:, a set on Flickr. Via Flickr: The Chronicles of Sir Thomas Rhymer Oisin Leaf McGowan during his adventures in Scotland. The travel tales and adventure will eventually be available at http;//www.technogypsie.com/chronicles/. Information about the photos can be obtained at www.technogypsie.com/photography/ Questions about the publication date of these adventures can be requested [...]

2012 Dublin Zombie Walk * Saturday, 4 August 2012 * St. Stephen’s Green to Temple Bar * 2 pm – 4 pm * Dublin, Ireland * http://www.dublinzombiewalk.com/ * The living dead rose to masses ranging from 4,000 to quoted 10,000 undead splattering blood, guts, and moaning for brains as they walked a long route taking [...]

Cushendall, Northern Ireland A little village that has drawn me into its crossroads many many times in the searching for Ossian’s grave which lies just on its outskirts. Another attracting piece of folklore discovered during those journeys is the Fairy Hill overlooking the village called Tiveragh Hill. With a population of just over 1,200 inhabitants, [...]

Stonehenge Festival, a set on Flickr. Via Flickr: The Summer Solstice Stonehenge Celebration at Stonehenge, Salisbury, England, UK. June 20-21, 2012. To learn more about Stonehenge, visit my page at: www.technogypsie.com/reviews/?p=126 In the near future, photos and articles relating to the 2012 festival will be posted here (estimated July 2012) www.technogypsie.com/reviews/?p=3365 Photos by Leaf McGowan [...]

Wax Museum Plus – Dublin, Ireland, a set on Flickr. Wax Museum Plus, Dublin, Ireland. Visit April 22, 2012.

The Saturday March 17, 2012 St. Patrick’s Day Festival and Parade in Dublin, Ireland. Video clips of various Steampunk themed art and floats presented in the Parade.

Begijnhof and Chapel *Zandvoorterweg 78 * 2111 GZ Aerdenhout * Tel. 023-5246229 * Fax. 023-5440081 * info: info@stille-omgang.nl * website: www.stille-omgang.nl Amsterdam, Hollandhttp://www.begijnhofamsterdam.nl/It was here, at the Begijnhof that a few days before Palm Sunday on March 15, 1345 a sick man in the Kalverstraat took the Sacrament of the sick from the local priest. [...]

Thursday, 22 May 2008 Washington, D.C. 11th annual D.C. Goth Prom “Under a Milky Way” * Town Danceboutique * 2009 8th Strett NW | Washington, DC 20009 * http://www.gothpromdc.com/ 11th Annual Goth Prom, Washington, D.C. 5/22/08 After the National Geographic Live and private reception, I headed over to my ‘first’, while DC’s 11th, Goth Prom [...]

Yorktown Colonial National Historical Park * http://www.nps.gov/colo * PO BOX 210, Yorktown, Virginia 23690 * Yorktown Battlefield Another National Park of the Historic Triangle lies a small museum and visitor center where the staff will orientate you on the history of the Yorktown Colonial National Battlefield with dioramas showing scenes from life around the battle [...]

Brisbane Central Business District (CBD)/Queen Street Mall Brisbane, Queensland, Australia Everyday for the first part of May I passed through the Brisbane CBD along the Queen Street mall enroute to my volunteer job as tourguide for the HMB Endeavour. Always distracted by unique shops, cool fashion, and foodstuffs along my journey. This area is Brisbane’s [...]

Brisbane SquareBrisbane, Queensland, Australia One of my favorite little hotspots in Brisbane’s City Center was the Brisbane Square, as it was often frequented by markets and sales. Brisbane Square is a small city block square at the foot of a high-rise building called “Brisbane Square” which rises 151 meters tall with over 38 floors which [...]

Victoria BridgeBrisbane, Queensland, Australia As I was staying in the infamous West End of Brisbane, my foot and bicycle passage to the City Center was The Victoria Bridge. This was Brisbane’s first permanent bridge and had its foundation stone laid on August 22, 1864 by the late Governor Bowen. It wasn’t finished construction until late [...]

Brisbane West End Brisbane, Queensland, Australia My first online Couchsurfing experience in Australia was in Southern Brisbane’s infamous inner-city suburb called “The West End”. A great alternative artsy lively area of cultural hodge-podge, the West End I found was one of the more exciting neighborhoods in the city. It is also one of Brisbane’s oldest. [...]

Australian National Museum, Canberra, ACT, Australia The amazing country of “the Down Under” …. “Australia” or “Terra Australis Incognita” …. the “Great South Land” which was once believed only to belong to myths and legends, until the legendary Captain Cook sailed the HMS Endeavour to discover its shores. A mythical land of strange creatures, plentiful [...]

Canberra, Australia Capital Territory, Australia Travels Down Under:The Vegemite Experience Tuesday, April 26, 2011 * Hanging in Canberra, Australia Capital Territory, Australia * A later start to the day, Sir Bluey brought out the vegemite for Sir Leaf to try for his very first time. Spread on with butter, it was not agreeable to his [...]

The Great Sand Dunes* http://www.nps.gov/grsa/index.htm * One of my favorite parts of Colorado is its great diversity in the ranges of the Rocky Mountains. One of those hotspots of “oddity” is the vast Sahara-like desert of sand dunes in the San Luis Valley. Of course California, New Mexico, and Arizona has tons of sand dunes [...]

leafworks’ photostream on Flickr. Most up-to-date travel photos currently in Ireland, and the most up-to-date photos cover the medieval towns of Cahir and Cashel including Cahir Castle, Rock of Cashel, and Hore Abbey. Sunday, November 27, 2011.

Tidbinbilla Nature reserve*Canberra, Australia Capital Territory, Australia * Tidbinbilla Nature reserve* Tidbinbilla Visitor Centre, Paddy’s River Rd, * Canberra, Australia Capital Territory, Australia * (02) 6205 1233 * http://www.tidbinbilla.com.au/ * Venturing south just 40 minutes from Canberra in the Australian Capital Territory is a beautiful nature reserve called “Tinbinbilla”. Named after the aboriginal word “Jedbinbilla” [...]

Gibraltar Falls * Canberra, Australia Capital Territory, Australia * Gibraltar Falls * Corin Road * Namadgi National Park * +61 02 6207 2900 * Canberra, Australia Capital Territory, Australia * One of the first waterfalls that I had a chance to see in Australia as accompanied by my travel mate Bluey Bee Fabbo. A nice [...]

Gibraltar Falls, Canberra, Australia Capital Territory, Australia Travels Down Under:Koalas and Cyber-goths Monday, April 25, 2011 * Area around Canberra, Australia Capital Territory, Australia * A later start to the day, Sir Bluey heated up the last of the kangaroo meat for lunch. This time the adventuring duo spiced it up with a peanut satay [...]

Australian National Botanical Gardens * GPO Box 1777 * Canberra, Australia Capital Territory * 2601 * Australia * +61 2 6250 9599 * http://www.anbg.gov.au/ * In the heart of Australia’s Capital Territory and City of Canberra is the Nation’s most exquisite National Botanical Gardens. Radiating like a gem in the midland plains, this fabulous collection [...]

Facepainting at the Phoenix Flea MarketPhoenixCanberra, Australia Capital Territory, Australia On April 24, 2011 in Canberra, Australia at the infamous Irish Bar “The Phoenix”, bodypainter Leaf McGowan participated in the Phoenix Flea Market. Drinking, revelry, and art was had by all in attendance. Utilizing Ben Nye, Wolf, and Mehron bodypaint, the following is a photogallery [...]