Friday: Dublin part 2
Mon, Jul. 18th, 2016 07:29 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
scarlettinaWe had lunch on Friday at a pub called O’Neill’s just outside of Trinity College. The place had a sign out front that said, “Good times are coming, no matter how far away.” I took that as a good sign. I had the beef and Guinness stew. The respite was needed; we’d been on our feet a while, and it was nice to sit and eat and mull over the exhibit.
Now, it should be noted that a number of people had suggested that, while we were in Dublin, we should do the Guinness tour. I wasn’t particularly excited by this idea because I’ve never been a Guinness drinker. When E heard this, she insisted I take a sip of her Guinness. Much to my surprise, I found it smooth and soft, not bitter and very tasty. Really, it was a serious surprise indeed. I liked it! We didn't take the tour, but more Guinness drinking would ensue.
Cathedrals
Our next stop was Christ Church Cathedral. A location of worship nearly 1,000 years old, the Gothic structure that sits there now is somewhere around 700 years old. The grounds are beautiful, with sculptures and ruins that highlight both the faith and the history of the site. I was struck by the blocky flying buttresses and the ruins of the original chapter house, open for viewing on the grounds outside the church. I was also struck by a sculpture of a hooded man curled on a bench. His feet showed wounds characteristic of the traditional portrayal of the crucifixion. I’m virtually certain the sculpture is intended to make the visitor think twice about their treatment of the homeless. We strolled the grounds and went inside, but we were greeted with an immediate demand for an entry fee. The sounds of a concert floated out from the main sanctuary, and for some reason the whole thing just repelled us. We took pictures of the stained glass that was visible from where we stood, but we decided to head out to another destination; somehow the experience just struck us the wrong way.
We walked to Saint Patrick’s Cathedral. The building feels blockier and more imposing than Christ Church. There, we paid the entry fee and took a tour of the building, learning some of its history. We also got to see memorials to Jonathan Swift, author of Gulliver's Travels, who was dean of the cathedral from 1713 to 1745. The tour guide told us that Swift was notorious for his epic sermons lasting as much as three hours and often descending into harangues of the congregation. Still, he apparently benefited the church and did serious benevolent work on behalf of the poor. He wrote his own epitaph, having his own way until the very end. The cathedral is beautiful, with its choir space hung with banners and mounted with the helmets of associated knights. Statues line either side of the sanctuary, and the floor is inlaid with beautiful tile featuring loose Celtic knotwork and vines and flowers. The columns are made from Connemara rose marble--rare and beautiful.
City impressions
After our visit to the cathedrals, we decided to head back to the hotel for a bit. We were both tired and wanted a break. One thing that struck me as we walked--all the time we were in the city, really--is how close to the surface the Viking heritage of Ireland still lives. We saw a ribbon mural featuring a Viking ship and depictions of the perils of the sea. The city offers an attraction called Dublinia that purports to recreate Dublin of the Viking era. We didn’t go in; the place was swarming with students, and the crowd just repelled us. But it’s there beneath the surface; we were never not aware of it.
Observations
The toilet in our room is interesting. You have to pump the handle up and down a couple of times to flush it. Weirdly, I enjoyed the exercise.
Salt and pepper shakers in Ireland are reversed from how I grew up with them: Salt is in the shaker with only one hole; pepper is in the shaker with many. Odd, at least to me.
Dinner
We had asked around about what we ought to do in the evening. Everyone we asked told us to go to Temple Bar, which is a lively district not at all far from where we were staying. As it turned out, the restaurant that![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
akirlu recommended to E is located near there, a place called The Quays, so we went there for dinner. We were seated by a window with a view out to the street. I had the fish and chips, and I ordered a Guinness for myself. It was as good as I remembered from lunchtime—I was a convert! Dinner overall, in fact, was good, so thanks to akirlu for the heads-up!
Halfway through dinner, there was a clamor on the street. It seems someone had won a football (read "soccer") game and there was much rejoicing. There were also a couple of spectacles going on: how long can you stay pulled up on a pull-up bar, that kind of thing. When we were done with dinner, we navigated this wild crowd. It was clear, though, that "party" is this neighborhood’s nickname and nature, and we could hear music from every pub we passed. We stopped outside of one to listen to some traditional music (too crowded and loud to go inside), and then headed back to the hotel to get some sleep before our first full day on the road.
Now, it should be noted that a number of people had suggested that, while we were in Dublin, we should do the Guinness tour. I wasn’t particularly excited by this idea because I’ve never been a Guinness drinker. When E heard this, she insisted I take a sip of her Guinness. Much to my surprise, I found it smooth and soft, not bitter and very tasty. Really, it was a serious surprise indeed. I liked it! We didn't take the tour, but more Guinness drinking would ensue.
Cathedrals
Our next stop was Christ Church Cathedral. A location of worship nearly 1,000 years old, the Gothic structure that sits there now is somewhere around 700 years old. The grounds are beautiful, with sculptures and ruins that highlight both the faith and the history of the site. I was struck by the blocky flying buttresses and the ruins of the original chapter house, open for viewing on the grounds outside the church. I was also struck by a sculpture of a hooded man curled on a bench. His feet showed wounds characteristic of the traditional portrayal of the crucifixion. I’m virtually certain the sculpture is intended to make the visitor think twice about their treatment of the homeless. We strolled the grounds and went inside, but we were greeted with an immediate demand for an entry fee. The sounds of a concert floated out from the main sanctuary, and for some reason the whole thing just repelled us. We took pictures of the stained glass that was visible from where we stood, but we decided to head out to another destination; somehow the experience just struck us the wrong way.
We walked to Saint Patrick’s Cathedral. The building feels blockier and more imposing than Christ Church. There, we paid the entry fee and took a tour of the building, learning some of its history. We also got to see memorials to Jonathan Swift, author of Gulliver's Travels, who was dean of the cathedral from 1713 to 1745. The tour guide told us that Swift was notorious for his epic sermons lasting as much as three hours and often descending into harangues of the congregation. Still, he apparently benefited the church and did serious benevolent work on behalf of the poor. He wrote his own epitaph, having his own way until the very end. The cathedral is beautiful, with its choir space hung with banners and mounted with the helmets of associated knights. Statues line either side of the sanctuary, and the floor is inlaid with beautiful tile featuring loose Celtic knotwork and vines and flowers. The columns are made from Connemara rose marble--rare and beautiful.
City impressions
After our visit to the cathedrals, we decided to head back to the hotel for a bit. We were both tired and wanted a break. One thing that struck me as we walked--all the time we were in the city, really--is how close to the surface the Viking heritage of Ireland still lives. We saw a ribbon mural featuring a Viking ship and depictions of the perils of the sea. The city offers an attraction called Dublinia that purports to recreate Dublin of the Viking era. We didn’t go in; the place was swarming with students, and the crowd just repelled us. But it’s there beneath the surface; we were never not aware of it.
Observations
The toilet in our room is interesting. You have to pump the handle up and down a couple of times to flush it. Weirdly, I enjoyed the exercise.
Salt and pepper shakers in Ireland are reversed from how I grew up with them: Salt is in the shaker with only one hole; pepper is in the shaker with many. Odd, at least to me.
Dinner
We had asked around about what we ought to do in the evening. Everyone we asked told us to go to Temple Bar, which is a lively district not at all far from where we were staying. As it turned out, the restaurant that
akirlu recommended to E is located near there, a place called The Quays, so we went there for dinner. We were seated by a window with a view out to the street. I had the fish and chips, and I ordered a Guinness for myself. It was as good as I remembered from lunchtime—I was a convert! Dinner overall, in fact, was good, so thanks to akirlu for the heads-up!Halfway through dinner, there was a clamor on the street. It seems someone had won a football (read "soccer") game and there was much rejoicing. There were also a couple of spectacles going on: how long can you stay pulled up on a pull-up bar, that kind of thing. When we were done with dinner, we navigated this wild crowd. It was clear, though, that "party" is this neighborhood’s nickname and nature, and we could hear music from every pub we passed. We stopped outside of one to listen to some traditional music (too crowded and loud to go inside), and then headed back to the hotel to get some sleep before our first full day on the road.