2 comments about My Celtic Soul: Our Year In the West of Ireland.

1. This book was given to me by a friend who knows I enjoy my Irish heritage. This story about a couple who leave Chicago and move to Ireland to operate a bed and breakfast for one year will appeal to those who dream of spending time in the old country.

   As I read to the conclusion of the book, I grew to admire the O'Briens for following their heart and their dreams. If only we all could do the same.

   I think this book will be enjoyed by those of Irish Heritage and should be a must read for anyone planning a trip to Ireland.




2. On the back of this book, they compare it to "A Year in Provence" and "Under the Tuscan Sun." What they don't mention is that this book is a work of fiction and does not in fact chronicle this couple's year in Ireland, but their ideas on what it might be like. I found it extremely difficult to identify or sympathize with any of the main characters. It didn't bring the beauty of Ireland's countryside or its people to life for me at all. I wouldn't recommend reading this book, there are much better stories about picking up and moving abroad out there, and many of them are actually true!

No comments about Signpost Guide Scotland, 2nd: Your guide to great drives.

No comments about National Geographic Countries of the World: United Kingdom (Countries of the World).

3 comments about Let's Go Ireland 12th Edition (Let's Go Ireland).

1. it is useful as a travel guide as much for giving you the lay of the land and strategies for planning your own travel through maps and descriptions as for specific recommendations, some of which are spot on and some of which are not. one really helpful feature (in 2004 edition, anyway, and I think still included) that I've not found in other guidebooks is the material on bus and rail journey times and connections for most towns. as with any guidebook it's only a sketch of what you'll find when in country but the practical information is good, and a needed addition to the more limited view of Frommer's/Fodor's and the like which assume you'll have a car and a good size budget.



2. In preparation for a 2 week trip to Ireland I purchased nearly every travel book I found, but while traveling, this was the one I used most. It seemed to fit my needs best as a budget traveler and had a lot of useful information on places to go and places to stay (i used it together with the Hostels Ireland book to compare reviews of hostels to make sure I was finding the best places possible).
   
   The only problem I seemed to have with it was the organization and also the lack of visuals in the book, it's just packed with so much information and so many city profiles that it could become overwhelming at times trying to figure out where to go.
   My advice would be using perhaps the Eyewitness Guide to help you plan for the trip (where to go, what to see) then find the places in this book and tag or dogear the sections somehow so you can find it later.
   So, great book to open up if you're in the city, standing on a street corner trying to figure out what to do and where to go, not so good if you're sitting at home in your kitchen mapping out your travel itinerary.
   
   I will probably stick with the Lets Go series for any future trips I take abroad.



3. I spent a month in Ireland this winter, and this book was the best tool for planning the perfect trip!

No comments about A romantic's guide to the country inns of Britain and Ireland.

No comments about Hotel Gems in Great Britain and Ireland (Hotel Gems in the World).

No comments about Carrauntoohil & Macgillycuddy's Reeks: A Walking Guide to Ireland's Highest Mountains.

No comments about Rome: A City Out of Print.

No comments about Seeing Europe with Famous Authors, Volume 1: Great Britain and Ireland, Part 1.

2 comments about Enquire Within upon Everything 1890: Over One Million Copies Sold, 2775 Questions Answered.

1. This detailed Victorian compendium of advice & instructions is fascinating. I first ran across mention of it in an Agatha Christie mystery, and it sounded like an interesting peek into the encyclopedic rules, customs, and social beliefs of a certain class in this era--which it is--but I never expected it to be so much fun to read!!
   
   Densely written, thin-leaved, this book is invaluable if you want to delve into questions ranging from "which hand should a lady use to accept a gift from a gentleman whose attentions she wishes to discourage?" to "How can I tell this fish is fresh?" to "How much should I pay the second housemaid?" to "Where should I store nails?"
   It includes recipes for food, medicines, and cleansers, accounting tables, morals, stern admonishments on proper dress, child-rearing instructions, and so much more I can't begin to approach the subject. Each question answered is numbered, and appears in a loose order, but the accompanying index helps to organize it somewhat; each page is topped by a Poor-Richard-style aphorism that might or might not relate to that page's content.
   
   If you've ever been seriously or casually interested in How People Lived Back Then (and There; it appears aimed mainly at a London audience of middle-to-upper class, but again, I didn't get far enough through to be sure)--you will find something to enthrall, amuse or enlighten you here.
   
   ETA: the foreword describes it best, proclaiming:
   
   ""Whether You Wish to Model a Flower in Wax;
   to Study the Rules of Etiquette;
   to Serve a Relish for Breakfast or Supper;
   to Plan a Dinner for a Large Party or a Small One;
   to Cure a Headache;
   to Make a Will;
   to Get Married;
   to Bury a Relative;
   Whatever You May Wish to Do, Make, or to Enjoy,
   Provided Your Desire has Relation to the Necessities of Domestic Life,
   I Hope You will not Fail to 'Enquire Within.'"--Editor..."



2. I have not read this book. However, I'd like to point out that Tim Berners-Lee claims that it was the inspiration for his inventing the World Wide Web. !!!