As you may or may not know, Troy and I did not travel to Ireland together. As he was going primarily for work purposes, IKEA flew him out to Dublin on an Air Canada flight from Ottawa to Toronto, from Toronto to London (UK) and from London to Dublin. His return flight, also on Air Canada, was the same route back. When I tried to book my flight to Dublin on Air Canada, I was told that this same flight would cost me $6600. So that was out of the question. Instead, I opted for a less expensive, more direct route: Ottawa to Philadelphia, Philadelphia to Dublin. Same route to come back home again. This meant that we had two different flights to catch on our way back on Sunday morning.
My flight was the earlier of the two to depart, at 11:00 a.m. Troy's would leave an hour later. Figuring that we would need time to be at the airport three hours before our international flights, and factoring in the time required to shower and get ready, have breakfast and get to the airport, I requested a 6:00 a.m. wake-up call. Ouch!
When the call came, I asked Troy to get ready first so that I could steal a few more minutes of sleep. Then, I also got ready and we went to the dining hall for breakfast. Troy's farewell meal in Ireland was the traditional Irish fry, while I had yogurt, fruit salad and hot porridge.
We left the hotel a little behind schedule, at 7:45 a.m., hoping to catch the next shuttle bus to the airport, which was scheduled to arrive within 20 minutes. Lo and behold, a cab driver saw us with our bags, pulled up near us and asked if we wanted a lift to the airport for 22 euros. We jumped on the chance, and promptly made our way to our destination. We chatted with the cabman on our way, and he pointed out to us the house that Bram Stoker lived in when he wrote Dracula in 1897. He also talked about the housing bubble in Ireland, and showed us properties that were once worth up to 1.3 million euros before the recession, and are now worth about half that amount. The Irish are dreading the future now with the austerity programmes the government has proposed to cover the costs of the 50 billion euro bank bailouts.
We got to the airport around 8:15 a.m., and I hugged Troy and wished him a good flight home. I rushed through the area where I had to deposit my luggage and through security, then made my way to the desk to get my taxes back. (Non-EU country residents are entitled to get back the taxes they paid in Ireland, so I had to bring my forms to the appropriate desk.) It turns out that I had two different types of forms, so I had to wait in both long lines to see the respective attendants. By that time, it was 9:30 a.m., and I had to rush to make sure that I could make my boarding time, which was 9:30 a.m., on account of us having to get through American immigration here in Dublin. So I joined the impossibly long line for immigration and was finally let through around 10:00 a.m. I was then able to board my flight fairly quickly.
We left Dublin airport on our way to Philadelphia with a slight delay, but nothing too dramatic -- something like 20 minutes, maybe. I started reading the book club book, The Book of Secrets by M. G. Vassanji. I was exhausted, so I slept about an hour, then returned to my book and made very good progress during my 7-hour flight to the United States. Our two inflight movies were duds (the one about summer camp with the likes of David Spade, Chris Rock, Adam Sandler, etc., and the live-action "Marmaduke"), and I can honestly say that lunch was a strong contender for my worst meal of 2010 (mushy tortellini pasta, but when I burped later, it tasted like the plastic container it was served in...)
It was 2:05 p.m. local time when I saw that we were starting our descent into Philadelphia, and I realized then that my 3:04 p.m. boarding time for the flight to Ottawa was going to be very tight. Our flight had been delayed about 40 minutes on account of the stronger than anticipated winds. We landed ten minutes later, and I rushed to do everything I had to do to get onto my flight: I had to locate my luggage on the caroussel and place it onto the next conveyor belt for my flight, go through security again, go through customs again, take a shuttle to my terminal, and then run to my gate. To make things worse, the lines for security and customs were exceedingly long.
I finally reached my gate at 3:35 p.m., roughly the time the flight was scheduled to depart. However, I was able to board. I couldn't believe that I had actually made it! It turns out that one passenger didn't have the appropriate documentation to board our flight, so they had to take out all the luggage from the plane to remove his bags, and then reload all the luggage back again. This gave me time to make my flight.
Around 4:30 p.m., our flight left Philadelphia with close to one hour's delay, and I settled in to continue reading my book, which I almost finished by the time we arrived in Canada about 90 minutes later. On the way, I was subjected to a loud-talking American man with a heavy southern drawl, talking about his reading a biography of Ronald Reagan: "I didn't know that Reagan had been a union leader for five years! But after that, he saw the light and came around." I bristled, but then sought comfort in the thought "Ronald Wilson Reagan, 666". LOL
So I got through Canadian Customs without a hitch and my luggage was among the first to arrive. I was able to exchange the few remaining euros for Canadian dollars and got into a cab that got me home around 7:00 p.m. My cats were really excited to see me again, so that was a pleasant welcome home.
When I next checked my e-mails, I discovered that Troy did not have it that good: he missed his connecting flight in London, on account of his flight from Dublin being delayed. He was on stand-by for the next available flight to Ottawa, but couldn't make any on Sunday, so he had to stay overnight in a tiny room at the Holiday Inn near the airport (at £144 a night, or close to $233 Canadian). He was finally confirmed on a direct flight to Ottawa for 1:00 p.m. local time, and arrived in Ottawa at 3:23 p.m. yesterday, after a seven-hour flight. I was glad to hear he made it home safely.
And so our trip to Ireland is now officially over. I can't believe how quickly it went by, but at the same time we made sure that our limited time there was jam-packed with things we wanted to see and do. We never made it outside of the capital city (except for that one short jaunt to Powerscourt, just outside the city limits), but Troy had me promise him that we would return one day soon to see Ireland in all its glory. I was only too happy to oblige, and I reminded him that the prerequisite for us to return would be that we keep seeing each other. ;-)
I never expected to find such a warm and friendly people, such great food, wonderful music, and an easy and relaxed atmosphere. I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Ireland. I resolved that when I came back to Canada, I would find time to do the things I have always wanted to do but cannot on account of my sticking to routines. The main resolution was to start writing again, no doubt partly due to the James Joyce immersion, and the fact that Ireland has such a rich literary tradition (including producing four Nobel laureates for literature -- Shaw, Beckett, Yeats and Heany -- more than any other country in the world). Troy also encountered some travel-related soul-searching and at one point exclaimed that he felt he was wasting his life on matters most trivial and mundane when he could be enjoying life more! I was able to reassure him that what he is doing is still vitally important.
But such is the wonder of travel, that it shakes up our very foundations and allows us to explore other possibilities. And this is one important reason why I like to travel so much. It offers me new vistas and reminds me that anything is possible if we truly want to make it happen.
Slainte,
M.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Our Last Full Day in Dublin
Troy Posing With A Real-Life Leprechaun
The Formal Gardens of the Royal Hospital Kilmainham,Near the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA)
"Symmetry Is The Way Things Have To Be" -- Jane Siberry
The Staircase Leading to the Gardens
A "Single Portion" of Ice Cream: Five Scoops in a Soup Bowl
Casks of Irish Whiskey at the Jameson Distillery
Sculpture on a Bridge Over the River Liffey
Fish and Chips, Anyone?I honestly wish that this wasn't the case, but I am afraid that our time in Dublin is almost over. What a fan-feckin-tastic vacation this was. I had never expected to enjoy the city as much as I did. In fact, this evening, at Carrolls, the souvenir shop, I nearly started weeping, thinking about leaving Ireland so soon. It didn't help that "Danny Boy" was playing on the sound system.
We awoke this morning on our own at 8:00 a.m. sharp. We took our time getting ready, and even watched some TV. We made it down for breakfast, where Troy had the smoked salmon, and I had the traditional Irish breakfast (scrambled eggs, toast and jam, sausages, bacon and white blood pudding). Honestly, I think I prefer the blood pudding to Irish bacon... I have really enjoyed the music they play in the hotel. Last night, at dinner, they played Björk ("It's Oh So Quiet") and Tori Amos ("Winter"), and this morning, at breakfast, they played Kate Bush ("Wuthering Heights"). You would think that they were playing songs from my iTunes or something...
After breakfast, we headed downtown on foot and ran into a few people dressed in leprechaun suits and I took a picture of Troy beside one. We then took a tacsai (taxi) to our main destination this morning, the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA). Troy really wanted to go there, so I was happy that we could make time to go there today. The first gallery was a little disappointing: it featured contemporary prints and lithograph series, some of them printed in 2010, and none by artists we recognized. We got through the very small gallery in mere minutes. The curator then told us that most of the museum was closed because they are planning the next big exhibit, and only one more small gallery, the one devoted to American Modern Art from after the Second World War, was open. So, we took a break from the exhibit and ventured outside to visit the formalist gardens behind the IMMA. Wow! If anything, the gardens were way more impressive than the art we had just seen. We strolled through the gardens slowly, taking dozens of photographs. There were a few raindrops just then, but as this was the first time during our trip that it really rained, we still considered ourselves very lucky with the weather we have had.
After our stroll through the grounds, we entered the only other gallery that was open, and we were both pleasantly surprised by what we saw. This gallery was somewhat larger than the last one and featured works by such artistic heavyweights as Marcel Duchamp, Christo, Jasper Johns and Roy Lichtenstein. My favourite piece was "Little Orphan Annie Is Forty", by Richard Merkin. Troy's was John Goodyear's "Two-Sided Movement". And we both really enjoyed Marcel Duchamp's six different pieces he called "Rotoreliefs". All in all, a great visit of the IMMA, which was saved by the American art exhibit.
We left the museum some time around 2:30 p.m. I told Troy that as we suddenly had more time than expected, perhaps we could do the other site he had been hoping to see during our trip to Dublin, the Jameson distillery. We walked the ten or fifteen minutes it took to get there, bypassing the Cobblestone Pub along the way. When we got there, Troy announced that he was starving, and I was quick to echo that sentiment. So, we went to the Jameson distillery restaurant and had a great bite to eat. I had the pork dinner: a generous serving of roast pork, with roasted potatoes, parsnips and carrots, with apple stuffing and red wine gravy. Troy had the broccoli and Cashel blue cheese soup, the turkey ciabatta, and a side order of french fries. Very yummy meals all around.
As I was waiting for my dessert, Troy got in line to get us tickets for the guided tour of the distillery. The waiter asked if I wanted a single portion of ice cream. I hesitated, then said that yes, one portion would be sufficient. I thought I would try to be good. When dessert came to the table, I discovered that one portion meant five scoops French vanilla ice cream in a soup bowl. Let's just say I didn't complain...
We managed to get tickets for the 4:00 p.m. tour. We learned how Jameson whiskey is made from just three ingredients: pure water, malted barley and unmalted barley. The tour guide showed us a film on John Jameson's life, trying to gloss over the fact that he came from Scotland (the whole "who invented whiskey, the Irish or the Scots" debate seems to be a deeply entrenched one in these parts!). After the film, we saw rooms that explained each process in the making of Jameson Irish whiskey. But before that, the guide asked if there were any volunteers -- 4 men and 4 women -- who wanted to sample the difference between Irish whiskey (Jameson), Scottish whiskey (Johnny Walker) and American bourbon (Jack Daniels). I knew that Troy would really, really like to be one of those volunteers, so I caught the guide's eye and shot my arm up in the air. I was rewarded with the first chance to sample the three, which I gave to Troy. He looked like a happy camper. At the end of the tour, he was invited to sit at the head table with the other 7 volunteers and taste the difference between the three. As for the rest of us, we all got our free drink that came with the price of our ticket. At the end of the sampling the guide invited family and friends of the volunteers to taste the difference between the three, so I got to see that Jameson was my favourite. The Johnny Walker had that smoky taste that I despise so much in many other foods (smoked oysters, smoked mussels, smoked bacon... yuck!), and the Jack Daniels, being made out of corn, was way too sweet. And as for Troy, who also preferred the Jameson, he earned himself a certificate in whiskey sampling, to go with his certificate as an apprentice master brewer that he earned at the Guinness brewery.
We crossed the Ha'penny Bridge just as the sun was setting, making our way to the south side of the Liffey in our quest to find Isolde's Tower. There is nothing there anymore except for a marker, so I took a picture of it.
It was then time to do a bit of shopping. We went primarily to Carrolls and bought all of the souvenirs we still wanted to get. Troy happened to smash a small leprechaun while we were there, but we didn't have to pay for it. I got my friend Martin some gifts for looking after my cats, whom I miss a lot, actually, if truth be known. (The cats, not Martin, LOL).
Upon returning to the hotel, around 7:00 p.m., we packed all of our things, ready for tomorrow's early morning flight. An hour later, we were seated in the restaurant, listening to U2, Sinéad O'Connor and the Cranberries on the sound system there. Troy ordered his last beef and Guinness pie in Ireland, and I got a huge serving of fish and chips. We then went to the adjoining bar to listen to the live band that was playing there, in front of a large audience of sports fans who flooded into the place after the important football match tonight. I had a Jameson and cranberry juice, and Troy had a Jameson straight up before trying a Tyrconnell. We decided to call it an early night, so we paid our hotel bill tonight ahead of our departure tomorrow morning and headed to our room where Troy read his new book and I typed today's activities in my blog.
That's where we're at right now. I'm about to read Troy my blog entry. Then I will be off to bed. Once I get back to Canada I will write one final entry and add some photos.
I have loved every minute of my stay here and cannot wait to return again soon.
All best,
M.
PS- I tried reading Troy the blog entry for today, but I had to stop half-way because he was snoring. I hope that's no comment on my literary prowess...
;-)
Good night.
We awoke this morning on our own at 8:00 a.m. sharp. We took our time getting ready, and even watched some TV. We made it down for breakfast, where Troy had the smoked salmon, and I had the traditional Irish breakfast (scrambled eggs, toast and jam, sausages, bacon and white blood pudding). Honestly, I think I prefer the blood pudding to Irish bacon... I have really enjoyed the music they play in the hotel. Last night, at dinner, they played Björk ("It's Oh So Quiet") and Tori Amos ("Winter"), and this morning, at breakfast, they played Kate Bush ("Wuthering Heights"). You would think that they were playing songs from my iTunes or something...
After breakfast, we headed downtown on foot and ran into a few people dressed in leprechaun suits and I took a picture of Troy beside one. We then took a tacsai (taxi) to our main destination this morning, the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA). Troy really wanted to go there, so I was happy that we could make time to go there today. The first gallery was a little disappointing: it featured contemporary prints and lithograph series, some of them printed in 2010, and none by artists we recognized. We got through the very small gallery in mere minutes. The curator then told us that most of the museum was closed because they are planning the next big exhibit, and only one more small gallery, the one devoted to American Modern Art from after the Second World War, was open. So, we took a break from the exhibit and ventured outside to visit the formalist gardens behind the IMMA. Wow! If anything, the gardens were way more impressive than the art we had just seen. We strolled through the gardens slowly, taking dozens of photographs. There were a few raindrops just then, but as this was the first time during our trip that it really rained, we still considered ourselves very lucky with the weather we have had.
After our stroll through the grounds, we entered the only other gallery that was open, and we were both pleasantly surprised by what we saw. This gallery was somewhat larger than the last one and featured works by such artistic heavyweights as Marcel Duchamp, Christo, Jasper Johns and Roy Lichtenstein. My favourite piece was "Little Orphan Annie Is Forty", by Richard Merkin. Troy's was John Goodyear's "Two-Sided Movement". And we both really enjoyed Marcel Duchamp's six different pieces he called "Rotoreliefs". All in all, a great visit of the IMMA, which was saved by the American art exhibit.
We left the museum some time around 2:30 p.m. I told Troy that as we suddenly had more time than expected, perhaps we could do the other site he had been hoping to see during our trip to Dublin, the Jameson distillery. We walked the ten or fifteen minutes it took to get there, bypassing the Cobblestone Pub along the way. When we got there, Troy announced that he was starving, and I was quick to echo that sentiment. So, we went to the Jameson distillery restaurant and had a great bite to eat. I had the pork dinner: a generous serving of roast pork, with roasted potatoes, parsnips and carrots, with apple stuffing and red wine gravy. Troy had the broccoli and Cashel blue cheese soup, the turkey ciabatta, and a side order of french fries. Very yummy meals all around.
As I was waiting for my dessert, Troy got in line to get us tickets for the guided tour of the distillery. The waiter asked if I wanted a single portion of ice cream. I hesitated, then said that yes, one portion would be sufficient. I thought I would try to be good. When dessert came to the table, I discovered that one portion meant five scoops French vanilla ice cream in a soup bowl. Let's just say I didn't complain...
We managed to get tickets for the 4:00 p.m. tour. We learned how Jameson whiskey is made from just three ingredients: pure water, malted barley and unmalted barley. The tour guide showed us a film on John Jameson's life, trying to gloss over the fact that he came from Scotland (the whole "who invented whiskey, the Irish or the Scots" debate seems to be a deeply entrenched one in these parts!). After the film, we saw rooms that explained each process in the making of Jameson Irish whiskey. But before that, the guide asked if there were any volunteers -- 4 men and 4 women -- who wanted to sample the difference between Irish whiskey (Jameson), Scottish whiskey (Johnny Walker) and American bourbon (Jack Daniels). I knew that Troy would really, really like to be one of those volunteers, so I caught the guide's eye and shot my arm up in the air. I was rewarded with the first chance to sample the three, which I gave to Troy. He looked like a happy camper. At the end of the tour, he was invited to sit at the head table with the other 7 volunteers and taste the difference between the three. As for the rest of us, we all got our free drink that came with the price of our ticket. At the end of the sampling the guide invited family and friends of the volunteers to taste the difference between the three, so I got to see that Jameson was my favourite. The Johnny Walker had that smoky taste that I despise so much in many other foods (smoked oysters, smoked mussels, smoked bacon... yuck!), and the Jack Daniels, being made out of corn, was way too sweet. And as for Troy, who also preferred the Jameson, he earned himself a certificate in whiskey sampling, to go with his certificate as an apprentice master brewer that he earned at the Guinness brewery.
We crossed the Ha'penny Bridge just as the sun was setting, making our way to the south side of the Liffey in our quest to find Isolde's Tower. There is nothing there anymore except for a marker, so I took a picture of it.
It was then time to do a bit of shopping. We went primarily to Carrolls and bought all of the souvenirs we still wanted to get. Troy happened to smash a small leprechaun while we were there, but we didn't have to pay for it. I got my friend Martin some gifts for looking after my cats, whom I miss a lot, actually, if truth be known. (The cats, not Martin, LOL).
Upon returning to the hotel, around 7:00 p.m., we packed all of our things, ready for tomorrow's early morning flight. An hour later, we were seated in the restaurant, listening to U2, Sinéad O'Connor and the Cranberries on the sound system there. Troy ordered his last beef and Guinness pie in Ireland, and I got a huge serving of fish and chips. We then went to the adjoining bar to listen to the live band that was playing there, in front of a large audience of sports fans who flooded into the place after the important football match tonight. I had a Jameson and cranberry juice, and Troy had a Jameson straight up before trying a Tyrconnell. We decided to call it an early night, so we paid our hotel bill tonight ahead of our departure tomorrow morning and headed to our room where Troy read his new book and I typed today's activities in my blog.
That's where we're at right now. I'm about to read Troy my blog entry. Then I will be off to bed. Once I get back to Canada I will write one final entry and add some photos.
I have loved every minute of my stay here and cannot wait to return again soon.
All best,
M.
PS- I tried reading Troy the blog entry for today, but I had to stop half-way because he was snoring. I hope that's no comment on my literary prowess...
;-)
Good night.
Friday, October 1, 2010
A Little Bit of Art, A Little Bit of Shopping
Fresh Fruit Salad For Breakfast
And Monster Burgers for Lunch
The Tomb of St. Valentine
A Pensive Troy, Wishing We Didn't Have To Go Back So Soon...
"Here Is The Bread, And Here Is The Wine"
Night Time View of The Windows of the Dining HallWhen we got up this morning at 8:30 a.m., on our own, we pretty much concluded that we would simply not be able to get out of the city to see what Dubliners call "the real Ireland". The truth of the matter is that there is really way too much to see and do in Dublin. So we have resolved that we will visit Dublin properly, and make plans to return again some time soon. It is amazing how I have fallen in love with this country!
We went downstairs for our complementary breakfast. This morning, I had the pancakes, and Troy, the French toast. I also enjoyed fresh fruit salad and chamomile tea, which is really helping with my congestion.
We were able to leave the hotel by about 10:30 a.m. We were sort of taking our time because we had already planned to take things in stride today. We decided that today we would visit the National Gallery. But before we made our way there, we wandered the Dublin streets a bit, determined to see the few remaining sites we had wanted to see on our trip. Along the way, we stopped at the chemist's where they had the Ulysses reading last night, which I completely forgot about. It turns out that yesterday's reading was from Molly Bloom's soliloquy. I was even more disappointed that we missed it. On Monday, they start reading Ulysses again, one hour a day for 50 days, until Christmas. Unfortunately, we will have already left Ireland by the time they start the reading. We also passed near J. & C. Nicholls Ltd, the undertakers that are mentioned in Ulysses, so I took a picture. We got to the National Gallery around noon and made our way inside. A full third of the gallery is currently closed because it is being renovated. We still got to see many impressive works of art. The old Italian masters were well represented in the gallery: Titian, Filippino Lippi, Fra Angelico and Tintoretto. The highlight of the museum is Caravaggio's Taking of Christ, a very imposing piece of art that Troy said was his favourite, and I think I share his opinion. But in addition to the Italian artists, there were great works from the Dutch masters (Rembrandt and Vanmeer). There were also impressive works by Picasso, Manet, Goya and El Greco. Another highlight for us was the Irish painters' wing. As neither one of us was familiar with Irish art, we really appreciated the wing dedicated to Jack Yeats, brother of famous Irish poet W. B. Yeats. Troy in particular really loved many of Yeats's bolder impressionistic pieces from his later career. All in all, a wonderful visit, which we somehow managed to complete around 2:30 p.m. In the gift shop, Troy showed me what he had found: a finger puppet of Virginia Woolf, much like the one I had bought of James Joyce. As Woolf is another of my favourite writers, I got the finger puppet, and Troy bought himself both the Shakespeare and the Oscar Wilde finger puppets.
By 3:00 p.m., I was starving. So, we left the gift shop and wandered down the narrow cobblestoned alleys in search of something to eat. We came upon the Gourmet Burger Kitchen, the little restaurant Troy had told me about. He had really enjoyed a meal here the week before I arrived to join him, so we went in and had a good meal. I ordered the garlic mayo burger, with the onion rings as an appetizer. Troy shared my rings and had the burger with blue cheese sauce. Very tasty meal, and a rare venture outside my usual traditional Irish menu.
After lunch, we decided that since it was already 4:15 p.m., we should try to get to the church on Whitefriars Street before it closes. We had tried to see it earlier this week, but our plans had been thwarted by a funeral. This time, there was no such problem. We were able to enter the church and explore the various chapels built therein. There was a chapel to Our Lady of Dublin, a chapel to Our Lady of Fatima, a chapel to Pope Pius X, a chapel to Theresa of Lisieux, a chapel to Saint Jude Patron Saint of Lost Causes. But the highlight of the church, and the reason for our visit, was the tomb of Saint Valentine. The tomb contained the holy relics as well as a cup containing the blood of the martyred saint.
After this pilgrimage, it was time to do a bit of shopping. LOL. We made our way to a few shopping centres in downtown Dublin. We finally found a store that sells wool, so I went in and bought myself 15 balls of Irish yarn to make myself a blanket. I haven't knit in more than 5 years, so I think it will be great fun to get back to it. I used to knit in front of the TV, listening to the running commentaries from DVDs, and now that I have a TV again, I think it would be great fun to return to knitting. Troy followed my lead and bought me five balls of wool so that I can knit him a scarf. I am looking forward to it.
We then located a Carrolls souvenir shop again, and took stock of what they have to offer. We will definitely return tomorrow to finish off our souvenir shopping. I especially like the Christmas ornaments they have for sale. I also finally mailed my postcards to family and friends.
We then returned to the bookstore we both fell in love with, Hodges Figgis. I promptly bought the books I had eyed yesterday, including ABBA The Scrapbook, a biography of Kate Bush, a book on the legends and sagas of Ireland, as well as a 22-CD box set reading of the unabridged Ulysses. Hey, it was the theme of our trip, so it seemed appropriate.
We returned to the hotel to get rid of all of our bags and to map out our next step. Troy took off his shoes and decided to read a few chapters of his novel (The Writing Class by Jincy Willett), and I surfed the Web a bit to see the news back home, and to read the Astrology Zone web page for October. After a while, we decided we would have dinner at the hotel here tonight. After all, it is well recommended in both our travel guides. So, around 9:00 p.m., we headed to the dining-room, which is even more gorgeous by moonlight. Keeping in line with the Irish menu, I got the seafood chowder for starters, followed by the chicken and vegetable pie in puff pastry, with a side of colcannon (cabbage and mashed potatoes). For dessert, the assortment of ice cream. Troy started with the duck liver pate on soda bread, then had the squash risotto. I think he is starting to tire of constant Irish fare. After dinner, he had a glass of 16-year-old Irish whiskey. I decided to join him and got a glass of 10-year-old Tyrconnell Irish whiskey. It is aged in sherry casks, so it takes on the flavour of the sherry which gives it a smoother taste. Very nice, although I think I would have preferred it on the rocks.
So that's it, I think. My blog is up to date just as Troy's wonderful Celtic CD has come to an end -- an Irish duo known as Lumiere. Speaking of music, I was also thrilled to hear this morning that Loreena McKennitt is coming out with a new album this month, a recording of traditional Irish songs. Can't wait!
Good night all,
M.
We went downstairs for our complementary breakfast. This morning, I had the pancakes, and Troy, the French toast. I also enjoyed fresh fruit salad and chamomile tea, which is really helping with my congestion.
We were able to leave the hotel by about 10:30 a.m. We were sort of taking our time because we had already planned to take things in stride today. We decided that today we would visit the National Gallery. But before we made our way there, we wandered the Dublin streets a bit, determined to see the few remaining sites we had wanted to see on our trip. Along the way, we stopped at the chemist's where they had the Ulysses reading last night, which I completely forgot about. It turns out that yesterday's reading was from Molly Bloom's soliloquy. I was even more disappointed that we missed it. On Monday, they start reading Ulysses again, one hour a day for 50 days, until Christmas. Unfortunately, we will have already left Ireland by the time they start the reading. We also passed near J. & C. Nicholls Ltd, the undertakers that are mentioned in Ulysses, so I took a picture. We got to the National Gallery around noon and made our way inside. A full third of the gallery is currently closed because it is being renovated. We still got to see many impressive works of art. The old Italian masters were well represented in the gallery: Titian, Filippino Lippi, Fra Angelico and Tintoretto. The highlight of the museum is Caravaggio's Taking of Christ, a very imposing piece of art that Troy said was his favourite, and I think I share his opinion. But in addition to the Italian artists, there were great works from the Dutch masters (Rembrandt and Vanmeer). There were also impressive works by Picasso, Manet, Goya and El Greco. Another highlight for us was the Irish painters' wing. As neither one of us was familiar with Irish art, we really appreciated the wing dedicated to Jack Yeats, brother of famous Irish poet W. B. Yeats. Troy in particular really loved many of Yeats's bolder impressionistic pieces from his later career. All in all, a wonderful visit, which we somehow managed to complete around 2:30 p.m. In the gift shop, Troy showed me what he had found: a finger puppet of Virginia Woolf, much like the one I had bought of James Joyce. As Woolf is another of my favourite writers, I got the finger puppet, and Troy bought himself both the Shakespeare and the Oscar Wilde finger puppets.
By 3:00 p.m., I was starving. So, we left the gift shop and wandered down the narrow cobblestoned alleys in search of something to eat. We came upon the Gourmet Burger Kitchen, the little restaurant Troy had told me about. He had really enjoyed a meal here the week before I arrived to join him, so we went in and had a good meal. I ordered the garlic mayo burger, with the onion rings as an appetizer. Troy shared my rings and had the burger with blue cheese sauce. Very tasty meal, and a rare venture outside my usual traditional Irish menu.
After lunch, we decided that since it was already 4:15 p.m., we should try to get to the church on Whitefriars Street before it closes. We had tried to see it earlier this week, but our plans had been thwarted by a funeral. This time, there was no such problem. We were able to enter the church and explore the various chapels built therein. There was a chapel to Our Lady of Dublin, a chapel to Our Lady of Fatima, a chapel to Pope Pius X, a chapel to Theresa of Lisieux, a chapel to Saint Jude Patron Saint of Lost Causes. But the highlight of the church, and the reason for our visit, was the tomb of Saint Valentine. The tomb contained the holy relics as well as a cup containing the blood of the martyred saint.
After this pilgrimage, it was time to do a bit of shopping. LOL. We made our way to a few shopping centres in downtown Dublin. We finally found a store that sells wool, so I went in and bought myself 15 balls of Irish yarn to make myself a blanket. I haven't knit in more than 5 years, so I think it will be great fun to get back to it. I used to knit in front of the TV, listening to the running commentaries from DVDs, and now that I have a TV again, I think it would be great fun to return to knitting. Troy followed my lead and bought me five balls of wool so that I can knit him a scarf. I am looking forward to it.
We then located a Carrolls souvenir shop again, and took stock of what they have to offer. We will definitely return tomorrow to finish off our souvenir shopping. I especially like the Christmas ornaments they have for sale. I also finally mailed my postcards to family and friends.
We then returned to the bookstore we both fell in love with, Hodges Figgis. I promptly bought the books I had eyed yesterday, including ABBA The Scrapbook, a biography of Kate Bush, a book on the legends and sagas of Ireland, as well as a 22-CD box set reading of the unabridged Ulysses. Hey, it was the theme of our trip, so it seemed appropriate.
We returned to the hotel to get rid of all of our bags and to map out our next step. Troy took off his shoes and decided to read a few chapters of his novel (The Writing Class by Jincy Willett), and I surfed the Web a bit to see the news back home, and to read the Astrology Zone web page for October. After a while, we decided we would have dinner at the hotel here tonight. After all, it is well recommended in both our travel guides. So, around 9:00 p.m., we headed to the dining-room, which is even more gorgeous by moonlight. Keeping in line with the Irish menu, I got the seafood chowder for starters, followed by the chicken and vegetable pie in puff pastry, with a side of colcannon (cabbage and mashed potatoes). For dessert, the assortment of ice cream. Troy started with the duck liver pate on soda bread, then had the squash risotto. I think he is starting to tire of constant Irish fare. After dinner, he had a glass of 16-year-old Irish whiskey. I decided to join him and got a glass of 10-year-old Tyrconnell Irish whiskey. It is aged in sherry casks, so it takes on the flavour of the sherry which gives it a smoother taste. Very nice, although I think I would have preferred it on the rocks.
So that's it, I think. My blog is up to date just as Troy's wonderful Celtic CD has come to an end -- an Irish duo known as Lumiere. Speaking of music, I was also thrilled to hear this morning that Loreena McKennitt is coming out with a new album this month, a recording of traditional Irish songs. Can't wait!
Good night all,
M.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Powerscourt, Postcards and Pub Fare
The Statue of Molly Malone in Dublin(Also Known As "The Tart With The Cart", and "Ireland's Treasure Chest")
A Patsy Stone Wannabe in Dublin...
The Martello Tower, Setting of the First Chapter of Ulysses
The Small Resort Town of Bray, Where Joyce Lived As A Child
On Your Marks, Get Set...
Rear View of the Powerscourt Estate
The Powerscourt Gardens
View of the Powerscourt Gardens
A Winged Horse
A Japanese Garden At Powerscourt
Ham Hocks And Coddle, With A Smithwick's Beer
A Patsy Stone Wannabe in Dublin...
The Martello Tower, Setting of the First Chapter of Ulysses
The Small Resort Town of Bray, Where Joyce Lived As A Child
On Your Marks, Get Set...
Rear View of the Powerscourt Estate
The Powerscourt Gardens
View of the Powerscourt Gardens
A Winged Horse
A Japanese Garden At Powerscourt
Ham Hocks And Coddle, With A Smithwick's BeerWe awoke on our own this morning without a wake-up call. It was 8:30 a.m., which I thought was very reasonable. We took our turns getting ready and got to breakfast for 9:40 a.m. Unfortunately, breakfast was a bit of a rushed affair on account of our wanting to take the tour of the region south of Dublin. We couldn't order the hot breakfast because it would take too long, so we had fruit salad, breads and hot beverages. It looks like the four whiskeys last night were just what the doctor ordered: my throat was no longer scratchy and sore; however, my cold has moved north and I am both congested and sneezy. But at least I am not feverish.
Before I continue the account of today's travels, I should tell the story the bus driver told us yesterday. In the city centre stands the statue of Molly Malone, peddling her wares. Molly sold cockels and mussels and oysters during the day, pushing her cart. At night, she alledgedly sold other wares. By all accounts, Molly was celibate. According to the bus driver, Molly would "sell a bit" here and "sell a bit" there... (Don't boo me, Nick. I just repeats them...)
Anyway, Troy and I rushed outside around 10:00 a.m., hoping to catch the shuttle bus about ten minutes away on foot, which was scheduled to depart 15 minutes from then. By the time we got to the stop, the lady in the tourist information centre informed us that we had just missed the bus by about 2 seconds. This was just the shuttle bus to get to our own bus, so I wasn't downcast. There was still the possibility of taking a 5-minute taxi cab ride to the right place to board the bus. Troy was a little out of sorts then, and I had to convince him that it wasn't a problem, and that we could still make it. In any event, I finally persuaded him to take the taxi ride, and I think he is glad that we did. We were able to meet up with the double-decker bus moments later, ready for our 11:00 a.m. departure. And, because we had taken the city hop-on hop-off bus tour this week, we were also granted a 7 euro discount on our tickets. Bonus!
So, we gradually made our way outside the city, following a course that brought us along the coast of the Liffey, on the north side. On our way, Troy saw me aim my camera outside the tour bus and snap a photo. He looked out the window and wondered why I was taking a picture of a woman. I showed him the photo I had taken: the spitting image of Patsy Stone from "Absolutely Fabulous", complete with a cut mini, a low-cut blouse, pearls, sunglasses and bouffant blonde coiffe. The resemblance was uncanny, and when I get back home, I will post it to this blog.
Making our way south of the city, in county Wicklow, we hugged the coast of Dublin Bay, getting a great view of Sandymount, the area where Leopold Bloom practices onanism on the beach in Ulysses, as well as the distant crag of Howth Head, which figures prominently in Molly Bloom's monologue. We also saw a house in which Joyce himself lived. As we got into the Victorian seaside town of Bray, we noticed some brave souls swimming in the surf, on this rather chilly late September day. Then we got a few shots of the Martello tower where the opening chapter of Ulysses is set. But despite all these Joycean associations, this tour was not exclusively of my choosing. The destination of the tour was Powerscourt Castle, where Troy was eager to see the site of the Celtic Women concert he has at home on his DVD. So it was a win-win situation. The bus driver also showed us Sinéad O'Connor's house in Bray, and declared that she was in at that moment because her car was parked in her driveway. We had a distant view of what he referred to as the Hollywood Hills outside Bray, where a number of prominent celebrities have homes, including Mel Gibson, Bono from U2, The Edge from U2, Enya, Maeve Binchy and a number of other American celebrities whose names escape me.
We got to Powerscourt around 1:00 p.m., completely famished. Luckily for us, they had planned for us to eat at the restaurant there. Troy sat down to a massive plate of chicken with peppers, tomatoes, parmesan, leeks, in a puff pastry, with a thick slice of double chocolate cake in heavy cream for dessert. I had the Guinness stew with puff pastry, which came with my choice of three side salads. I got the potato salad, the couscous salad and the fruit salad. Yummy stuff indeed. For dessert, the lemon curd cake with heavy cream.
That still gave us about an hour to explore the Powerscourt grounds, including the main garden and the Japanese garden. We took several breath-taking pictures and then came back for a quick trip to the gift shop where I bought my Mom a postcard.
We got back on the bus for our return trip to the city and arrived in Dublin around 3:00 p.m. We shopped for a bit and I bought a bunch of postcards for family and friends. I also got gifts for Dad and Jocelyne. At another shop I got gifts for my nieces. I am still shopping for more gifts, and there are tons of really cool souvenirs here.
Around 4:30 p.m., I told Troy that I couldn't go on like this, and I had to sit for a bit to rest and maybe have a hot drink. I was feely really clammy and miserable. So we stopped at a pub, where Troy got a Jameson whiskey, and the barman offered to make me a hot toddy. Man, was that ever good, and it helped with my stuffed nose. Meanwhile, Troy watched the news on TV (where we heard about the death of Tony Curtis, as well as the bailout for the Irish banks: $50 billion Euros). I took some time to write up some of my postcards. In fact, I got to write almost all of them by the time I looked at my watch and saw that it was 6:00 p.m. So, we got up and continued on our way. Troy still wanted to hit the book store we had seen this morning to try to find the Irish cookbook he has been eyeing for a while now. That one book shop was good, but the next book store we went to, Hodges Figgis, was absolutely stunning! We could have spent even longer in this store, but they were closing at 8:00 p.m., so we had to pay for our purchases and leave. Before I did, I took a photograph of a wall text inside the store that indicated that this bookstore appears in Ulysses. So cool.
As I was hungry, and it was late, we made our way to O'Neills pub, a quaint pub we went to yesterday during our pub crawl. I ordered the ham hocks with coddle and Troy got the leek and pork sausages. My meal, even by Dublin standards, was mammoth! The picture took was misleading: my dish was not a plate, but a bowl. Just keep that in mind when you see the picture! It consisted of a huge ham hock, the size of a small pork roast, with three scoops of mashed potatoes, parsnips, cabbage, cauliflower with cheese, and the coddle: boiled potatoes, onions and sausage. It could have easily fed the both of us. I had a Smithwick's to wash it all down, and my meal -- as usual -- was absolutely delicious. But no room for dessert.
After dinner, we walked out into the pleasant Dublin evening, and Troy told me we were going straight to the hotel so that I could blog and then go to bed. I have a really hoarse cough, so I will do the Dristan thing and get to bed. Troy says he is too tired to blog tonight, so I will end here.
Good night all,
M.
Before I continue the account of today's travels, I should tell the story the bus driver told us yesterday. In the city centre stands the statue of Molly Malone, peddling her wares. Molly sold cockels and mussels and oysters during the day, pushing her cart. At night, she alledgedly sold other wares. By all accounts, Molly was celibate. According to the bus driver, Molly would "sell a bit" here and "sell a bit" there... (Don't boo me, Nick. I just repeats them...)
Anyway, Troy and I rushed outside around 10:00 a.m., hoping to catch the shuttle bus about ten minutes away on foot, which was scheduled to depart 15 minutes from then. By the time we got to the stop, the lady in the tourist information centre informed us that we had just missed the bus by about 2 seconds. This was just the shuttle bus to get to our own bus, so I wasn't downcast. There was still the possibility of taking a 5-minute taxi cab ride to the right place to board the bus. Troy was a little out of sorts then, and I had to convince him that it wasn't a problem, and that we could still make it. In any event, I finally persuaded him to take the taxi ride, and I think he is glad that we did. We were able to meet up with the double-decker bus moments later, ready for our 11:00 a.m. departure. And, because we had taken the city hop-on hop-off bus tour this week, we were also granted a 7 euro discount on our tickets. Bonus!
So, we gradually made our way outside the city, following a course that brought us along the coast of the Liffey, on the north side. On our way, Troy saw me aim my camera outside the tour bus and snap a photo. He looked out the window and wondered why I was taking a picture of a woman. I showed him the photo I had taken: the spitting image of Patsy Stone from "Absolutely Fabulous", complete with a cut mini, a low-cut blouse, pearls, sunglasses and bouffant blonde coiffe. The resemblance was uncanny, and when I get back home, I will post it to this blog.
Making our way south of the city, in county Wicklow, we hugged the coast of Dublin Bay, getting a great view of Sandymount, the area where Leopold Bloom practices onanism on the beach in Ulysses, as well as the distant crag of Howth Head, which figures prominently in Molly Bloom's monologue. We also saw a house in which Joyce himself lived. As we got into the Victorian seaside town of Bray, we noticed some brave souls swimming in the surf, on this rather chilly late September day. Then we got a few shots of the Martello tower where the opening chapter of Ulysses is set. But despite all these Joycean associations, this tour was not exclusively of my choosing. The destination of the tour was Powerscourt Castle, where Troy was eager to see the site of the Celtic Women concert he has at home on his DVD. So it was a win-win situation. The bus driver also showed us Sinéad O'Connor's house in Bray, and declared that she was in at that moment because her car was parked in her driveway. We had a distant view of what he referred to as the Hollywood Hills outside Bray, where a number of prominent celebrities have homes, including Mel Gibson, Bono from U2, The Edge from U2, Enya, Maeve Binchy and a number of other American celebrities whose names escape me.
We got to Powerscourt around 1:00 p.m., completely famished. Luckily for us, they had planned for us to eat at the restaurant there. Troy sat down to a massive plate of chicken with peppers, tomatoes, parmesan, leeks, in a puff pastry, with a thick slice of double chocolate cake in heavy cream for dessert. I had the Guinness stew with puff pastry, which came with my choice of three side salads. I got the potato salad, the couscous salad and the fruit salad. Yummy stuff indeed. For dessert, the lemon curd cake with heavy cream.
That still gave us about an hour to explore the Powerscourt grounds, including the main garden and the Japanese garden. We took several breath-taking pictures and then came back for a quick trip to the gift shop where I bought my Mom a postcard.
We got back on the bus for our return trip to the city and arrived in Dublin around 3:00 p.m. We shopped for a bit and I bought a bunch of postcards for family and friends. I also got gifts for Dad and Jocelyne. At another shop I got gifts for my nieces. I am still shopping for more gifts, and there are tons of really cool souvenirs here.
Around 4:30 p.m., I told Troy that I couldn't go on like this, and I had to sit for a bit to rest and maybe have a hot drink. I was feely really clammy and miserable. So we stopped at a pub, where Troy got a Jameson whiskey, and the barman offered to make me a hot toddy. Man, was that ever good, and it helped with my stuffed nose. Meanwhile, Troy watched the news on TV (where we heard about the death of Tony Curtis, as well as the bailout for the Irish banks: $50 billion Euros). I took some time to write up some of my postcards. In fact, I got to write almost all of them by the time I looked at my watch and saw that it was 6:00 p.m. So, we got up and continued on our way. Troy still wanted to hit the book store we had seen this morning to try to find the Irish cookbook he has been eyeing for a while now. That one book shop was good, but the next book store we went to, Hodges Figgis, was absolutely stunning! We could have spent even longer in this store, but they were closing at 8:00 p.m., so we had to pay for our purchases and leave. Before I did, I took a photograph of a wall text inside the store that indicated that this bookstore appears in Ulysses. So cool.
As I was hungry, and it was late, we made our way to O'Neills pub, a quaint pub we went to yesterday during our pub crawl. I ordered the ham hocks with coddle and Troy got the leek and pork sausages. My meal, even by Dublin standards, was mammoth! The picture took was misleading: my dish was not a plate, but a bowl. Just keep that in mind when you see the picture! It consisted of a huge ham hock, the size of a small pork roast, with three scoops of mashed potatoes, parsnips, cabbage, cauliflower with cheese, and the coddle: boiled potatoes, onions and sausage. It could have easily fed the both of us. I had a Smithwick's to wash it all down, and my meal -- as usual -- was absolutely delicious. But no room for dessert.
After dinner, we walked out into the pleasant Dublin evening, and Troy told me we were going straight to the hotel so that I could blog and then go to bed. I have a really hoarse cough, so I will do the Dristan thing and get to bed. Troy says he is too tired to blog tonight, so I will end here.
Good night all,
M.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Pints, Pubs and Poets
The Pancake Breakfast
Inside St. Patrick's Cathedral
St. Patrick's Cathedral
The Notorious Anna McGoldrick Musical Tour Bus
Casks of Guinness
Troy Pours A Perfect Pint 
Guinness Pork and Leek Sausages
View of the City from the Guinness Storeroom, With A Joycean Quote in the Window
A Snotty Joyce Quote About Dubliners...
Memorial to the Irish Famine VictimsWhen our wake-up call came at 7:30 a.m. this morning, I awoke with a bit of a scratchy throat. I guess I have finally caught the nasty bug that Troy has had all the time I've been here. Nothing truly nasty, just a tickle and coughing.
We headed down to breakfast where this morning I had pancakes and maple syrup and Troy enjoyed crustless French toast. I have to say that we have been truly blessed during our stay in Ireland thus far. Although it was a bit chilly in the dining hall this morning, we have not had any significant amounts of rain or unpleasant weather during our week.
We decided to make our way today to the Guinness Storeroom which, according to our guide at the Book of Kells exhibit yesterday, is the number one tourist attraction in Dublin. Troy suggested we get on the hop-on hop-off bus to make our way to the storeroom, and that way we could save time. I suggested that since we were headed that way anyway, perhaps we could first stop off at St. Patrick's Cathedral to visit the building.
The architecture was amazing. We ventured inside and took several pictures of the stainglass windows and the ancient heraldic banners hanging from the buttresses. We also saw the tomb of Jonathan Swift, author of Gulliver's Travels and dean of St. Patrick's Cathedral in the eighteenth century. We missed his death mask, but marvelled all the same at the wonders inside the church. We also took photographs of a marble slab that was unearthed outside the church under six feet of dirt, under which was found a small well which, according to legend, St. Patrick used to baptize the first Christians in Ireland in the 500s.
Outside the church we found the location of the well which has long since dried up. We also found a long wall on which were hung plaques commemorating the great writers of Ireland, including James Joyce. I know he would have loathed being remembered anywhere near a church. The highlight of my day was when a bus pulled up at St. Patrick's Cathedral, and we noticed that it had a sign indicating that it was a coach for the Anna McGoldrick musical tour of Ireland. Troy stole the words out of my mouth when he quipped: "Look at the age group of the people on this tour!" When that bus stopped in front of St. Patrick's, only one brave tourist stepped off the bus to take a photo. The others seemed content to view it from the comfort of their seats, or were perhaps physically unable to get up.
A short hop-on hop-off bus trip brought us to the Guinness Storeroom. I couldn't help but think the whole time I was there that this was like a Duff Gardens tour from "The Simpsons": "Duff beer for me, Duff beer for you..."
On the first of the seven levels of the museum is a space reserved for the 5 main ingredients of Guinness: water, barley, hops, yeast and Arthur Guinness. On successive floors we got to see how the barley was mashed, the liquid extracted, the hops added, the yeast put in, the liquid fermented, the liquid distilled, etc. We also saw how the barrels were made, the beer was poured in and exported around the world. On the third floor, we could sample a quarter-pint of Guinness. We also saw the various advertising campaigns for Guinness over the years and even testimonials from the medical establishment that Guinness was a healthy addition to your diet.
On the tour we were each handed a ticket which allowed us to do one of two things. Troy chose to pour his own pint of Guinness, helped by the barmaid who instructed him in this fine art. We both enjoyed the fruit of his labours, and he got a certificate for pouring a perfect pint. We then stopped for a late lunch at the Guinness restaurant. Troy ordered the seafood chowder with smoked salmon on Guinness bread; I got the pork and leek sausages in Guinness sauce, with mashed potatoes and red onion compote. For dessert, I sampled three small offerings: the Guinness chocolate mousse, the Bailey's cheesecake and the raspberry crême brulée. The whole meal was exquisite, all except for the crême brulée which we both thought was revolting.
On the seventh floor, I used my own ticket to get a free Guinness while admiring the incredible view of the city. It was a 360 degree view of Dublin, unobstructed by any walls. On the glass windows were different quotes from the works of -- you guessed it -- James Joyce, positioned near the geographical locations where the descriptions were meant to illustrate. I got a decent shot of Howth Head, where Leopold Bloom first seduced Molly, and where the real life James Joyce seduced Nora Barnacle. Kate Bush sings about all of this in her song "The Sensual World".
After doing the gift shop on the main floor, we exited the building around 4:00 p.m. So much for the guide book telling us that it was a two-hour visit. And so much for visiting the Museum of Modern Art this afternoon. We then decided to see a few other tourist sites, like the James Joyce bridge (which I described as "Playtex introduces the James Joyce bridge with wings"), as well as the house that features in Joyce's short story "The Dead".
Making our way east on foot, we arrived at the spot where an artist has commemorated the Potato Famine with heart-wrenching sculptures of the afflicted. A truly moving monument to a horrible time.
As it was still relatively early, we figured we could still do the Literary Pub Crawl tonight, which was set to start at 7:30 p.m., so we had a quick bite to eat at McDonald's to make sure we had time to get there. In terms of Irish additions to the McDonald's menu, Troy noticed onion rings, as well as deep fried cheese.
We bought our tickets for the pub crawl and met our hosts for the evening, Frank and Colm. They did an excellent job of interpreting key scenes from Beckett's Waiting for Godot, Joyce's Ulysses, a letter from Oscar Wilde, as well as a whole slough of other Irish writers we only discovered tonight. The people on our tour were also very friendly and we chatted a bit with a couple from Oregon and with a travel reporter with the Chicago Sun Times. She laughed at my James Joyce finger puppet. Part of the evening was also dedicated to a literary quiz, with the prize of a Literary Pub Crawl t-shirt and, as a consolation prize, a bottle of Bushmill Irish whiskey. Despite having partaken in four drinks of Irish whiskey during the evening (three Jameson and one Bushmill), I was able to do quite respectably. In fact, at the end of the night, I won the t-shirt, thanks in large part to Troy's help in identifying Frank Sinatra as the entertainer who was serenaded by Bob Dylan singing a version of an Irish poem. I was very pleased.
By the way, four drinks is not all that much, considering that Ireland has decreed that men should not consume more than 21 drinks a week. So that means, I still have 17 to go... Women, on the other hand, should limit their alcohol consumption to 14 drinks a week...
We then made our way back to the hotel and we got a little lost on our way back, but nothing too serious. All in all, a very good day.
And now, as Monty Python would say, for something completely different, here is Troy with his additions to today's post.
Sláinte, (which I have discovered is pronounced: slawn-chuh)
We headed down to breakfast where this morning I had pancakes and maple syrup and Troy enjoyed crustless French toast. I have to say that we have been truly blessed during our stay in Ireland thus far. Although it was a bit chilly in the dining hall this morning, we have not had any significant amounts of rain or unpleasant weather during our week.
We decided to make our way today to the Guinness Storeroom which, according to our guide at the Book of Kells exhibit yesterday, is the number one tourist attraction in Dublin. Troy suggested we get on the hop-on hop-off bus to make our way to the storeroom, and that way we could save time. I suggested that since we were headed that way anyway, perhaps we could first stop off at St. Patrick's Cathedral to visit the building.
The architecture was amazing. We ventured inside and took several pictures of the stainglass windows and the ancient heraldic banners hanging from the buttresses. We also saw the tomb of Jonathan Swift, author of Gulliver's Travels and dean of St. Patrick's Cathedral in the eighteenth century. We missed his death mask, but marvelled all the same at the wonders inside the church. We also took photographs of a marble slab that was unearthed outside the church under six feet of dirt, under which was found a small well which, according to legend, St. Patrick used to baptize the first Christians in Ireland in the 500s.
Outside the church we found the location of the well which has long since dried up. We also found a long wall on which were hung plaques commemorating the great writers of Ireland, including James Joyce. I know he would have loathed being remembered anywhere near a church. The highlight of my day was when a bus pulled up at St. Patrick's Cathedral, and we noticed that it had a sign indicating that it was a coach for the Anna McGoldrick musical tour of Ireland. Troy stole the words out of my mouth when he quipped: "Look at the age group of the people on this tour!" When that bus stopped in front of St. Patrick's, only one brave tourist stepped off the bus to take a photo. The others seemed content to view it from the comfort of their seats, or were perhaps physically unable to get up.
A short hop-on hop-off bus trip brought us to the Guinness Storeroom. I couldn't help but think the whole time I was there that this was like a Duff Gardens tour from "The Simpsons": "Duff beer for me, Duff beer for you..."
On the first of the seven levels of the museum is a space reserved for the 5 main ingredients of Guinness: water, barley, hops, yeast and Arthur Guinness. On successive floors we got to see how the barley was mashed, the liquid extracted, the hops added, the yeast put in, the liquid fermented, the liquid distilled, etc. We also saw how the barrels were made, the beer was poured in and exported around the world. On the third floor, we could sample a quarter-pint of Guinness. We also saw the various advertising campaigns for Guinness over the years and even testimonials from the medical establishment that Guinness was a healthy addition to your diet.
On the tour we were each handed a ticket which allowed us to do one of two things. Troy chose to pour his own pint of Guinness, helped by the barmaid who instructed him in this fine art. We both enjoyed the fruit of his labours, and he got a certificate for pouring a perfect pint. We then stopped for a late lunch at the Guinness restaurant. Troy ordered the seafood chowder with smoked salmon on Guinness bread; I got the pork and leek sausages in Guinness sauce, with mashed potatoes and red onion compote. For dessert, I sampled three small offerings: the Guinness chocolate mousse, the Bailey's cheesecake and the raspberry crême brulée. The whole meal was exquisite, all except for the crême brulée which we both thought was revolting.
On the seventh floor, I used my own ticket to get a free Guinness while admiring the incredible view of the city. It was a 360 degree view of Dublin, unobstructed by any walls. On the glass windows were different quotes from the works of -- you guessed it -- James Joyce, positioned near the geographical locations where the descriptions were meant to illustrate. I got a decent shot of Howth Head, where Leopold Bloom first seduced Molly, and where the real life James Joyce seduced Nora Barnacle. Kate Bush sings about all of this in her song "The Sensual World".
After doing the gift shop on the main floor, we exited the building around 4:00 p.m. So much for the guide book telling us that it was a two-hour visit. And so much for visiting the Museum of Modern Art this afternoon. We then decided to see a few other tourist sites, like the James Joyce bridge (which I described as "Playtex introduces the James Joyce bridge with wings"), as well as the house that features in Joyce's short story "The Dead".
Making our way east on foot, we arrived at the spot where an artist has commemorated the Potato Famine with heart-wrenching sculptures of the afflicted. A truly moving monument to a horrible time.
As it was still relatively early, we figured we could still do the Literary Pub Crawl tonight, which was set to start at 7:30 p.m., so we had a quick bite to eat at McDonald's to make sure we had time to get there. In terms of Irish additions to the McDonald's menu, Troy noticed onion rings, as well as deep fried cheese.
We bought our tickets for the pub crawl and met our hosts for the evening, Frank and Colm. They did an excellent job of interpreting key scenes from Beckett's Waiting for Godot, Joyce's Ulysses, a letter from Oscar Wilde, as well as a whole slough of other Irish writers we only discovered tonight. The people on our tour were also very friendly and we chatted a bit with a couple from Oregon and with a travel reporter with the Chicago Sun Times. She laughed at my James Joyce finger puppet. Part of the evening was also dedicated to a literary quiz, with the prize of a Literary Pub Crawl t-shirt and, as a consolation prize, a bottle of Bushmill Irish whiskey. Despite having partaken in four drinks of Irish whiskey during the evening (three Jameson and one Bushmill), I was able to do quite respectably. In fact, at the end of the night, I won the t-shirt, thanks in large part to Troy's help in identifying Frank Sinatra as the entertainer who was serenaded by Bob Dylan singing a version of an Irish poem. I was very pleased.
By the way, four drinks is not all that much, considering that Ireland has decreed that men should not consume more than 21 drinks a week. So that means, I still have 17 to go... Women, on the other hand, should limit their alcohol consumption to 14 drinks a week...
We then made our way back to the hotel and we got a little lost on our way back, but nothing too serious. All in all, a very good day.
And now, as Monty Python would say, for something completely different, here is Troy with his additions to today's post.
Sláinte, (which I have discovered is pronounced: slawn-chuh)
M.
On the way back to our hotel this evening I suggested that instead of putting my words into Marcel's fingers, I should actually write a post or two myself. I do promise to give you the Reader's Digest version, focusing in on my simple insights of what we did during the day. Besides, Marcel has already given you most of the details!! LOL
Thinking back, I have to say three things really stood out in my reflections today. First was the "just plain" fun of pouring my own Guinness. I have to say I was immeasurably proud of myself when the bartender informed me that I had done a fantastic job of pouring that deep rich porter!! I felt like a kid that had brought home an "A" in math.
Second, was the melancholy that descended on me as I viewed the sculptures dedicated to the people of Ireland during the potato famine. One in particular made me pause. It was a man, grief portrayed in his expression as he carried his small child over his shoulders. To me it looked as if the child had died, and yet the father continued to bear his offspring in the hope that something could be done to save him or her. The vivid descriptions told to us by the "raconteur" of last evening's venue, of how the potato famine affected the poor of Ireland and how the landowners of that time used it as greedy way to rid their lands of tenent farmers, really made us think seriously about what this memorial meant.
Lastly, I have learned that you are never too old to enjoy learning something new! LOL. Tonight's "Pub Crawl" was something I was not too sure about. After listening to Marcel read the ending of Joyce's Ulysses (and yes I said yes I will yes) and responding with "Didn't his English teacher correct his punctuation?!", I was sure this literary pub crawl would be way over my head. And to be honest at times it was. But I did learn things. I learned about Ireland, its conflicts, and how this has influenced some of the world's best authors. I mean, it produced Oscar Wilde, how much more could you ask for? Him I understand, (the sarcastic little popinjay) LOL
Anyway, that is enough of my waxing eloquence. Cheers.
On the way back to our hotel this evening I suggested that instead of putting my words into Marcel's fingers, I should actually write a post or two myself. I do promise to give you the Reader's Digest version, focusing in on my simple insights of what we did during the day. Besides, Marcel has already given you most of the details!! LOL
Thinking back, I have to say three things really stood out in my reflections today. First was the "just plain" fun of pouring my own Guinness. I have to say I was immeasurably proud of myself when the bartender informed me that I had done a fantastic job of pouring that deep rich porter!! I felt like a kid that had brought home an "A" in math.
Second, was the melancholy that descended on me as I viewed the sculptures dedicated to the people of Ireland during the potato famine. One in particular made me pause. It was a man, grief portrayed in his expression as he carried his small child over his shoulders. To me it looked as if the child had died, and yet the father continued to bear his offspring in the hope that something could be done to save him or her. The vivid descriptions told to us by the "raconteur" of last evening's venue, of how the potato famine affected the poor of Ireland and how the landowners of that time used it as greedy way to rid their lands of tenent farmers, really made us think seriously about what this memorial meant.
Lastly, I have learned that you are never too old to enjoy learning something new! LOL. Tonight's "Pub Crawl" was something I was not too sure about. After listening to Marcel read the ending of Joyce's Ulysses (and yes I said yes I will yes) and responding with "Didn't his English teacher correct his punctuation?!", I was sure this literary pub crawl would be way over my head. And to be honest at times it was. But I did learn things. I learned about Ireland, its conflicts, and how this has influenced some of the world's best authors. I mean, it produced Oscar Wilde, how much more could you ask for? Him I understand, (the sarcastic little popinjay) LOL
Anyway, that is enough of my waxing eloquence. Cheers.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Forays, Faith, Food, Folklore and Fairies
Troy in the Dining Hall of the Schoolhouse Hotel
Another Irish Fry
A Gorgeous Set of Knockers
Trinity College
Lunch Was A Rushed Affair
Christ Church Cathedral
The Brazen Head Pub
Johnny, the Host of the "Food, Folk and Fairies" Evening Tour
Troy and I at The Brazen HeadA word about the hotel we are staying at. Oh my God! Is it ever gorgeous. We are staying in a renovated old schoolhouse, and we have our meals in a restored classroom. The building is made of stone and it is very cosy and quaint. I get the impression that the Harry Potter novels could have been set here. Each room bears the name of an Irish writer, but our room, #332, is actually the room of the former headmaster and headmistresses of the school. Is it ever beautiful! Photos will follow once I get home and load them onto this blog.
It was a late night last night because Troy had to load up a new security programme on his laptop and it took forever to download. Consequently, I didn't finish the blog entry before 1:30 a.m. That meant that this morning, we only got up around 9:30 a.m. We showered, got ready and went downstairs for an amazing breakfast. Troy had the smoked salmon omelette, and I had yogurt and fruit salad before the traditional Irish fry.
We decided to start off the day by going to the double-decker bus terminal to take the hop-on hop-off tour of the city. On our way, I saw a couple of distinctively-coloured Dublin doors with nice brass knockers on them and I told Troy I had to stop to take a picture of a nice set of knockers. (I know, Nick, "boo, hiss"). We hopped onto the bus at St. Stephen's Green and made our way around the city for what was almost a full circuit. The tour was very informative and brought us to places we had never seen before like Christ Church Cathedral (the Irish pronounce th's as t's), the Irish Museum of Modern Art, the Dublin Zoo, and the Guinness Storehouse. We even saw a booze store called Next Door which makes home deliveries of wine.
But we are starting to have our doubts about being able to do everything we wanted to do in Ireland. In fact, it doesn't look like we will get much of a chance to get out of the city because there is so much to do here in Dublin! If only we could stay at least another week! We will need to discuss our plans for the rest of our stay here because the end of our trip on Sunday is coming fast.
We hopped off the bus for this part of our foray into the city when we got to Trinity College. I was moved when we got onto the grounds. When I looked back on my university days studying English literature and remembering my most cherish dream to visit the lands of all the poets I studied, and when I realized that I was on the campus here associated with Jonathan Swift (author of Gulliver's Travels) and Samuel Beckett (author of Waiting for Godot), I got choked up. Troy asked to borrow my camera to check out the panoramic function, and I was pleasantly surprised to see the end result. Man, did I ever buy myself a nice, fancy camera!
We took the tour of Trinity College with a young student of the College who graduates next month. (I think he said his name was Kieran). He showed us the sights of the Protestant College, which was commissioned by Queen Elizabeth I to replace the old Catholic monastery that her father, King Henry VIII, ordered demolished. We were then invited to enter Trinity College to see the Book of Kells on our own.
The faith portion of our day was getting to see the Book of Kells, an illuminated manuscript of the four gospels, created off the coast of Scotland around the year 800. It was handwritten on velum (dried skins) by an order of monks. We got to see the exhibit showing how the manuscript was created as well as the two displayed pages from the book. I found it very moving and it complemented well my seeing the manuscripts of the Mont St-Michel in 2004.
On our way out of the exhibit, we ventured into the Great Hall, where the library books are proudly displayed. It was a wondrous sight to behold. The College has a legislated mandate to acquire copies of all books printed in Ireland and it is one of the most important repositories in Europe. Unfortunately, photographs were not allowed, but the postcard I bought gives a great glimpse into this marvellous building.
We ended our tour in the gift shop where I bought my first gifts for family and friends. Mam, I got you your gift here.
We left the grounds of Trinity College around 4:00 p.m. and neither of us had had lunch yet. I was very famished and starting to get moody so we just stopped at a grocery store to pick something up for a light snack. We knew that tonight we had made plans to see the "Food, Folklore and Fairies" tour, so we didn't want to spoil our appetites. I got a Diet Coke, a bag of Chilli Doritos and a Chicken Salad sandwich. I was surprised to discover that there are no regular potato chips in Ireland, only flavoured kinds. The sandwich also surprised me, because it wasn't a "chicken salad" sandwich, it was a chicken "salad sandwich". In other words, chicken and salad in a sandwich (lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers). It was OK, but nothing fancy.
In anticipation of our tour, which only started at 6:40 p.m., we walked around the city a bit to pass the time. We made our way to Christ Church Cathedral for a closer look and took tons of photos. The old Dublin city wall is built along one side of the church. On our walk we also found the Church of the Immaculate Conception, and on the sign, underneath the name, was the caption: "(Adam and Eve)". Not quite sure how Adam and Eve are considered part of the Immaculate Conception, but anyway... (A few days later, I would discover that this is the church mentioned in the opening line of Joyce's enigmatic work, Finnegans Wake: "riverrun, past Eve and Adam's, from swerve of shore to bend of bay, brings us by a commodius vicus of recirculation back to Howth Castle and Environs.")
It was a late night last night because Troy had to load up a new security programme on his laptop and it took forever to download. Consequently, I didn't finish the blog entry before 1:30 a.m. That meant that this morning, we only got up around 9:30 a.m. We showered, got ready and went downstairs for an amazing breakfast. Troy had the smoked salmon omelette, and I had yogurt and fruit salad before the traditional Irish fry.
We decided to start off the day by going to the double-decker bus terminal to take the hop-on hop-off tour of the city. On our way, I saw a couple of distinctively-coloured Dublin doors with nice brass knockers on them and I told Troy I had to stop to take a picture of a nice set of knockers. (I know, Nick, "boo, hiss"). We hopped onto the bus at St. Stephen's Green and made our way around the city for what was almost a full circuit. The tour was very informative and brought us to places we had never seen before like Christ Church Cathedral (the Irish pronounce th's as t's), the Irish Museum of Modern Art, the Dublin Zoo, and the Guinness Storehouse. We even saw a booze store called Next Door which makes home deliveries of wine.
But we are starting to have our doubts about being able to do everything we wanted to do in Ireland. In fact, it doesn't look like we will get much of a chance to get out of the city because there is so much to do here in Dublin! If only we could stay at least another week! We will need to discuss our plans for the rest of our stay here because the end of our trip on Sunday is coming fast.
We hopped off the bus for this part of our foray into the city when we got to Trinity College. I was moved when we got onto the grounds. When I looked back on my university days studying English literature and remembering my most cherish dream to visit the lands of all the poets I studied, and when I realized that I was on the campus here associated with Jonathan Swift (author of Gulliver's Travels) and Samuel Beckett (author of Waiting for Godot), I got choked up. Troy asked to borrow my camera to check out the panoramic function, and I was pleasantly surprised to see the end result. Man, did I ever buy myself a nice, fancy camera!
We took the tour of Trinity College with a young student of the College who graduates next month. (I think he said his name was Kieran). He showed us the sights of the Protestant College, which was commissioned by Queen Elizabeth I to replace the old Catholic monastery that her father, King Henry VIII, ordered demolished. We were then invited to enter Trinity College to see the Book of Kells on our own.
The faith portion of our day was getting to see the Book of Kells, an illuminated manuscript of the four gospels, created off the coast of Scotland around the year 800. It was handwritten on velum (dried skins) by an order of monks. We got to see the exhibit showing how the manuscript was created as well as the two displayed pages from the book. I found it very moving and it complemented well my seeing the manuscripts of the Mont St-Michel in 2004.
On our way out of the exhibit, we ventured into the Great Hall, where the library books are proudly displayed. It was a wondrous sight to behold. The College has a legislated mandate to acquire copies of all books printed in Ireland and it is one of the most important repositories in Europe. Unfortunately, photographs were not allowed, but the postcard I bought gives a great glimpse into this marvellous building.
We ended our tour in the gift shop where I bought my first gifts for family and friends. Mam, I got you your gift here.
We left the grounds of Trinity College around 4:00 p.m. and neither of us had had lunch yet. I was very famished and starting to get moody so we just stopped at a grocery store to pick something up for a light snack. We knew that tonight we had made plans to see the "Food, Folklore and Fairies" tour, so we didn't want to spoil our appetites. I got a Diet Coke, a bag of Chilli Doritos and a Chicken Salad sandwich. I was surprised to discover that there are no regular potato chips in Ireland, only flavoured kinds. The sandwich also surprised me, because it wasn't a "chicken salad" sandwich, it was a chicken "salad sandwich". In other words, chicken and salad in a sandwich (lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers). It was OK, but nothing fancy.
In anticipation of our tour, which only started at 6:40 p.m., we walked around the city a bit to pass the time. We made our way to Christ Church Cathedral for a closer look and took tons of photos. The old Dublin city wall is built along one side of the church. On our walk we also found the Church of the Immaculate Conception, and on the sign, underneath the name, was the caption: "(Adam and Eve)". Not quite sure how Adam and Eve are considered part of the Immaculate Conception, but anyway... (A few days later, I would discover that this is the church mentioned in the opening line of Joyce's enigmatic work, Finnegans Wake: "riverrun, past Eve and Adam's, from swerve of shore to bend of bay, brings us by a commodius vicus of recirculation back to Howth Castle and Environs.")
We then tried our luck at finding the tomb of Saint Valentine at Whitefriars Church. When we got there, Troy suggested we weren't going in: I hadn't noticed, but there was a funeral procession heading into the church. Oh well, this will be added to the impossibly long list of things we still want to do (and I'm chewing my fingernails as I type this).
We shopped for souvenirs along the way, and Troy got some cough syrup because he has a nagging, persistent cough. (As I am reading this out to him as I type, he suggested just now that I add annoying).
We got to the Brazen Head pub, alledgedly the oldest in Ireland -- even though they all seem to say that -- at 6:40 p.m., as recommended. We made our way to the third floor where we were seated at a table with a group of lively young ladies from Florida who were supposedly using their time to further their education in Europe. They told us they planned to go to Capri and Amsterdam, so we wonder about their intended scholarly pursuits, which seem to be centered around drink and fashion. They told us that this sidetrip to Dublin was intended for them to each present her own personal project to the larger group. One young lady took a dance class last night and will be reporting on Irish dance. Another will do a report on Irish castles after seeing Dublin Castle this afternoon. I am not sure what kind of degree they are getting, but all signs seem to point towards an American degree. The poor woman from Montréal who was seated at the end of the table, among this gaggle of girls, looked desperately out of place, as if she longed to be involved in a different type of conversation. I thought it was quite coincidental that they were here in Dublin, considering that Pamela Anderson had given a lecture at Trinity College a few years back. Oddly enough, no one seems to remember what her talk had been about.
Fortunately, we were seated across from Brendan and Charlotte from Sydney, Australia, an absolutely charming, intelligent and witty middle-aged couple that we really got along with. He is a writer and she is a practitioner of natural medicine. Ironically enough, Charlotte is an avid fan of James Joyce and has a degree in English literature, as well as a life-long love of ABBA. We got on swimmingly, and even talked about our astrological signs. We mentioned possibly all going to the reading of James Joyce on Thursday night, so we might see each other again there, where Troy just informs me that he intends to escape next door for a decent cup of coffee during the reading.
The evening of food, folklore and fairies was wonderful. We were served our choice of dinner menus. Troy and I both had the fish cake and beef and Guinness stew, after we had had Jameson whiskey. I had a pint of Guinness with my meal. The storyteller who hosted this evening feast started the evening by telling us about the importance of the potato in Ireland, and continued to regale us with stories about the history of the people of this island. After the appetizer, he returned to tell us about the spiritual world, including leprechauns, fairies, banshees and the like. It was really mesmerizing to listen to him speak, and I was absolutely enchanted with the whole thing. Just before dessert, he came on again and spoke to us about the Irish art of storytelling of which he is obviously a master. He told us two rivetting tales about the evil eye and about the rescue of a young lady from the clutches of the fairies. I would definitely recommend this evening to everyone coming to Ireland.
We then walked home and had a lively debate about politics in Canada, even though I hate debates. We got home after close to an hour's walk and I am ready to hit the hay.
We are concerned about the limited time we have here and all the things we still want to do. We will need to prioritize as best we can.
Good night all,
M.
PS- I never get tired of people calling us lads.
My Carbolicious Day
The Schoolhouse Hotel
Our Hotel Room
The harp-shaped Samuel Beckett Bridge and the Ferris Wheel on the River Liffey
Me Giving the Statue a Helping Hand...
Statue of Oscar Wilde in Merrion Square. The Locals Call It "The Fag on the Crag".
Shamrocks in Merrion Square
A View of Merrion Square
Cornbeef and Cabbage, and a Pint of Guinness for Lunch
A View of St. Stephen's Green
Statue of James Joyce Looking Down His Nose At Us in Davy Byrnes Pub
Troy Imitating James Joyce
A Huge Serving of Irish Stew at Davy Byrnes PubBefore writing today's entry, a few additions to yesterday's:
- Ironically enough, James Joyce's last living nephew, Ken Monaghan, died early last week.
- Overheard at breakfast yesterday morning. An irate American tourist: "They promised us porridge, but this is oatmeal!!"
- For my friend Darren's benefit, I noticed what car Troy was driving because I recognized the logo. We were driving a Peugeot.
- My comment to the waiter at the restaurant last night: "We have a hate-hate relationship with Americans." His response: "Who doesn't?" LOL
And now, on to today's blog entry.
The wake-up call came this morning at 7:00 a.m. because I was determined to spend some time writing my blog. However, I was not that motivated and slept in until close to 8:00 a.m. I then got out of bed, showered, got dressed and made my way downstairs to the computer. I finished working on yesterday's blog and met up with Troy for breakfast at 9:30 a.m. It was pretty much the same as yesterday's breakfast, but without the black blood pudding. After our meal, Troy went to our room to pack all his things because today is the day we were leaving the Jury's Inn hotel for our new quarters at the Schoolhouse Inn, south of the Liffey. In the meantime, I was determined to go back to the computer to make a few additions to yesterday's blog entry, but both computers were then being used. In fact, I never managed to get to the computer terminal before Troy came down to the lobby to join me.
So, we paid for the hotel, got into the rental car and drove ourselves to our new hotel where we dropped off our luggage. Then, Troy and I drove to the car rental place where we returned the rental car. We were then free to set out on foot to explore the new area I had never been to. It was around noon, but because we had only finished breakfast around 10:00 a.m., we weren't all that hungry. But Troy did feel like having a cup of coffee. So, he stopped at a small cafe, and I had a look at the small shop next door, which had a sign in the window advertising a reading from Ulysses on Thursday night. When Troy came out of the cafe with his coffee in hand, I pointed out this sign, and he noticed there were books inside, so we decided to go in. Turns out that this place was actually the chemist's that appears in Ulysses, where Leopold Bloom buys a bar of lemon-scented soap. And I was very excited to discover that I could buy a bar of lemon soap there!! It was so cool, and to think that we just happened upon this shop!
Continuing further on, we arrived in Merrion Square, where we took pictures of the Oscar Wilde statue lounging on a huge rock. Near there, there were two small pillars with engravings of quotes from Wilde. I couldn't help but think of my friend Nick when I saw the following quote: "The well-bred contradict other people. The wise contradict themselves." So, if I am a creature of contradictions, that would make me wise, according to Wilde.
We were getting hungry for lunch in the middle of the afternoon, so I turned to Troy and quipped: "If I were writing 'Eat, Pray, Love', my version would be 'Eat, Eat, Eat'". We stopped at a small pub where Troy ordered the chicken, ham and leek pie. I ordered the cornbeef and cabbage, with a Guinness. We shared our meals so that we both got to sample the amazing cooking. But we were both pretty full by the time dessert came around: whiskey bread and butter pudding with homemade toffee ice cream.
As a sidebar, I recently learned that Irish whiskey is spelled with an "e" and is distilled three times; Scottish whisky is spelled without the "e" and is distilled only twice; and American bourbon is distilled only once.
After lunch, a quick tour of St. Stephen's Green, an incredibly lush and verdant park within the city. It was very magical and I understood why Ireland is known as the Emerald Isle.
We then headed towards the National Library, a stunning building in the city centre. Troy and I took a host of photos. It was only later in the evening that we discovered that we left the book store of the National Library minutes before Dame Judy Dench turned up there. Troy lamented the fact that we missed seeing M. from the James Bond series.
We then kept onwards until we reached the Davy Byrnes pub, the pub where Leopold Bloom eats a gorgonzola sandwich with a glass of burgundy in Ulysses. I was just going to have a Jameson whiskey, but when I saw and smelled the amazing Irish stew, I had to order some for dinner. Troy ordered the salmon pie. Yet another amazing meal. We engaged in conversation with the couple beside us, an elderly man and woman from New Jersey. At one point, the man said that meals in Ireland were delicious, but that he had to be careful with carbohydrates at his age. Then, looking at me, he added: "It looks like you're starting to have that problem too". Gee, thanks a lot...
In the evening, we did a bit of shopping. I bought some books from Sheridan Le Fanu, Bram Stoker and John Millington Synge, all Irish authors. Then Troy and I both bought traditional Irish sweaters (mine is green for St. Paddy's Day). We also saw things we may come back to buy, like plenty of Christmas ornaments and other crafts.
We ended our day at the Cobblestone Pub (which Geneviève Couture had recommended to me), where we got to listen to live jam sessions of traditional Irish music. Troy had a chocolate beer, and I stuck to rum and diet coke. We really enjoyed the music.
We left the pub at 10:30 on foot, but the walk home was very, very long for someone like me who desperately needed to pee! When we got to the hotel, I called dibs on the toilet, Troy got his laptop out, and I was then able to write all the day's adventures. This is the only way to travel!
All in all, a great day!
And (don't tell anyone), but I think I am enjoying Ireland even more than Sweden! The thing is that the music, the food, the hospitality is all so reminiscent of the east coast, and in many ways, Troy and I both feel like we are home in Moncton.
Good night all,
M.
- Ironically enough, James Joyce's last living nephew, Ken Monaghan, died early last week.
- Overheard at breakfast yesterday morning. An irate American tourist: "They promised us porridge, but this is oatmeal!!"
- For my friend Darren's benefit, I noticed what car Troy was driving because I recognized the logo. We were driving a Peugeot.
- My comment to the waiter at the restaurant last night: "We have a hate-hate relationship with Americans." His response: "Who doesn't?" LOL
And now, on to today's blog entry.
The wake-up call came this morning at 7:00 a.m. because I was determined to spend some time writing my blog. However, I was not that motivated and slept in until close to 8:00 a.m. I then got out of bed, showered, got dressed and made my way downstairs to the computer. I finished working on yesterday's blog and met up with Troy for breakfast at 9:30 a.m. It was pretty much the same as yesterday's breakfast, but without the black blood pudding. After our meal, Troy went to our room to pack all his things because today is the day we were leaving the Jury's Inn hotel for our new quarters at the Schoolhouse Inn, south of the Liffey. In the meantime, I was determined to go back to the computer to make a few additions to yesterday's blog entry, but both computers were then being used. In fact, I never managed to get to the computer terminal before Troy came down to the lobby to join me.
So, we paid for the hotel, got into the rental car and drove ourselves to our new hotel where we dropped off our luggage. Then, Troy and I drove to the car rental place where we returned the rental car. We were then free to set out on foot to explore the new area I had never been to. It was around noon, but because we had only finished breakfast around 10:00 a.m., we weren't all that hungry. But Troy did feel like having a cup of coffee. So, he stopped at a small cafe, and I had a look at the small shop next door, which had a sign in the window advertising a reading from Ulysses on Thursday night. When Troy came out of the cafe with his coffee in hand, I pointed out this sign, and he noticed there were books inside, so we decided to go in. Turns out that this place was actually the chemist's that appears in Ulysses, where Leopold Bloom buys a bar of lemon-scented soap. And I was very excited to discover that I could buy a bar of lemon soap there!! It was so cool, and to think that we just happened upon this shop!
Continuing further on, we arrived in Merrion Square, where we took pictures of the Oscar Wilde statue lounging on a huge rock. Near there, there were two small pillars with engravings of quotes from Wilde. I couldn't help but think of my friend Nick when I saw the following quote: "The well-bred contradict other people. The wise contradict themselves." So, if I am a creature of contradictions, that would make me wise, according to Wilde.
We were getting hungry for lunch in the middle of the afternoon, so I turned to Troy and quipped: "If I were writing 'Eat, Pray, Love', my version would be 'Eat, Eat, Eat'". We stopped at a small pub where Troy ordered the chicken, ham and leek pie. I ordered the cornbeef and cabbage, with a Guinness. We shared our meals so that we both got to sample the amazing cooking. But we were both pretty full by the time dessert came around: whiskey bread and butter pudding with homemade toffee ice cream.
As a sidebar, I recently learned that Irish whiskey is spelled with an "e" and is distilled three times; Scottish whisky is spelled without the "e" and is distilled only twice; and American bourbon is distilled only once.
After lunch, a quick tour of St. Stephen's Green, an incredibly lush and verdant park within the city. It was very magical and I understood why Ireland is known as the Emerald Isle.
We then headed towards the National Library, a stunning building in the city centre. Troy and I took a host of photos. It was only later in the evening that we discovered that we left the book store of the National Library minutes before Dame Judy Dench turned up there. Troy lamented the fact that we missed seeing M. from the James Bond series.
We then kept onwards until we reached the Davy Byrnes pub, the pub where Leopold Bloom eats a gorgonzola sandwich with a glass of burgundy in Ulysses. I was just going to have a Jameson whiskey, but when I saw and smelled the amazing Irish stew, I had to order some for dinner. Troy ordered the salmon pie. Yet another amazing meal. We engaged in conversation with the couple beside us, an elderly man and woman from New Jersey. At one point, the man said that meals in Ireland were delicious, but that he had to be careful with carbohydrates at his age. Then, looking at me, he added: "It looks like you're starting to have that problem too". Gee, thanks a lot...
In the evening, we did a bit of shopping. I bought some books from Sheridan Le Fanu, Bram Stoker and John Millington Synge, all Irish authors. Then Troy and I both bought traditional Irish sweaters (mine is green for St. Paddy's Day). We also saw things we may come back to buy, like plenty of Christmas ornaments and other crafts.
We ended our day at the Cobblestone Pub (which Geneviève Couture had recommended to me), where we got to listen to live jam sessions of traditional Irish music. Troy had a chocolate beer, and I stuck to rum and diet coke. We really enjoyed the music.
We left the pub at 10:30 on foot, but the walk home was very, very long for someone like me who desperately needed to pee! When we got to the hotel, I called dibs on the toilet, Troy got his laptop out, and I was then able to write all the day's adventures. This is the only way to travel!
All in all, a great day!
And (don't tell anyone), but I think I am enjoying Ireland even more than Sweden! The thing is that the music, the food, the hospitality is all so reminiscent of the east coast, and in many ways, Troy and I both feel like we are home in Moncton.
Good night all,
M.
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