jtrent238 test blog: Travel Dispatch: A Book Critic’s Guide to Dublin

October 5, 2024

A large boulder-like rock in a park setting supports the reclining statue of a writer with longish hair, wearing a late-19th-century suit, one leg propped up, the other stretched out.

A statue of the late-19th-century writer Oscar Wilde in Merrion Square in Dublin. Ellius Grace for The New York Times

Dear Travel Fan,

Art and literature are two wonderful reasons to travel and this week we explore both topics.

In Norway, we follow in the footsteps of Harald Sohlberg, one of that country's most-beloved painters (who is relatively unknown outside Norway). As a curator told the writer Pamela Paul, Sohlberg focused "deeply about what it meant to be a human being in this huge overwhelming nature."

In Ireland, Dwight Garner, one of The Times's book critics, journeys to Dublin, a city he describes as "perhaps the most literature-soaked city in the world." His tour includes many bookish stops, but also pubs, restaurants and more.

Travel plays a large part in the controversy surrounding New York City's mayor, Eric Adams, who has been accused by federal prosecutors of doing favors for the Turkish government in return for steeply discounted luxury flights and hotel stays. (Mr. Adams has denied the charges.) To see what his travel was like, we sent a reporter and a photographer in his footsteps (we paid full freight).

With Halloween approaching, we've got suggestions for horror-film festivals worth traveling for, and our Travel 101 column tells you how to spend less time in line if you're visiting a Disney park. We've also got an update on the current policies for short-term rentals in the hard-hit Asheville, N.C., region.

And our 36 Hours visits the ruggedly beautiful Scottish city of Edinburgh, which turns 900 this year.

Wishing you safe and happy journeys,

Amy Virshup

OPEN UP YOUR WORLD

Robert Ormerod for The New York Times

36 Hours

36 Hours in Edinburgh

Fall is the ideal time to explore the ruggedly beautiful Scottish capital, which turns 900 this year.

By Graeme Virtue

A very long and extremely high-ceilinged room in a library has an arched wooden roof, two floors' worth of bookshelves filled with old volumes, and a glossy wooden floor on the lower floor which is like a corridor amid all the shelves, lined with busts of historical figures on pedestals.

Paulo Nunes dos Santos for The New York Times

Where Literary Ghosts Linger: A Book Critic Goes to Dublin

The Irish city, once home to the likes of James Joyce and Oscar Wilde, is known for its bookstores, libraries and pubs, where writers found inspiration over pints of Guinness.

By Dwight Garner

A large monster stands with arms outstretched next to a lighted sign that reads:

Harvest Moon Twin Drive-In

5 Halloween Film Festivals Worth Traveling For

It's October, and horror movie festivals scratch both the weekend getaway and scare-the-bejesus-out-of-you itch. A guide to some worth checking out.

By Erik Piepenburg

A fall scene with trees in yellows and oranges is shown looking down from above on a white picket fence and garden gate.

Chiara Zonca for The New York Times

Footsteps

Following Norway's National Painter Through a Landscape of Mountains and Fjords

Harald Sohlberg is celebrated within his native country and almost unknown outside it. A writer goes in search of the artist's inspiration in Norway's 'overwhelming nature.'

By Pamela Paul

THE CHANGING WORLD OF TRAVEL

Footsteps

Lie-Flat Seats and Chilled Champagne: Testing Eric Adams's Upgrade Life

The New York mayor is accused of accepting free luxury travel in exchange for political favors. How large was he living? A writer puts the experience to the test.

By Sarah Lyall and Clark Hodgin

TRAVEL 101

An illustration of a family with two kids at a Disney park. The parents and the two kids are all wearing Mickey Mouse ears, and they are all smiling. The daughter is wearing sunglasses and is riding on her dad's shoulders. Behind them, there is a long line of people waiting to get on a ride that features flying elephants, and far in the background, you can see the towers of a Disney castle.

Weston Wei

travel 101

Visiting a Disney Park? Here's How to Spend Less Time in Line.

Long waits can take a bite out of the magic at places like Walt Disney World and Disneyland. There are ways to speed things up, but be prepared to pay more.

By Nora Walsh

Feedback, thoughts, tips? Email the Travel desk at travel@nytimes.com.

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