Happy Holidays!

It's Christmas Day, for those who celebrate. It's our second holiday season away from the States, and boy how time flies. It seems like just yesterday that we were spending a quiet (and cold) Christmas in Cork, Ireland's other capital.

But looking back, so much has happened since that little holiday away. We've checked off a number of other travel destinations, like Belgium, Derry, Munich, Prague, and Scotland. If it counts as a travel destination, we visited our families back in Iowa and New York.

Family has come from America to see us in Galway, Mayo, and County Clare (writings of those trips coming soon).

I've accomplished a number of personal goals, finally pushing "publish" on my free eBook, and it's been very successful so far. The downloads creep up slowly each day, and as it becomes available on more platforms, I know it will grow. I hope to continue promoting and updating the book as the new year begins.

I'm well into writing my second book, pumping out my daily writing quota without much trouble. Instead of spending those hours every day on new blog content, I feel like I'm getting a better product with longform, pictureless, personal essays. Hopefully the new year will see another book on my e-bookshelf.

We hope you are kickin' it with someone you love this holiday season, whichever holidays you celebrate. If you are away from your close family and friends like we are, we feel you. Try to spend some time connecting with them with this amazing world wide web through which you're reading my words now.

Best wishes for a safe and happy holiday season and new year to all!

Cory and Sara

Cong, Co. Mayo
(Photo: Keri Hanson)

Derry Bogside Walk

The standard method of communication in contentious Northern Ireland seems to be graffiti and outdoor murals. In the mostly-Catholic Bogside neighbourhood, the Republican (anti-British) artists have constructed a series of (mostly) peaceful symbolic messages.

This area was once a literal warzone, bullets and gas once flew down these streets. Today, tourists like us can walk the guided stroll through the murals- with materials interpreting each one.

Peace- A dove (symbol of peace) and oak leaf (symbol of Derry) 

John Hume- Nationalist Leader Hume, Martin Luther King Jr., Mother
Theresa, and Nelson Mandela

The Hunger Strikes- Two hunger strikers in a Belfast
prison. Note the vandalism of the mural and the IRA
on the nearby wall.

Saturday Matinee- A kid and an armored car

Civil Rights

Operation Motorman (left) The Runners (right)
A soldier smashes a barricaded door with a sledgehammer and Bogside
residents flee from a gas attack

Free Derry Corner, Petrol Bomber mural

Bloody Sunday- Residents carry a body from the fighting

Bernadette- Bernadette Devin McAliskey
Nationalist leader

Death of Innocence- Annette McGavin, killed here in 1971 aged 14

Bloody Sunday Commemoration- Faces of those killed on
Bloody Sunday in 1972

After looking at all these peaceful murals, one would think that we were feeling good and hopeful, right? Well, a little bit.

In addition to the murals, we saw a lot of other material that we haven't shared here. Someone had written a letter to the British military asking for an official apology for the attack on Bloody Sunday in 1972. The military actually wrote a return letter- telling them, "...After a thorough investigation, it has been determined that no wrongdoing was committed by..."

What the heck, UK? You can't throw them a bone after 40 years? The letter was posted clearly for all of us to see, and to stir the pot in this already hot neighborhood.

Other stickers and graffiti promoted Nationalist extremist groups like the Bogside Republican Youth and other very sinister-looking organizations threatening violence. It seems that even the young generation holds the old grudges in this part of town.

The Derry Marathon was taking place this morning, and volunteers and supporters lined the streets of the Bogside- the home stretch of the marathon route. Just around the corner (and not photographed), vans of police stormtroopers with full riot gear, batons, and machine guns waited ominously just out of sight of the celebration in the street. There had just been a hotel firebombing three days before, after all...

Thankfully, there was no violence on this particular day. The SWAT teams went home empty-handed. We toasted the peace process with some fine and inexpensive English cask ales. We hoped that these two embattled groups could one day really, truly, celebrate and embrace each other.

...Maybe over some of these fantastic beers!

Cask Ales

Walking Around the Derry City Wall

We got up early on our first full day in Derry so we could maximize the beautiful day. From our hostel window high up on the hill, we got a great view of the River Foyle and the city below.

Derry from the Hills

Our first target was the old Derry city wall. Derry is known around Ireland for its recent contentious history and its 17th-century wall. Almost all of the original wall is still standing and intact, and the local authorities have thankfully opened the top of the wall for a scenic walk around the old fort city.

A few (unmanned) British guard towers still stand along the wall as a reminder of the very recent problems with violence and terrorism in the city. We saw more evidence of that later in the day...

Guard Tower

Old cannons (and replicas) still line the battlements of the wall. Some are (somewhat ominously) pointed out at the town below. Take that, King James II! 

Here's Lookin' at You!

City Wall Exterior

From the top of the wall, we could see most of the largely-Catholic Bogside neighborhood. The poorer Catholic population of Derry was long ago forced out of the high and dry ground and pushed into the low-lying, soggy, boggy Bogside. From the wall, the dip of the earth is clearly visible.

We could also just make out some of the Republican political murals, which we would revisit later in the day.

Bogside Neighborhood

But not everyone on this side of the Foyle is Republican, and we were reminded (here in Derry more than any other city) who was on which side with flags, graffiti (including murals), and walls. Connected to the old city wall was a much newer, higher wall. This protects a small Unionist neighborhood from the marauding Catholics in the wilds of this Bogside area. Ironically and sadly, it is called the Peace Wall. It must keep peace, but the message isn't very friendly...

It's extremely sad and frustrating- to an outsider like me- that people refuse to live together in peace here, and the high fences make it clear that real, lasting peace is still a long way off.

Peace Wall (?)

Iron Maiden's Eddie Hoover, Symbol of Britain's Military Might

Loyalist Message

...But at least some people are trying to push the peace process along. Not all the murals and artwork are sectarian or violent in nature. This beautiful mosaic depicting the Peace Bridge, a robin, and an oak tree (the symbol of Derry, from the Irish word for oak tree, Doire) is made of pictures of faces tinted different colors. 

Peace Mural

A sculpture around the corner depicts two colorless, sexless humanoids back to back. Passers-by can look through the eyeholes of one and see out the eyeholes of the other. This symbolizes the hope that two disagreeing sides can see the world as the other sees it, through the other's eyes.

Peace Sculpture

We ended our morning at the Guildhall, Derry's most iconic city building. From Guildhall Square, U.S. President Bill Clinton gave a rousing pro-peace speech. He even refused to say the name of the city (Derry or Londonderry?) to make sure no one was offended.

The Guildhall

Today, it houses the City Council chambers and a so-so (but free) museum.

Much more from Derry next Monday!

An Irish Year in Tourism

Before moving to Ireland, Cory and I were not completely inexperienced in navigating new places. I wouldn't say that we are worldly or seasoned travelers, but we had some shared domestic and international travel experiences under our belts (including our Farewell to America Road Trip in the weeks before our departure). To quote Rick Steves, our favorite travel writer, "travel is intensified living". For better or worse, you learn a lot about yourself and your travel companions in the course of an extended trip far from home.

I have learned a couple things about myself in traveling, the primary lesson being that it brings my type A personality to the forefront. I am a planner. A spreadsheet-making, travel-book-reading, list-writing, budget-generating planner. I try really hard to roll with the punches while traveling, but for me an hour spent lost in a train station is an hour I won't spend walking through the gardens of Versailles or drinking beer while listening to live polka music or eating gelato while watching gondolas wind through canals. It's an almost unbearable loss for me and it drives me to ambitiously fill our schedule to the brim. Traveling this way is exhausting, but I fear retrospective trip regret far too much to risk missing out on a must-see sight. 

All of that preamble is merely meant to explain why one of my most difficult transitions upon moving to Ireland was actually living in Ireland. For at least a month (maybe longer) I was unable to just be at home on an evening or weekend. We were in a foreign country! There are new and exciting places to see! Museums to visit! Shouldn't we be drinking Guinness or walking up a grassy hill spotted with sheep? Listening to trad music? Touring a castle? We couldn't just relax at home! We were wasting time! 

It's fortunate for me that I brought a patient companion who was able to tolerate my manic bursts of travel-hunger. Someone to talk me down and convince me that since we would be here for awhile we had plenty of time. There was no need to spend every available moment sightseeing, and we should take breaks from the spreadsheets every now and then. It took some time for that mindset to sink in, but fortunately for both of us it finally did. 

Traveling abroad is constantly exciting and exhilarating. Living abroad is not. It can't be. At some point, the surroundings and local colloquialisms become familiar...and thank goodness they do. Don't get me wrong, life in Ireland is interesting. We continue to learn new things about Irish history, culture, and politics while we are slowly crossing off items on our list of Irish places to visit, but I definitely feel like we have settled in. Work, chores, and weekly errands all have to be done. The mundane aspects of life exist here just as they do in the U.S., and sometimes I can spend a weekend at home binging on Orange is the New Black without feeling like I'm losing out on travel experiences. 

"Intensified living" cannot be a permanent state of being. We strive to keep a balance between accomplishing all of the tasks required of us as functioning adults and taking advantage of our location and situation as much as we can. Since moving to Ireland, we have always had at least one trip planned for our near future, and think that if we continue at our pace we will be able to look back on our time spent here without regret. 

For anyone interested in our last year of Irish travels, check out the blog posts about sights around Dublin, Northern Ireland, Cork, Trim Castle, Howth, and Newgrange. For our trips around Europe, see posts about Munich and Prague (and stay tuned for Belgium).

Northern Ireland Reflections

This blog has been known to be home to unsolicited and uncalled-for political commentary, often aimed unfairly at the modern-day British for deeds committed by British rulers decades and centuries ago.  I had a chance to really think about what these ignorant proclamations really meant when we traveled to and through the country of Northern Ireland.

Average Antrim Coast Scene

Crossing the international border between the Republic of Ireland (just Ireland from now on) and Northern Ireland was painless and invisible...mostly.  Our coach didn't stop at a checkpoint with machine-gun-armed soldiers.  We didn't have to present our "papers" to a scowling border patrol agent sizing us up like criminals.  We didn't have to fill out customs cards swearing we weren't transporting illegal breeding pairs of live koalas to release into the wilds of the new country.  All of which, by the way, we would have to do coming into the USA- especially if we were coming from one of an ever-growing list of "bad" countries, where people have darker skin and speak other languages...

Nope, crossing the border between County Louth in Ireland and County Armagh in Northern Ireland just meant a change in the color of road signs as we zipped by.  "It's just like goin' into Wisconsin!" as they said in Stripes of cold-war era Czechoslovakia.  The telltale signs of being in a new country were much more subtle, but we took notice.

From the bus, we could see the Union Jack flag of the UK flying at nearly every intersection in every city.  I commented here when we visited Belfast about the sorry state of the physical flags themselves.  Many of them were torn, tattered, and faded- but it would cost a fortune to replace them all and keep them looking new!  These flags have a much different meaning to some of the people here than a US flag does in the States.  In America, to most Americans today, a flying flag is a symbol of unity, something we can all stand by and identify with.  A flag in a land of conflict can be seen as a sign of dominance and power over others, especially by the newly defeated.  If America was fresh off the American Civil War, the Stars and Stripes flying in former Confederate lands would be seen in a similar light (and is seen that way by small groups of separatists today...)  The message would be clear: We won.  You lost.  In your face!  Since the 1998 peace agreement, flying the UK flag here actually means, "We are part of the UK because the majority of the citizens here democratically voted for it and any time a majority of citizens here democratically votes to approve a referendum this land will join the Republic of Ireland forever but until then- We won.  You lost.  In your face!"  My money is on Northern Ireland sticking with the UK as long as the UK has a stronger economy, lower unemployment, and stronger currency (G.B. Pound) than the rest of the European Union.  For more ignorant complaints about Britain, the Monarchy, and all things English-y, see the Belfast post.

But peace has thankfully gained a foothold here.  I can't claim to understand what it means to live here, being an outsider.  I can't ever really understand the feelings of the people, especially during the worst days of The Troubles- which are in the disturbingly recent past.  As a young boy in America, I understood in a vague sense that Northern Ireland was a place with fighting.  Northern Ireland, Bosnia, and Kuwait.  Places with fighting.  That was it.  Faraway places with no real connection or meaning to me.  I felt nothing of the pain, suffering, and fear that gripped this part of the world for so long.

Thankful we were for the peace here because the land is beautiful and the people welcoming and kind.  Belfast was a typical modern European city.  Traffic bustled through busy streets.  Art, culture, and historical points of interest were well-marketed.  Gone were the signs of conflict and we had a fun time pointing out the most British of things in Belfast like black taxis and red (not green) mailboxes on the corners.

Driving from Belfast along the coast was memorable and rewarding.  Road sign markings and posted speed limits were given in miles and miles per hour (UK style) while our car only used kilometers to measure speed and distance (Irish style), so we had to rely heavily on our GPS unit.  The coast was beautifully maintained, and all signs of Irish/English human difference melted away in the rocky beaches and craggy cliffs.  We forgot all about the conflict as we enjoyed the preserved natural and human-made spectacles of the Rope Bridge, Giant's Causeway, Bushmills Distillery, and Dunluce Castle.

Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge

Old Bushmills

Giant's Causeway

Dunluce Castle

In our hostel in Portrush, we were lucky enough to have a conversation with a Northern Irish citizen about growing up in the time of The Troubles.  We are always hesitant to ask about this sensitive and personal issue, but our hostess offered her perspective and opinion about the political and religious divides in this beautiful part of the world.  She told us about being nervous to visit the conflict-heavy cities of Belfast and Derry in her youth, but she always felt safe in her relatively small town, where Irish Catholics and British Protestants lived together and fearfully watched the news of the fighting.  Today, she proudly told us that families are raised to respect and accept everyone, no matter their personal politics or religion.  Good thinking, as new generations are always the best hope for bright futures.

Was this trip rewarding?  It was that and more for me.  It was perspective-altering.  In one trip we were able to see the healing scars of human conflict and some of the most breathtaking natural beauty on Earth.  Travel is the best way to open the eyes and the mind.  After seeing this land and meeting the people there, I can no longer ignorantly slander and slam the British and the Monarchy. ...I can do so with full knowledge and confidence!  I will be thoughtful of the people involved and impacted by political decisions and political declarations.  I will try to stay away from wild generalizations and blanket slamming of entire countries and cultures.

If only more world leaders would get out and travel to places like this...

Hope for a bright future

Dunluce Castle

On our way back to Portrush from Giant's Causeway, we paid a visit to another famous site on the Antrim Coast, Dunluce Castle.

The castle sits on a volcanic stone outcropping protected by high, steep cliffs.  These natural stone faces make the site highly defensible, and as such the site was home to centers of military and political power for centuries.  

Castle from the Mainland

Ruined Walls and Floor

The Castle here was constructed (and deconstructed) in stages dating back to the early sixteenth century.  Clan MacDonnall defeated the original Clan McQuillan in the late sixteenth century and took hold of the castle.  Both of these families were of Scots-Irish descent, as were many families in this Northern region.  Scotland is visible from the Castle, and a sea voyage from Dunluce to Scotland would have been faster and easier than an overland journey from Dunluce to the neighboring trading villages.

Intact Floor and Hallway

In the late seventeenth century, the kitchen of the castle collapsed into the sea (!) and the MacDonnell family fell from power.  Since that time, the castle has been deteriorating and the building stones were scavenged by builders for nearby buildings.  Sad, but interesting.  North America has so few durable structures as old as this, mainly because many Native American tribes did not build large stone buildings and settlements.  As Americans, seeing a building as old as this being looted for building materials brings a sad smile.  The British Isles seem to have more durable history than they know what to do with!

View of the Cliffs

Dunluce Castle from the East

Smiles aside, the castle is now protected and under the excellent management of Northern Ireland Environment Agency.  The staff and the visitor's center are excellent.  Admission is reasonable and the free audio tour gives a great room-by-room description of the castle and historical context.  The archaeological center displays artifacts from the castle and the recently discovered (and still under excavation) Dunluce Village nearby.

Totally unsolicited travel tips:

1. This is a castle, but would not be considered an 'indoor' site.  As always in Ireland, be ready for the weather.  The rocks and grass can be slippery on these slopes, so think of this as more of a hike than a tour.  See this site on the same day as the nearby Giant's Causeway, and wear the same clothes and shoes.
2. Admission prices are modest (check for the current rate and hours) and the maps and audio guides are free and very informative.  The staff are friendly and eager to answer questions about the site and the nearby country.
3. Allow an hour or two for the site, depending on your pace.  The strict room-by-room audio tour won't take long if you keep moving, but if you are the sort who likes to climb into old fireplaces, look out arrow-slits to fend off imaginary raiders, and climb down the steep trails to the sea cave beneath the castle, leave a little extra time.

Giant's Causeway

Coming fresh from our Grand U.S. Road Trip, we might have (mistakenly) thought North America had cornered the market on natural beauties and curiosities.  We would have been dead wrong, of course, and almost no natural landmark on this island would have proven us more wrong than the famed Giant's Causeway.

Giant's Causeway from Near Distance

Individual Stones

This curious and unique formation was formed by intense volcanic activity and rapid cooling during the ancient birth of the island.  Cooling basalt was cracked vertically down from the surface, forming these neat hexagonal "pillars."  Since the seventeenth century, this has been a popular tourist attraction for international globetrotters.  Like many historic landmarks on Earth, it has only recently been placed under protected status.  Some of the stones here were quarried out to build roads and castles nearby, but the site is largely intact and undisturbed.

Shadows cast by the Causeway

The name "Giant's Causeway" comes from an old legend of the people here.  We overheard most of the story from a tour guide further down the coast.  According to the tale, an Irish giant named Finn MacCool lived on this coastline.  Another giant lived across the sea in Scotland (which is visible on a clear day from the Causeway.)  The two giants were bitter rivals who exchanged taunts and thrown boulders across the open water for years.  Finally, they built this stone bridge out of hexagonal stones to face off with each other once and for all.  When Finn saw the other giant charging across the channel, he lost his nerve and asked his wife to help him hide.  Cleverly, she dressed him up in baby clothes and put him in a crib with a giant-sized bottle.  When the Scottish giant arrived at Finn's home, Finn's wife told the Scot that Finn wasn't at home, it was just she and the baby at the moment.  If he would wait, Finn would be home shortly for their battle.  When the Scot laid eyes on the (fully grown Finn) baby, he was terrified at how large the giant must be to have a baby of this size!  Quickly, he ran back to Scotland, destroying the bridge as we went.  The formation does amazingly continue on the Scottish side of the sea, giving this entertaining myth just a bit more believability.  

Causeway stones worn smooth by erosion

Obligatory Cory-looking-at-the-water shot

After making the hike down to the Causeway, visitors can walk back up the gradual hill to the visitor's center OR take the steep Shepherd's Steps up the cliffside for a bird's-eye view.  We, of course, elected for the strenuous steps.  These steps were originally carved and built by shepherds to literally carry sheep on their backs from the rocky shoreline to the green pastures on the clifftop.  After a tiring climb, we were rewarded with beautiful views of one of the biggest formations at the Causeway.  Looking at the photo below, one can make out tiny people on the rocks and the high-tide line shown by the darker (seaweed and barnacle-covered) stones.

Giant's Causeway from above

Some totally biased and unsolicited tips for the potential Causeway visitor:

1) The site is technically free, but there is a steep "parking" cost charged by the visitor's center that suspiciously charges by the visitor rather than by the vehicle.  Tour buses also pay a parking cost charged by the passenger.  Hmmmm...  If traveling by car, park much more cheaply at the nearby Causeway-Bushmills Railway station, or better yet, take this historic slow train on the beautiful seven-mile ride along the coast from Bushmills.  There are also free bathrooms for Railway parking customers.

2) Bring good walking shoes with sturdy grip.  This World Heritage Site (thankfully!) has no velvet ropes or safety guardrails.  The basalt stones have been worn smooth by years of erosion and can be very slick when wet.  The last photo was taken literally off the edge of a high cliff.  Getting to the formations from the parking lot and visitor's center is a bit of a walk on steep trails.  There is a shuttle that runs from the center to one peninsula of the formation, but it isn't free.

3) This site can be seen in a quick trip or in a longer day of exploring.  We spent a couple of hours here in total, which was just enough for us.  We didn't do the long hike along the whole of the formation, which would have taken several hours itself.  Our time was spent hiking the trail to the nearest (and among the largest) formation, poking around on the stones, climbing the cliff, and having a picnic lunch back at the railway station.  Quick trippers could park at the visitor's center, take the shuttle to the formation, snap some photos, and take the shuttle back to the center.  This would be a bit like the Griswold's trip to the Grand Canyon to me, but everyone has their own pace and their own taste.

Old Bushmills Distillery

After a restful night's sleep in Portrush, we continued our Antrim Coast sightseeing with a day out along the coast.  First stop was the small coastal town of Bushmills, world famous for its special brand of Irish whiskey.  The distillery is one of the oldest continually-operated whiskey facilities in the world, and lucky us, offers tours to thirsty visitors.

The famous image from the bottle art

Unlike the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin, this tour includes the actual workings of the plant.  We did visit on a Saturday, so the production line wasn't actually in operation, but our tour guide was knowledgeable and entertaining.  We were able to see the grain crushers, fermenters, stills, barrel-storage warehouse, and bottling line of this modern production facility.  My favorite sight was, of course, a look into the fermenter to see, hear, and smell the fermenting mash bubbling and foaming.

Barrels

All this whiskey talk gives the visitor a strong hankerin' for a taste.  With a knowledgeable tour guide describing all the different kinds of flavor notes in all the different kinds of whiskey products, it is impossible not to want a taste.  After the tour, we were all rewarded.  We tried a 10-year old single malt and a sweeter whiskey/honey blend.  Did I mention this was our first stop in the morning?  It was going to be a great day.  It's always 11 a.m. somewhere, right!?

10-Year and Honey Whiskey

Edit:  Thanks for the retweet Discover Northern Ireland!

Portrush

After a long day of driving the Antrim Coast and visiting the Rope Bridge, we were ready to kick back and relax in our overnight Northern Ireland base, Portrush.  Our GPS unit was handy, but less than perfect getting us into town.  As such, we found ourselves hopelessly lost, even in such a small city as Portrush.  It wasn't all bad, because, for better or for worse, the lost traveler sees much more than the directionally sure.

We saw much of the city while searching for our hostel.  We got out and asked directions first at a charity shop, then at a pub.  Everyone we met went out of their way to help us get around, especially at the crowded pub.  I quickly had three or four local folks excitedly jumping up to point me on my way.  Our hostel ended up being just around the corner from the pub, so they were able to walk me out the front door (and they did!) to show me the road.

Rental car at the hostel

We arrived at the Portrush Holiday Hostel in the afternoon.  Our host was helpful and ran a clean, beautiful hostel.  These places are great for traveling in Europe.  They are built for poor (or cheap) young people who don't always want to go around seeing the sights, so they feel much like group rental homes.  We are usually a bit older than the guests at these places, who can resemble the cast of any season of The Real World, but they are always welcoming and friendly.  

This hostel (and many others) had a full-size, fully loaded kitchen for guest use.  We got some tips and directions to Portrush sights from our host and set off for a quick tour and a stop for groceries.

Obligatory "Cory Looking at the Water" photo

 Portrush is what could be called the "Coney Island of Ireland."  In its heyday a century ago, this small city set on its own peninsula was a big-time summer destination in the British Isles.  Its longer-than-usual days in high summer, sandy beaches, and better-than-the-rest-of-the-island-but-not-as-hot-as-the-Mediterranean weather made it the perfect retreat.  The beaches, called 'strands' were built up with boardwalks, carnival games, and small thrill rides.

In more recent times, fewer travelers make Portrush a resort destination for its cheesy carnival atmosphere, but there is still a proud and robust tourist business in the summer.  Our visit was out-of-season, so the rides were closed and summertime crowds missing.  All the better for us, because the weather was beautiful and we had most of the beaches, restaurants, and parks to ourselves.

Part of the Boardwalk

Thrill Rides

We picked up the supplies for a wonderful chicken taco dinner at the market after touring the central entertainment district.  The coastline was beautiful on the whole peninsula, as the sandy beaches were mostly on the Southern (mainland) side, with rocky volcanic cliffs and islands on the Northern tip.  One of the best views can be had in the large park on the Northern end of the peninsula.  From here, one can see the whole city on the flat peninsula to the rolling hills inland.  Looking to the East, one can see the rocky volcanic coastline going to Dunluce Castle and Giant's Causeway (different posts) and to the West, the high hills of Donegal (part of the Republic of Ireland, not Northern Ireland) can be seen through the mist.  In the distant Northeast, when the weather is clear, some of the high cliffs of Scotland rise from the horizon- making this place another one of those Hey-Ma-I-can-see-three-differ'nt-countries places.  Wow.

The whole city seen from the cliffs

Looking down the cliffs

Edit:  A link to this post was posted to #Portrush Daily via @portrushni on Twitter.  Thanks for linking and thanks for reading.