A map

Here's the beginning of my current blog project. It's a map of my summer travels, with some of my favourite/best/most representative photos of each place. To see the Ireland photos you'll need to click on the actual map and then look at 'page 2' of the results in the side column. Not sure why, but it doesn't want to show all my photos at once. Apparently there are too many.

At some point I'll try to write something about each of the places - these photos probably aren't new to most of you, and it's just a visual representation of what you already knew, but at least it's something. Right?

For the moment you'll have to make do with this, and a short summary comment on my summer though.

It was a wonderful summer, not much summery weather, but it really didn't matter. Iona was definitely the highlight, but living somewhere for 7 weeks is naturally going to give a different experience to just passing through. The places that have been added to my travel list include western Ireland, more of Cornwall, and more of Scotland. I consider myself quite blessed to have been able to see as much as I could, that I spent a fair proportion of my time travelling alone and did not encounter any trouble. A lesson well-learnt was that I can and will travel alone quite happily, and that God provides both straightforward and curious blessings.

My favourite castle ever is Caernarfon in one of the most character-less towns ever, and another castle will have to work pretty hard to top that list. Wagamama's is my traveller's McDonalds - chain restaurants for when decisions are just too hard to make and familiarity is sought. God's love is everywhere to be seen. Belfast is awesome, Dublin is not. Cornish rain is just as wet as anywhere else, but prettier. Small towns have the best book shops. Except Caernarfon. It is socially acceptable to take a book to dinner or the pub, especially if you have an accent. Trains induce both sleep and excitement, creating a hyperactive Imogen with her eyes closed. Some museums have realised that adults like to dress up just as much as kids, and they are the best museums. Other museums would fit in a shoe box and they're not quite as fun. Although trying to get in the shoebox to see the museum could be. Bus drivers deserve medals for kindness to waifs and strays. Cider is nice. Guinness is not ... really. Having a sense of direction is vital if you intend just to wander and lose yourself in a city. Who knows where I would have ended up without God's protection. Cows like to be scratched behind the ears. Some sheep are friendly. Medieval people must have had super powers of concentration because their churches are so pretty they're totally distracting. A day in the rain is fine if you're waterproofed up. Daggy is worth dryness. Haggis isn't half bad. Plastic bags should be banned in hostel dorms. God is good.

View Summer 2010 in a larger map

And there you have it. My summer. I may even add in my other travels from this year at some point. Probably during essay season. Or I might just make a new map. We'll just have to wait and see what happens. My first target will be to give you comments on each of the locations....