Dublin Revisited

I just watched a show on PBS called Historic Pubs of Dublin. Frank McCort, author of Angela's Ashes, was the host and he visited more than just the pubs of this wonderful city. It was fun to see so many of the places in and around Dublin that we explored last summer....Christ Church, St. Stephen's Green, Grafton Street, St. Patrick's Cathedral, Trinity College and The Book of Kells. And, of course, the pubs! Oliver St. John Gogarty's, The Ha' Penny, O'Neills, The Boar's Head. We were in Dublin for a week and managed only a sampling of the wonders offered by Ireland's capital city. But that taste of the Emerald Isle was enough to confirm my determination to return to the country that has fascinated me since I was twelve years old. I've chosen to move to Scotland in the fall but I plan to travel as much as possible while I'm there. There is so much I want to see throughout Scotland, England and of course beautiful Ireland. You cannot study the history of any one of these countries without intersecting that of one or both of the other two. I would live in all three countries simultaneously if I could. But since that's obviously not possible I'll just have to spend my spare time wandering through all of the British Isles soaking up as much as I can as often as I can. Anyone who wants to jumps the pond is welcome to join me!

Oh, that reminds me of a cool website I heard about on NPR a while back called couchsurfing.com. People looking for a place to stay are matched up with others who are willing to offer their couch or spare room. There are people registered from all over the world. A lot of people alternately play both roles: host at home and guest when they travel themselves. What a great way to meet the locals when you travel and then turn around and welcome others to your own town. I think I'm going to give it a try!