We didn’t start well with our hostess this morning. I was severely reprimanded for spilling the coffee. Our impressions of last night were confirmed (where are all the Irish and their famous friendly manner and hospitality).
Shortly afterwards this mood was changed dramatically. We went to see the Pharmacist across the road, and were greeted by what appeared to us to be a true Celtic beauty. She had fair skin, raven black hair and amazing piercing eyes. This was matched with a lovely smile, a friendly disposition and an inclination towards conversation. We can report that Irish hospitality is alive and well, we just need to look in the right places.
Today is another wonderful day of 18 degrees Celsius, another wonderful day for a walk around this fair city. The temperature inspired one kindly gentleman to comment, “two days in a row, soon I’ll be getting used to it.” Walking through St Stephens Park our first impression was the vibrant tulips in flower beds and our second was how well the park is patronized even this early in the morning. A nice bit of sunshine always brings out everyone’s inner smile doesn’t it?
As we walked though the main shopping areas, and tourist district, we observed how every city you go to the shopping districts all look the same. We see the same shops selling the same things flying the same corporate brand flags. We see the same touts doing the same things, we see the same Romanians trying to catch the same tourists unawares, and we see the same homeless people under the same blankets and the same cardboard boxes. With regard to the shops it comes across as homogenized commercialism, and to us seems very uninspiring and boring. We were commiserating this fact when we came across a wonderful shop selling some fantastic art pieces, jewelry, prints, ceramics, etc. We talked to the owner of this shop and firstly we learned that she was married to a kiwi, and secondly that the homogenized commercialism had only happened here in Dublin within the last ten years, a down side to the Celtic Tiger. Once again this shows that there are some real gems in this city if you know where to look.
After a meander around some shops we went to the National Museum to look at ancient Ireland. We learned just how much influence the Vikings had on this part of the world, we saw some ‘bog bodies’ (well preserved bodies that have been discovered after several thousand years under the bogs), and we saw a portion of the hordes of gold from that era. Each of the ‘Bog-Bodies’ came with a story. We learned that each of the bodies had died violently, and that one of the bodies had had his nipples cut off prior to being killed and bogged down. According to history it was common practice at that time for men to suck the nipples of the king as a sign of submission. One theory is that the body in question may have had his nipples cut off to exclude him from kingship. Interesting.
From here we went for another stroll around the city. Towards the end of the day, well off the tourist route, we spotted a little bar that had its front window full of old traditional musical instruments. A guy outside told us that it used to be a music shop and was now a bar, but you “go on in” and upstairs there is still a music shop. We should have been warned by his haste in disappearing once we went in the door. We walked in through a narrow bar, the kind of place that goes quite and everyone watches the new guy, through to the back and up the stairs to the … toilets. If there was a music shop up there we didn’t find it, and we are not sure if it ever existed. However we did stay downstairs and have drink. While we were there a number of other strangers came in and up the stairs the same as we had, and each one elicited a comment from the regulars. We aren’t sure if they were keeping a score, if they had a bet going on, or if it was just for pure enjoyment. Whatever was going on they were onto a good thing, hang a few old instruments in the window, hang an old music shop plaque outside and wait for them to arrive.
By now it was time for dinner. Several times over the course of our stay we had a certain bar (O’Neils) recommended to us as a good place for dinner, we thought we would give it a try. We suspected that it would go one of two ways. Either it was recommended to us so often as it was considered a rare value for money option in this tourist part of town where the bargains are few and far between, or the cynic in us said that it was a place full of kitsch where they sent all the tourists. As it transpired it was the later. It was a big place, buffet meals, rubbish service and surrounded by loud Americans.
Never mind, we are looking forward to getting out of the city and into some of the smaller and less populated areas of this fine country. Tomorrow we head north and hopefully Belfast tomorrow night. A city that we have heard so much about over the years, both good and bad. Even our walking tour guide told us quite emphatically not to walk around Belfast. Despite this we are looking forward to it. Tomorrow will be another experience.
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