Program 567a: Hokkaido; Arctic Solitaire; Bloomsday in Dublin

Get tips from an American-Japanese author for experiencing the rugged allure of Japan's northern island of Hokkaido. Then hear from a nature photographer what it's like to spend a summer boating up Hudson Bay in search of polar bears. And learn all about how Dubliners celebrate Bloomsday — good fun even if you still haven't finished Ulysses.

• Ruthy Kanagy, author of "Living Abroad: Japan" (Moon-Avalon Travel)
• Photographer Paul Souders, author of "Arctic Solitaire" (Mountaineers Books)
• Dublin-based tour guide Joe Darcy

• Ruthy Kanagy was raised on the island of Hokkaido in Japan. She wrote the Moon guidebook "Living Abroad: Japan" for many years.
• Ruthy posts from her bike tours on Facebook for Japan Cycle Tours. Her next scheduled bike tour of Hokkaido is in September 2022.
• Photographer Paul Souders has spent his recent summers sailing in the Canadian Arctic, looking for photos ops with wildlife.  He features his photos with notes from his adventures in his book "Arctic Solitaire."
• Joe Darcy offers themed walking tours of Dublin.
• Pilgrimage sites in Dublin for Bloomsday on June 16 include Davy Byrne's Pub, which was a favorite of writer James Joyce, and the historic Sweny's Pharmacy, where you can buy a bar of lemon soap, or listen to an early afternoon reading from one of Joyce's works. They also offer Zoom connections for many of their literary reading events.