It's Friday again!

The Potato Famine

This week we took our American visitor - Flat Duke (a horse) to visit some gardens near the shores of Lough Neagh. Dotted throughout are wooden sculptures. This one is particularly poignant, depicting victims of the potato famine which claimed almost 1 million lives. During the famine which lasted six long years, another 1 million Irish would immigrate to North America.

These two sites are the most informative that we've found. We used this one at History Place two years ago when we did a short study on the potato famine. This other page at Digital History is concise but thought provoking.

Visit Mary in Canada to read some other entries for her Friday S&T

USA 2008

Click on this map to enlarge

I've found a new niche in cyberspace which I'll use to post details of our trip in April/May. I'll still be using this blog but if you check in to the travelpod site, you'll be able to see exactly where we are on their interactive map. Link to www.travelpod.com/members/beecharmer

What is it to travel?

I've always thought it possible to go to places as a tourist and not really 'see'. Travelling is an attitude of mind and this article sums up all I believe to be true. You will never look at your homeland the same way again.

"The whole object of travel is not to set foot on foreign land; it is at last to set foot on one's own country as a foreign land." C. K. Chesterton

New link

I've posted a link on the sidebar to one of our all time favorite sites. Although it is titled Africa Overland it archives websites of people driving all around the world! Check out the past, present and future trips. Although the most common drive from the UK seems to be down through Europe, into North Africa and down as far as Cape Town, there are some folks driving to Australia. It also features websites of folks from North America, driving south.

So, sit back, grab a cuppa and dream. I will warn you though, the read is addictive and will give you itchy feet!