Ireland
A small island with a big reputation: breathtaking landscapes and fascinating, friendly people, whose lyrical nature is expressed in the warmth of their welcome.
There's an unvarnished informality about Ireland that I cherish, based on an implied assumption that life is a tangled, confusing struggle that all of us – irrespective of who we are and how we worship – have to negotiate to the best of our abilities. We're all in this together, come hell or high water, so we may as well be civil and share a moment when we can.