I recently started reading Reuters travel picks and must say that I find it very informative.
Their most recent top ten is of Trains around the world and while the number 1 is probably no 
surprise, there are certainly some interesting listings. The real point to note is that it is not just the fastest speed that qualifies a train for the top 10 list.
Living in Ireland I rarely travel by train but when in Continantal Europe I always enjoy traversing the countryside by train.
Reuters list is as follows:
1. TGV, France
2. Japan Railways Group, Japan
3. Eurostar, England
4. ICE/NachtZug, Germany
5. TAV, Italy
6. Russian Railways, Russia
7. KTX, South Korea
8. AVE, Spain
9. Great Southern Rail Limited, Australia
10. VR, Finland
March 21st, 2008
As we approach the traditional feast day of Ireland’s patron Saint, Patrick, on March 17, it is interesting to note that in 2008 the religious celebration of it was moved by the Church to Saturday, March 15 to avoid a conflict with the start of Holy Week. Arguably one of the most famous saints (along with probably Saint Nicholas and Saint Valentine), Saint Patrick’s Day is celebrated worldwide in both religious and secular fashion. Even though Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland, the first public celebration of his feast day was actually organized by the Charitable Irish Society in Boston and held in 1737. Today, celebration of the day has turned into a week long affair in Dublin with parades, parties, dancing and much more. Indeed, most of the world has embraced the day and added to it in their own special way. Nevertheless, it remains the quintessential Irish day of celebration by the Irish, Ireland’s diaspora and the Irish for a day.
March 16th, 2008
