Dublin is a really fun city. The locals have been really friendly and helpful. I can't tell if they are warm because I am so clearly a tourist or if they are legitimately a warm culture, but everything thus far suggests the latter.
Aesthetically, the city looks quite similar to what I imagine London looks like (No, I have nothing to back this up.) The streets are lined with structures built in Baroque styles and look quite elegant and regal one on top of another. The confluence of the buildings and the hustle and bustle of the crowds are reminiscent of other big cities in the US.
What sets Dublin apart for me though, is the cobblestone which peppers many of the streets. This gives the city a much more laid back and relaxed feel to it (maybe because these streets cannot be driven on). A lot of the side streets are one-way and are pedestrianised, which is nice for, well, pedestrians like myself.
While the people are very warm, I don't feel like Dublin is a warm city (Bear with me - I'm going somewhere this.) The middle of the city is FULL of retail stores, which coincides with its overall consumer-heavy theme. Ireland's economy has seen unprecedented growth over the past generation, which has yielded such consumerism (Yes, I actually can back up this claim - it helps to have an Irish lady who's in the know.) According to a number of locals, people have come into money and "they don't know what to do with it". Given that the Euro is currently valued at more than 150% of the pathetic little dollar, I don't find myself spending too much money; all of the shops and stores here are ones I could find with ease in the US. In short, Dublin feels like a big outdoor mall.
Actually, now that we're on the subject, I really hope I like Lisbon because I didn't bring a single hoodie with me on this trip (I'm too big and only so much of my clothing would fit in my backpack. Well, really it's the shoes. You'd be surprised how much room Size 14 running shoes take up.) I already have a sweatshirt from Ireland, so I figured a second one would be superfluous. If I really enjoy Lisbon, expect some pictures of me donning such a hoodie in the near future.
I have been in Dublin since Wednesday morning and have been traversing the city pretty much on my own the past few days. Thus far, I have gone to a number of museums. My favorite was the National Museum of Archaeology and History. They had exhibits of the Romans, Egyptians and plenty of Irish history. They also had a really interesting exhibit depicting the old tradition of sacrifice, marking the initiation of a new kingship. As a sign of good faith and a devotion to a successful rule, each new king would order the sacrificial ritual of burning everything - clothing, food, commodities, even people. Evidence suggests that these people were not simply killed executioner style. Instead, they were often tortured and mutilated; many men were found with their nipples cut off. The reason behind this apparently is rooted in ancient Irish culture - no man could be king if he had blemishes on his body. By defacing these men, the king ensured these people would never be king, even in the afterlife.
Don't worry, it hasn't been all educational for me. On Wednesday, I went to the Jameson Distillery. After a 45 minute walking tour explaining to us how whiskey is produced, 6 people from the group of about 50 were selected to take part in a whiskey tasting of 5 different types of booze. People who were not fortunate enough to be selected were restricted to a mere one drink.
While the people are very warm, I don't feel like Dublin is a warm city (Bear with me - I'm going somewhere this.) The middle of the city is FULL of retail stores, which coincides with its overall consumer-heavy theme. Ireland's economy has seen unprecedented growth over the past generation, which has yielded such consumerism (Yes, I actually can back up this claim - it helps to have an Irish lady who's in the know.) According to a number of locals, people have come into money and "they don't know what to do with it". Given that the Euro is currently valued at more than 150% of the pathetic little dollar, I don't find myself spending too much money; all of the shops and stores here are ones I could find with ease in the US. In short, Dublin feels like a big outdoor mall.
Actually, now that we're on the subject, I really hope I like Lisbon because I didn't bring a single hoodie with me on this trip (I'm too big and only so much of my clothing would fit in my backpack. Well, really it's the shoes. You'd be surprised how much room Size 14 running shoes take up.) I already have a sweatshirt from Ireland, so I figured a second one would be superfluous. If I really enjoy Lisbon, expect some pictures of me donning such a hoodie in the near future.
I have been in Dublin since Wednesday morning and have been traversing the city pretty much on my own the past few days. Thus far, I have gone to a number of museums. My favorite was the National Museum of Archaeology and History. They had exhibits of the Romans, Egyptians and plenty of Irish history. They also had a really interesting exhibit depicting the old tradition of sacrifice, marking the initiation of a new kingship. As a sign of good faith and a devotion to a successful rule, each new king would order the sacrificial ritual of burning everything - clothing, food, commodities, even people. Evidence suggests that these people were not simply killed executioner style. Instead, they were often tortured and mutilated; many men were found with their nipples cut off. The reason behind this apparently is rooted in ancient Irish culture - no man could be king if he had blemishes on his body. By defacing these men, the king ensured these people would never be king, even in the afterlife.
Don't worry, it hasn't been all educational for me. On Wednesday, I went to the Jameson Distillery. After a 45 minute walking tour explaining to us how whiskey is produced, 6 people from the group of about 50 were selected to take part in a whiskey tasting of 5 different types of booze. People who were not fortunate enough to be selected were restricted to a mere one drink.
Was there really ever any doubt whether I was selected? I agree, there wasn't (To be fair, I actually earned my spot amongst The Chosen - The sole criterion was distance traveled to the Jameson Distillery. Sorry, folks, but I don't think your weekend jaunt from Edinburgh isn't going to cut it against my 5204 mile-long excursion.) We first tried 3 different types of (all unlabeled) Irish whiskey and then selected our favorite. Next, we selected the best-selling Whiskey from the US (Jack Daniels) and compared it to the top-selling scotch in the world. Any guesses as to which one you think this might be?....Two points if you said Johnnie Walker Red Label.
Between the two samplings, I preferred the Jameson and the Johnnie Walker. In the championship round, we were given another sampling of both. Jameson ruled the day at the end of the competition, and my reward for my "correct" answer was...
Between the two samplings, I preferred the Jameson and the Johnnie Walker. In the championship round, we were given another sampling of both. Jameson ruled the day at the end of the competition, and my reward for my "correct" answer was...
...give yourself another two points if you accurately guessed another glass of Jameson. As much as I enjoyed the nonstop boozefest, it all paled in comparison to the CERTIFICATE they gave me. That's right, I'm a certified drinker. We've all suspected it for a while, but now it's official.
I also took part in my first Irish pub experience. Somehow it exceeded my expectations. I fell in love with the Bull and Castle the moment I stepped inside. Minimal lighting, wooden benches and festive music swept me off my fight, as I commented to my friends how I was already in awe. Everyone seated was having a great time eating and drinking with each other. Then, I saw the sign: Beer Hall Upstairs. WHAT? This wasn't the beer hall!? My excitement was confirmed, when one of the waiters explained, "If you guys are going to drink, you should go upstairs." Oh, upstairs we went. The second floor was even more impressive than the first - not because of its interior or its ambiance (that was identical) - but because of its never ending list of beers. The 6 page menu, whose front cover read "Liquids" (how cool is that??) consisted ENTIRELY of beer. I didn't count, but I would say there were roughly 200 varieties from which to choose. There were so many that for the first time, I saw beers categorized by their country of origin. Most of the beers were on tap and could be ordered in different sizes, all the way up to a liter. I decided to make the most out of my night out by ordering a decent number of relatively small-sized beers. Half a liter is a relatively small size, right? To be frank, I'm not quite sure how many liters I had that night,but, um, it was sufficient. In case you were wondering, my favorite beer from the evening was an 8.5% alcohol Belgian beer known as Duvel. I now might even have to put Belgium on The List as a result. 
Tomorrow (Sunday) is really my last day in Dublin. I leave Ireland before the crack of dawn on Tuesday morning, but I am taking a tour of a countryside town called Wicklow on Monday. Tomorrow I'm going to try to go to as many touristy sites as possible, including the Dublin Literary Pub Crawl, the Guinness Factory, Dublin Castle and Dublinia. I'll keep you posted.
1 comment:
How clever. Taking my cue from you, I have redecorated the kitchen, so you'll feel at home when you return to San Diego: There now is a home menu w/ front cover which reads, "Liquids" and the interior has different waters categorized according to whether it was bottled water, what brand, whether it was a refilled bottle and which bottle, whether I used the bottle for a Zip-fizz and which flavor Zip-fizz. Then, on Page 2, I move on to Propel, and so on. Very intricate.
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