Join the British army and see the world, ran the old recruiting advertisement. Join the talks process and see the grand homes of England and Northern Ireland, was Gerry Adams's take on the slogan.
Hillsborough Castle, Lancaster House, Weston Park - Mr Adams and his colleagues in the various pro-agreement parties know their lovely architecture, fine furniture and beautiful paintings only too well.
Hardwick Hall in Sedgefield, where the Taoiseach and British Prime Minister convened yesterday morning, is a country house hotel rather than a premier division stately home. Perhaps that's why the Yes parties weren't invited to Mr Blair's constituency to join him and Mr Ahern: the setting just didn't measure up.
When Mr Ahern and Mr Blair addressed the reporters in Hardwick Hall they were empty-handed. But that wasn't news. By Thursday we all knew that publication of the document was delayed as the warring Sinn Fein and Ulster Unionist factions campaigned for alterations to the blueprint.
For a time it seemed the only news would be provided by a newshound. Charlie Bird, RTE's trouble-shooting journalist, has survived many dodgy adventures in his globetrotting exploits, but he didn't survive Sedgefield.
All the focus was on Bertie Ahern and Tony Blair as they arrived at the country house before 9 a.m., which probably explains why Charlie didn't see the manhole - minus its cover. Down he crashed, right up to his chest.
It may have been like something from the Keystone Cops but it wasn't funny. He suffered nasty cuts and bruising to his legs and ribs. Not that he missed any bulletins due to his injuries. A veteran trouper, he soldiered on manfully.
But it was an inauspicious start to a pretty uneventful day. Quite why we were there for this brief summit at first was difficult to answer.
As Mr Ahern and Mr Blair chatted inside, reporters tried to glean some scuttlebutt or inside gen from the officials outside. There wasn't much doing. The main line from the weary mandarins was: "Am I ever going to get any bloody holidays!"
The mood was down. People were suffering political jetlag. "I think we're in for a period of uncertainty," said one insider. "Our job is to keep the agreement alive until it is strong enough to stand on its own feet," said another. When would that be? "Who knows?" It didn't exactly inspire confidence.
But then Mr Ahern and Mr Blair strode in purposefully to talk to us. "Don't Despair, Don't Panic, Don't Kneejerk" was their central message.
"Just as we realise what the frustrations are, it's important that however agonising and difficult it is, to carry on making this thing go forward because in the end it is the only way through," was Mr Blair's message to the general public in Northern Ireland.
They were adamant that Decision Time really and truly and honestly will be upon us shortly. They would publish their package in the middle of next week. And answers from the parties would be expected "as soon as possible", added Mr Blair. Please translate for us "ASAP", we asked the same official. "In days rather than weeks," he replied.
Ha! scoffed Jeffrey Donaldson in Belfast. The intervening days would be used to make more concessions to the IRA. If the package is completed, why not publish it now? A reasonable question surely? "No," said one senior source. "The time will be used to try to persuade the parties to do what Jeffrey is not doing, to settle down and steady their nerves and judge the package in the round."
Roll on Wednesday.