Now that's more like it!

I haven't been able to do as much reading as I would like to prepare for our trip, but I did borrow a couple of Rick Steves' travel books from the library (France and Spain) and purchased one (Ireland). My brother Mike is a big fan of Rick's show on PBS, and it's where I first heard of him.

The guidebooks are great; they combine history, descriptions of the major sites, and the nuts and bolts of getting around a country in an entertaining, witty fashion. As Mike said, "He is very good. He's practical and very smart and focused on absorbing the cultural experience."  I like Rick's Back Door Travel Philosophy. So do Luke and John. Here are a couple of excerpts:

Travel is intensified living--maximum thrills per minute and one of the last great sources of legal adventure. Travel is freedom. It's recess, and we need it. . . . Connecting with people carbonates your experience. If your trip is low on magic moments, kick yourself and make things happen. If you don't enjoy a place, maybe you don't know enough about it. Seek the truth. . . See things as different, but not better or worse. Any culture has plenty to share. When an opportunity presents itself, make it a habit to say "yes.". . . It's humbling to travel and find that other people don't have the "American Dream"--they have their own dreams.  .  .  . Globetrotting destroys ethnocentricity, helping us understand and appreciate other cultures. Rather than fear the diversity on this planet, celebrate it. Among your most prized souvenirs will be the strands of different cultures you choose to knit into your own character.

Some of the above seems like good advice for life too.