March 17, 2014 (St. Patrick's Day)

Vern and Neal have seen the St. Patrick’s Day parade, so they had no interest in going. I get that, because I’m not a big parade guy anyway. My overall feeling is that parades are far more trouble than the entertainment value is worth. Even the big ones. Snaring up traffic, crowds, standing around waiting, litter… And the stuff in them is interesting, maybe neat, maybe pretty, but… I’d prefer it all in an arena… more like a circus. (And no, that preference has nothing to do with my name…) Nevertheless, I felt compelled, being in Ireland for St. Patrick’s Day, to head out and witness the spectacle.

Went into town plenty early. Found a spot near Christchurch and lined up with plenty of others around 11:00. Parade was to start at noon, and this was near the end of the route. So I didn’t expect to see anything until maybe 12:15. But it wasn’t until after 1:00 when the parade finally got to us. It was slow.

The parade was very colorful, fascinating and diverse. I did not understand most of what I saw, though I suspected a lot of it would be more recognizable had I been raised locally. Brian Boru was represented, which I only knew of because of my ancestry. One of the most interesting parts was a group of Princess Leia Jedis with light sabers. I know Star Wars, but I still didn’t get why that was in the parade. I was pleased to see several U.S. high school bands in the parade, complete with color guards.

When the parade was over, you couldn’t move. I had to crawl through a sea of people to get to a place to eat. But I found a Leo Burdock’s and managed to get in, sit down and eat. I figured the crowd would dissipate a little during that time with the parade having ended. But it didn’t. It was just too crowded to do anything else, so I went back home.

March 15-16, 2014

The St. Patrick’s Day weekend was an even bigger festival than usual. With Ireland in the running for winning the Six Nations rugby tournament, and the final games occurring on Saturday, everyone was pumped. It’s like combining Super Bowl Sunday with a three-day weekend like the 4^th of July or something.

I really got into the Six Nations, partly because Ireland was doing so well. But also because rugby is just exciting to watch. (I like it better than American football, I think, and way better than soccer.) I wanted to make sure I was in a good place on Saturday to watch the game. But… the St. Patrick’s Day festivities had already begun, people were in town from other places for the Six Nations…  Finding a spot in a pub would require some work. I went into town early for the game, aiming to try this one old pub I hadn’t been to yet. When I got into town, all the pubs were already full. I wasn’t early enough. So I kept walking until I found one. Nothing fancy, but I got a spot where I could sit and watch the game and have a Guinness or two. It was an exciting game – Ireland vs France – and the score was close throughout. But Ireland held on to win… Perfect on St. Patrick’s weekend!

Also began to see what they call the “greening of the city.” Many buildings around the city put green lights on, and it creates a beautiful display. I tried to snap some shots of this; not sure they came out very well.

On Sunday, I went out to see some of the St. Patrick’s weekend festivities. There was a little fair by one of the parks. I had no idea what to expect. It was one street of rides, and another street of food and kid entertainment. Not very much. But I did discover curry chips! A treat if you ever get a chance.

While strolling around, I came across a plaque for a location where W. B. Yeats had lived. I was in awe.

By the park was the Natural History Museum, with free entry. I had to check it out. It was very small, and the exhibits were almost entirely stuffed animals – in poor condition, too. I’d be for paying a small entrance fee to help with the upkeep on it. It sure could use it.

March 9-14, Including Galway

March 9-11, 2014

The most important thing of this period of days was discovering the Jameson’s distillery on the 11th. I didn’t take the tour, but I did take some pics and have a wonderful drink.

March 12-14, 2014

The trip to Galway. Booked a hostel in Galway and hopped the train out there on Weds morning, backpack loaded down, as sort of a test run for backpacking Europe and staying in hostels – neither of which I have ever done. (Forgot my camera at my cousin’s house, dammit. iPhone to the rescue.)

Since it is spring, there were baby lambs everywhere at all the fields along the way. Pretty cute.

Arrived in Galway, checked in at the hostel and the Italian girl at the desk – Gaia – was so friendly and knew the answer to every question I asked. (Why I didn’t ask her anything more important than directions and recommendations, in reflection, is beyond me… She may have had all kinds of cosmic answers…) I had to ask some basic questions, though, having never “hosteled” before. I was sharing a room, as it turned out, with four college girls and a random Asian guy. Wondered if there was always a random Asian guy in a hostel.

Took a free walking tour around Galway that afternoon. Learned that Oliver Cromwell was a real dick to the Irish, and I learned where the term “lynching” came from. Turns out someone named Lynch had to hang his own son without a trial, and the term came from there. Galway should be, in my mind, the sister city to Portland – turns out they also pride themselves on weirdness. The college there is one of the largest and most respected in Ireland. It even has a Quidditch team!

They use Gaelic as much as English in Galway. There is one part – the Claddagh – where it even is spoken more than English and, supposedly, some people only know Gaelic and not English! Learned a word: “Craic” (pronounced like “crack.”) It means “fun.” But tour guides are quick to point it out to Americans when they use it so we don’t think it means the drug. Also learned a fun slang term for a celebration: “hooley.”

The weather was lovely. At that point, I had spent almost a month combined from two trips to Ireland, and had always had good weather. I joked that maybe they were making up the whole rotten weather thing about Ireland. (I shouldn’t have… I would find out a few days later how Irish weather can be.)

The next day, I got up and took a day trip out into the Burrens and to the Cliffs of Moher, where some Harry Potter scenes were apparently filmed. The Burrens area is amazing – saw lots (see pics). An old castle, a “faerie fort,” a famous ancient tomb you’ve seen before and should recognize. It was a great tour, cause I got the front seat riding shotgun on the bus. The driver/guide was fun, and he wound up having me help him count passengers and even hand out tickets at one point. The only disappointing thing was the Cliffs of Moher… because they were obscured by fog. But we went to a lower spot where there were some amazing cliffs to see, so nobody felt too bad about it.

I wasn’t feeling too sure about the hostel thing, and considered going back Thursday night. Couldn’t get a train so stayed the second night. Chatted with the dorm mates and it was all good. Turned out okay. Thought I wonder how other people see a lone traveler. Are we scary? Sad? Fascinating? Left Friday and headed back to Dublin, knowing things were about to get crazy there…

3-8-14

Not much to report today, except for one curious incident.

Struck out walking to downtown today, feeling pretty confident that I know the way. A lot of the aged, brick or stone buildings look similar, but there are enough landmarks that it is easy once you are used to it. Did a lot of walking around, venturing into unknown places to broaden my horizons. Had been feeling very much the stranger yesterday, but today felt more like I could do this, like a visitor who belongs. Maybe a good night’s sleep made a difference.

Last time I was in Ireland, the 5 Nations Rugby tournament was happening. Ireland, England, Scotland, Wales and France were duking it out to see who had put up the best team. I seem to recall Wales won in 2003, if memory serves. Well, it’s on this time as well – must be a March thing. Only now, it’s 6 Nations because Italy has joined the party.

Today was Ireland versus Italy. As you may imagine, this is serious business. The pubs were pretty full down in Temple Bar, including The Quays where I had been before. I looked in and spotted a very slim opening at the bar and made for it before it closed up. Ordered a Guiness and watched the game, already more than half over.

Ireland was beating the snot out of Italy, really embarrassing them. I recalled the recent one-sided Super Bowl in the states, where the Seahawks pretty much manhandled the Broncos. Most Americans stopped paying attention to the game by the halftime show. But here, right up to the end of the game the crowd was fiercely into the game, cheering every time Ireland scored as if it mattered. Even when it was like 40 -7 with very few minutes left to play. (It was later explained to me that it actually DID matter in the overall tournament, where all the points that a team scores figure in to the championship.) Also of note in rugby is that scoring is called a “try.” To me, it seems an odd thing to call it when someone actually succeeds…

The curious incident was the lady next to me at the bar. Caught up in the frenzy (and however much she’d had to drink), she took to beating me on the back every time Ireland scored. And I mean hard. As in, I am bruised. She also grabbed my ass a couple of times. I may be bruised there as well. She was very friendly, but I don’t really know if she was flirting or what. Talk about your mixed signals. Anyway, I have now been both beaten and molested in an Irish pub – all by the same woman, who claimed to be from Tyrone in “the north.”

3-6&3-7

3-6-14:

The first few days here have been an odyssey of jetlag. I sleep late, or get up and go back to bed, get a late start on the day. Then I fall asleep for about an hour around 9:00 pm, then I am awake until 3:00 or 4:00 in the morning.

Yesterday, I got out to explore a cemetery with my cousin. As a professional genealogist, he catalogues the graves, does research, and puts the information on line. For me, I enjoy them on another level. So both of us were having a good time for different reasons. We went to one that was over 1,000 years old. The oldest headstone in there dates to about the 1700s, though. Vern says there are about 4,000 buried in this little cemetery – and that’s only since they started keeping records! No doubt I walked over the mortal remains of people who wouldn't understand a thing they saw if they were to rise today. Even more creepy: apparently in older times during great economic troubles, when people couldn't afford plots, they would have a funeral procession along the outside of the cemetery, then heave their dead up over the cemetery walls, dropping them into the cemetery unburied.  At least they used caskets… sometimes.

Came back home and booked a trip to Galway for next week. Also booked a hostel. So we’ll see how that all turns out.

Later, I felt it was time to strike out on my own for a bit and try out the public transport. A nice girl at the bus stop helped me count out the proper change for the bus and told me to get off where she did. It got me where I thought I wanted to go, even though that turned out not to be where I actually wanted to go. I wanted shopping; what I got were pubs and restaurants. Which turned out fine…

I strolled around a bit, having a hard time deciding which pub in Temple Bar I wanted to frequent. I decided on The Quays when I spied a single open seat at the bar – something I wasn't seeing any place. Sat next to four Frenchmen, tried to listen in and see if I could understand any words. Got a couple, maybe. Enjoyed a Guiness or two and listened to some live music. Was totally stoked they were playing Irish songs I knew, and everyone was singing along. Then the band busted out with Kenny Rogers' The Gamber, and I about fell off my barstool. I didn't see that one coming, but apparently country music has a following in Ireland.

After a couple of pints, I managed to find my way home after dark, in the rain, in a semi-foreign city.

3-7-14:

Today I slept almost to noon! Probably because I was on Skype with NeCole for the first time last night til about 3:00 a.m. Got up, got ready, and dragged Vern downtown. I still had shopping to do. Vern is 70, and says he has a harder time keeping up with me than he used to. He doesn't seem 70 to me, in my mind. He shows me where the shopping is, so very close to where I was, and we have lunch. He heads for home, and I head for the stores on O'Connell and Henry streets. 

Passed a group of guys dragging their friend out of a bar, trying to hold him up and aim his feet into his shoes which had fallen off. He had all the steadiness of a wet noodle. Clearly he was boiled.

The subtle differences are most obvious when shopping. An Asian market here isn't necessarily Chinese or Thai – it's more likely to be Middle Eastern. Food isn't take-out here; it's take-away. They have lots of local stores and chains, but you can also find Starbucks, Tower Records (I was excited to see), Penneys, and several other businesses you can find in the States.

O'Connell Street

Grand Post Office on O'Connell.

Spire on O'Connell. This thing is tall!

I stopped into a local cell provider called O2. The girl there got me set up with a cheap phone and pay-as-you-go service so I have something for local calls if needed. She was grinning the whole time – either at my “accent,” my idiocy, or something else. Or some combination. She was amused for whatever reason, but it was fun.

For dinner, Neal brought in fish n' chips from a place they said was even better than Burdock's. And it was! Lord, why can't fish n' chips be this good back home? There’s nothing even close to this good.

Sunset on the Liffey River (runs through the center of Dublin)

It was a gorgeous, sunny day. While out walking, it hit me that I will soon be doing this in more foreign places, alone, not knowing the language. And I again questioned my own sanity. This may prove harder than I thought – and I never thought it would be easy.