Dublin... the sequel

I went to Dublin for the second time... it was cold but less rainy than the first time. Itinerary and pictures:

First, we went to Grafton St and walked around. We went to Trinity and went in to see the Book of Kells, which currently isn't possible, but we saw the copies and according to Louisa it wasn't much different than seeing the original.

Grafton Street:

selling flowers:


A blurry picture of the street where "Once" was filmed:


After that we headed to the Natural History museum where they have such things as "bog bodies" which were a bit disturbing. And old. Anyway your standard Natural History museum - I liked it.

After that we were HUNGRY so we went to Bewley's for lunch.

Even though we had just eaten lunch, while we were in Temple Bar (a tourist area, basically, with some kind of funky shopping) we stumbled upon a little market with goodies to eat. Yum, fresh-baked! It was like being at the St. Joe farmers' market, except colder and with mostly baked goods rather than produce.

Then we headed for the Guinness Storehouse. We passed some things on the way.

Christ Church Cathedral:

Crazy masks!

Since I didn't take any pictures at the Guinness Storehouse, I put up this picture of me wearing the tourist-priced hat I bought there. This picture was taken in my room at Mountainstown, if you're wondering... By the way, YES, I drank some Guinness! And NO, I haven't learned to like beer. (Ahem also I am wearing a tank top, not a sports bra.)

Anyway, the Guinness Storehouse knows what it's doing with its tours. We learned about Arthur Guinness' famous lease: 45L a year for 9000 yrs. And we walked through and learned about the process of making Guinness and then got to the top, and you are in a big glass circle, essentially, so you can see all over Dublin, except that it was too cloudy to see much yesterday.

It's cool because on the windows there are quotes from James Joyce about what you're facing. So, when you're facing St. Stephen's Green, there is one of his quotes, as you look towards Trinity, there is another, etc. Pretty neat.

After that it was time for Amy and Louisa to head for the football (that is, soccer) match and I caught the bus back to Cavan.

Louisa and Amy, on the bus to City Centre:

a little bit of update

First, some news -
1. I will be coming home! I know you all thought I would fall in love and stay here forever (it's still possible that I'll meet Mr. Darcy, I know - I haven't ruled it out) but barring that delightful event, I'll be home around early April. See you then!
2. I got a Fulbright rejection email today, so I will NOT be going to Madagascar for 10 months in August. I'm looking into some garden/farm/working outdoors type internships for the summer/fall, also looking at research related stuff.

Pictures:
a tree that blew down when it was super windy a few weeks ago:


signs of spring:

I'm going to Dublin again tomorrow. The weekend after I'll be visiting a friend in Leeds.

Stay well, keep warm. I usually wear two pairs of socks - that helps.

Dublin, the shoot, snow, graveyard

I went to Dublin on Saturday. It was cold and rainy. I didn't take many pictures. I mostly just wandered. There was a demonstration going on about Gaza:


picture at Trinity University:

So I took the bus from Cavan, and then when I got back I got off at a pub called the Silver Lantern or Tavern or something like that, and while I was waiting for Atty to pick me up some old men talked to me - they told me about American politics. "No offense, but I probably know more about American politics than you do." I think I held my own in the discussion. I love how people test the waters with me when talking politics: "So, how do you feel about Obama's election?" and I say how excited I am and then they feel free to bash Bush hardcore. These guys talked about Bush and Florida in 2000 (Jeb Bush orchestrated his win there), how they were excited about Obama, how they don't think Hillary Clinton is that great, and then started talking Irish politics.

Next: every Tuesday from November through January a "shoot" is held at Mountainstown. The property is overtaken with men in dark green and tweed carrying guns and whistling for dogs. They go out and shoot pheasants, come in for lunch, and go back out until tea (dinner). Here they are, about to get into their chariot:

This Tuesday it snowed. It stuck for about 24 hours. And as usual, I went for a walk, this time to the church ruin across the street. Gate to keep cattle in:

the church

behind the church

graveyard - it didn't look as spooky as this in real life

We watched the inauguration on BBC - it was during tea and the kids didn't understand why they were being shushed and why I cried... I loved waking up this morning and knowing that Bush isn't my president anymore! Obama is! I can't even describe... ahhhh

Sorry Christa - here are some pictures from my WALK today

This time, I included four self-portraits. Because, you know, I have a pretty big ego to satisfy.

#1



on my way out of the yard


#2: looking back at the house

still on my way out the yard

#3: My regular green boots were in use, so I borrowed boots from one of the kids - look at those cute little dogs!

sheep in the back yard

cows stare at me a lot when I go walking, that is, if they aren't running away

Making a repeat performance - the donkeys! Mama and Papa weren't so friendly, but the little guy walked right up to the fence to say hello.

along the road

#4: so this one didn't exactly work out...

Books I have read so far:

Roddy Doyle: The Commitments

Penny Perrick: Something to Hide

David Guterson: Snow Falling on Cedars

Jane Austen: Persuasion

and Northanger Abbey

Hunter S Thompson: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

I started the Iliad - I thought it was time for something a bit more challenging. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is still going steady.

I had a dream last night that I was in a practice room somewhere and the person in the room next to me kept singing the same thing over and over, and then I woke up and realized it was the rooster crowing over and over again. On that note - goodnight!

pictures from my walk TODAY

But first, some fun facts:
1. I split wood left-handed (which is also how I play hockey)
2. I have successfully talked to two people on skype
3. When Atty talks about something going wrong, she often says "going pear-shaped"
4. People assume that since there is cold and snow back home, I ski
5. Everyone thinks it's really cold because yesterday it got down to -7 Celsius, which is probably 18 F.


So: Boot's (Rupert, Arthur's brother, who runs the farm) yard - right out back for us



sheep in a field



more fields (this is all on or near the Mountainstown property)


This is where I turned onto a different road - too much cows and manure around here

more

Pictures from my walk today

beech tree in the yard with vines

the driveway

same

the back yard

walking up the road

cool trees across a field

another field and stones and stuff

A couple of things :

1. I will not come home with an Irish accent, at least in part because the people I am surrounded by have English accents

2. instead of eating "dinner" or "supper", the evening meal here is called "tea"

3. Thanks for the mail!

4. I am reading Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, approximately one chapter each day, which seems to me to be the proper way to read it. Book group, anyone? Or actually, if there is anything you want to read and discuss, tell me and I will search Atty's fairly wide book collection and see if I can work something out.

5. I am on skype most evenings while checking my email and such, so if you want to add me (NOT the same one I had in S. Africa, probably because I am inept with technology) please do: madeline.neenan is the name, or Madeline Neenan, or meneenan@gmail.com should all get you there.

6. If you are going to be in Ireland or really anywhere in Europe this spring, or know someone cool who is, please let me know. Where I really want to go is Greece. I also haven't been to Italy, any British Isles besides Ireland (although I'll be going to Leeds in England sometime), Norway, Finland, Russia, Bosnia...

:D