Yesterday was our first day in Dublin, and much of it passed in a blur. After 27 hours of no sleep, when we finally got to our hotel room we needed a nap. Even though the afternoon was, technically, free time, we hit the pub next door for a delicious lunch before sleeping, then napped for a couple of hours, then met our group in the lobby to attend the welcome dinner at the Irish Party House.
The Irish, famous for both partying and eating, for centuries have had the party house tradition. Neighbors would gather from afar in one home, bringing food, pipes, fiddles, and concertinas, and eat and make music far into the night.
That tradition continues in the 21st century in the beautiful, welcoming city of Dublin. The Irish Party House is just one of several venues to offer dinner, music, and dancing. We feasted on soup, stew, and chocolate dessert, complete with wine choices and the ever-present Guinness (or other beer, which still looked like Guinness), then proceeded to the basement for the entertainment.
With four very talented musicians, one of whom also demonstrated Irish step dancing and jigs, we learned a few Irish words, clapped along, sang along, then finally got up and danced! Or a few of us did. We have video evidence of some very surprising OLLI friends who turned out to be excellent and energetic dancers. What a craic! What a lovely way to spend an evening!
Arriving at our hotel around 10:30, we showered and collapsed.
Today we were up, at breakfast (and what a spread), and out by 9:00 a.m. for a coach tour of the city. The hubs and I have done a number of tours like this in many iconic cities, but I can safely say that the tour guide for this one was far and away the best we have ever had. The lovely Grainne O'Malley (first name rhymes with Sonia, she told us) seamlessly blended a complete history of the city of Dublin with a running commentary on the sights we passed - we were enthralled. At one point we exited the bus for a tour of St. Patrick's Cathedral, which began its life as a Catholic church in 1220, although early Christian grave slabs on display, over a thousand years old, show that the site was in use long before the cathedral existed. After going through many changes in the 16th and 17th centuries, sometimes functioning as a Catholic church and sometimes as Anglican, it remains Anglican today. It is, in fact, the national cathedral of the Church of Ireland, and reflects Irish history in a very special way. Jonathan Swift was the Dean of the Cathedral, a fact which undoubtedly kept him alive as he wrote outspokenly in opposition to the prevailing practices of the time, most notably in his essay "A Modest Proposal." The reader of this blog will refresh his/her memory and be struck by how very modern Swift's ideas seem today.
Back at our hotel around the noon hour, with a couple of hours of free time, the hubs and I made a quick pit stop, then ventured out for lunch. The day had begun with sunshine (for about an hour), deteriorated into cloudiness, and by this time rain had begun to fall. Undaunted, we struck out complete with rain gear, ducked into Murphy's Pub for a quick lunch, then continued up O'Connell Street and around the corner to the Dublin Writers Museum.
What a find! Occupying a stately old row house (and the ceilings, staircase, and detail work were pretty amazing), this museum is just a few rooms, but what treasures! Given my interest in Irish history, this pretty extensive collection of books, letters, and photographs, accompanied by excellent commentary, added yet another view of Ireland as the land of poets. Particularly powerful to me was a copy of Yeats' "Easter 1916," which pretty much stopped me in my tracks. The multiple monuments and celebrations of the Easter Rising, coupled with so much great background offered by our morning tour guide, then the discovery of this poem which I had never read, was just perfect.
Back at the hotel, we boarded the bus at 3:00 p.m. for the Guinness Storehouse tour. "Storehouse" in this context just means the place where the beer is fermented - another fun fact. And what an amazing place! We learned how Guinness is made and even had a taste. I am not a beer drinker, but I will admit that it didn't make me gag. I even had a glass of a concoction called Black Velvet, which is half Prosecco and half Guinness. It tasted like a pretty cheap white wine, so I was okay with it. Of course the majority of our tour group was just fine with the Guinness itself, which everyone assured me did taste quite different from what is available in America.
After the brewery tour, we were off to Cleaver East, a lovely restaurant in the Clarence Hotel which is partially owned by U2 and Bono. Boasting a Michelin chef, Cleaver East was really a treat - starter, entree, and dessert, with wine/beer/soft drink option. Delicious food, lovely presentation, superb service, and we were back in our room by 8:30. This is a good thing. We are still jet-lagged, and must be up, dressed, fed, and checked out by 8:00 a.m. Tomorrow: Kilkenny and Waterford! But now to bed.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment