As most readers know I just returned from a trip to my ancestral homeland; the Emerald Isle of Ireland. This trip was taken through the agency of a guided tour company and was jolly fun. Two weeks (or rather less as we lost two days due to flight cancellations from United Airlines) touring the south-west of Ireland (my family hails from County Cork). It was edifying, delicious and (literally) intoxicating. My tour-mates were a diverse and amusing group and by the end of the trip some strong friendships had been forged. Unfortunately it wasn't designed by a history buff; we sailed past ring-forts, pele towers, castles and battlefields at 100kph while on the way to falconry demonstrations, sheep-dog performances and such. It was all good for the passing tourist but it left me wishing for a "Let Me Off Here" button.
The countryside was beautiful to the point of breath-taking, the food was ample and inventively tasty, the beer and whiskey flowed at a rapid pace and the people were uniformly friendly. I plan on returning but I will also be certain to remain the captain of my own destiny during the return visit. A vacation-home rental and careful use of the omnipresent public transportation will allow me to visit the vast array of historic places at my own pace rather than the "OK folks, we have an hour here" pace of a tightly scheduled tour. The Dublin area alone could absorb two weeks of steady exploring. Then there's the Neolithic sites like Newgrange..........
Great stuff. We are heading off to the UK at the end of August. It will be another cruise around the U.K. The cruise is landing at Newcastle. But the Hadrian wall tour is fully booked. Newcastle is full on Roman, Saxon and Viking history. My problem is the friends we are travelling with. That is for a private conversation. I would do what you suggested, Find a place in Newcastle.. a B & B,
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