Sunday, March 17, 2024

Dublin!


I feel like it's been a week since I last blogged, I've packed so much into the past 24 hours! As you can see, I made it to Dublin, where one of the first sights I came across is "Europe's No. 1 Discount Superstore," above. Quite a grandiose claim! And yet, it does seem they sell a little bit of everything. I wonder what "fancy goods" are?

I was up and out of the house just after 5 a.m. yesterday. Olga got very excited, thinking we were all going somewhere, but she didn't seem too disappointed when she realized Dave was staying behind with her. I caught the tube out to the airport for a flight that was pretty much up and then down again. I think it took about an hour.


I met up with my stepsister and her husband at the airport -- their flight from the states arrived about the same time as mine did. They're traveling with two friends, and the five of us all rode into town together and dropped our bags at their hotel. We then took an exploratory walk around St. Stephen's Square (Dublin's biggest downtown park) and the Grafton Street shopping area.


I checked out a handy little Dublin guidebook from the library before I left London, and an earlier reader had left a sticky note inside the front cover mentioning a "BEAUTIFUL Victorian pub" called the Stag's Head. "Good food?" the note said, uncertainly. So we rolled the dice and headed for the Stag's Head for lunch. The place was pretty packed but we ate and the food was indeed yummy. Thanks for the tip, mystery traveler!


We then headed to the Guinness Storehouse, a gigantic brewery-turned-museum full of Guinness history and memorabilia.


Here was the best part -- at the end of the tour you get a pint of Guinness WITH YOUR PICTURE IN THE FOAM ON TOP! How they do this I have no idea. My shoulders look funny because I was bending down and slightly hunched forward when they took the photo.


The others decided to go back to their rooms for a nap, and I still had to go find my hotel, which is outside the city center in a suburb called Rathgar (which sounds like the name of a cruel interplanetary dictator). I decided to walk the two miles to the hotel, which led me through interesting business and residential districts with lots of fun street art like this beautiful portrait of two magpies.

My hotel is the very definition of no-frills. My room is clean but there's not so much as a picture on the wall, and it's on the ground floor with windows looking out at concrete. Fortunately I am here only to sleep.

I had intended to take a bus back into town for dinner, but I discovered that in Dublin you need not only cash but EXACT CHANGE to pay the fare. Buses do not take a debit card, and if you want to buy a bus pass you have to do it at the bus station in town. I started walking back figuring I'd pass an ATM and get some money, but there was no working ATM along my route that would give me any less than €50 and I don't want THAT much. So I  just stayed on foot.


We had drinks at the bar in my stepsister's hotel (my hotel, needless to say, has no bar unless you count the Nescafe and kettle in my room). We were served by an adorable Argentinian waiter named Franco. Then we had dinner at a pub called the Landmark, where an over-amplified singer delivered ear-splitting renditions of Tom Petty songs. We got out of there quickly.

And then I walked back to my hotel. I bet I walked ten miles yesterday -- 28,315 steps, according to my iPhone.

Today there's a parade and some other craziness downtown, and I hope I can get out of here and to the airport without too much trouble. I should be back in West Hampstead around 9 p.m. Whew!

27 comments:

  1. That really is a whistle-stop tour!

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  2. What a wonderful short adventure. Your eye always catches interesting things and every picture tells a story.

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  3. What a flying visit. For one night maybe you could have stayed more central.
    I can't remember if we went to Dublin in 2019.
    Yes, avoid pubs with singers and musicians.
    It's hard to imagine how your image can appear on beer. I think you are going to drink from low down, not your head.
    It doesn't look like you went to Dublin for the weather.

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  4. This sounds like so much fun, even all the unplanned walking. I love that picture of you in the foam. What a great gimmick.

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  5. Just a "taster" visit..are you thinking of going there again?

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  6. Thank goodness you are young and fit and able to hit the ground running to do all that walking. Plenty for you to photograph too. I am sure one day you will be returning for a slightly longer visit.

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  7. WOW that is a lot!Love the portrait , how clever! Must be some freak of nature , amphetamine in your blood? You are a-mazing- get around -lad at the speed of light! You will have to snooze a few days with Olga to catch up.
    Wonderful photos!

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  8. Are you sure you were staying in an hotel and not Rathgar Gaol? Sounds like you got a good taste of Dublin and hopefully that will inspire you and Dave to plan a longer visit to Ireland. If you hired a car you could take Olga with you - ferry from Fishguard.

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  9. Immortalized, well, at least for a few moments, in Guinness foam!

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  10. Good thing you're a seasoned walker. The picture in foam is brilliant, no idea how it's done.

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  11. When I walk 10000 steps, I am walking quite nearly 5 miles. You are taller with a longer stride. I will bet you walked nearly 15! What a fun adventure!

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  12. Glad you enjoyed your brief visit. You sure packed a lot of fun into a short time.

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  13. Oh my goodness! I would have been so desperate not to waste any time on doing things that might not be the "best" things that I would have been paralyzed.
    I love the pub recommendation from Mystery Traveler. That is so cool.
    I'm not sure if you took a tiny vacation or just went to Dublin to get in some good exercise.

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  14. You packed a lot into a short amount of time. I love the photo in the foam! Almost too pretty to drink (almost!). I laughed at the Rathgar comment. True!

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  15. certainly was a whirlwind of a day. you walked the two miles to hour hotel dragging your bag behind you? love the flower vendor. pretty amazing your picture in the foam.

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  16. Oh, and forgot to say that, for a superstore, Alfa's a pretty small place. For Europe's number one superstore...well...maybe it is like something from Harry Potter: You walk inside and it is magically miles and miles of store. That must be it.

    The Guinness thing is funny.

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  17. You really racked up the miles with all that walking. And, you got to see quite a lot. That store in the top photo is quite a find and the Stags Head place sound fun. However, your portrait on top of the beer takes the prize. I can't imagine how they do that but that is a great trick. Safe travels home.

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  18. I've gotten over 20,000 steps but it's rare and I've never earned 28,000. What a whirlwind day--but lots of fun and interesting places too. Your photo in the beer foam is incredible. Now I want to do that!

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  19. Loved the trip to Ireland. Regarding Google search, it really isn't as good as it used to be. It's sad, in a way. Perhaps I will try Duck Duck Go.

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  20. I love those magpies. And the beer foam. It's a good thing you like to walk!

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  21. The Stag's Head pub looks like a great place. And your picture in beer foam: what a treat! Your last photo looks a bit scary except there doesn't appear to be anyone else on the street. Probably getting plenty of sleep before the big day!

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  22. You packed lots of action in to a quick trip. The Pub sounds excellent and your photo in the beer foam is quite something. I've not seen this anywhere. Walking is great when visiting a new place and you have done well walking miles.

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  23. You packed a lot into that short trip.

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  24. If you ever go again you'll know to have some cash on you for the buses at least. That beer is impressive.

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  25. This sounds fun. Love the Guinness tour! That's very clever and so unique. Rick and I are thinking of doing a day or two in Dublin en route to the UK when we come. (Flights are cheaper, for whatever reason). So I'm saving this one!

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  26. I discovered the same thing in Greece. I could have made the entire trip without spending a single Euro note or coin is it weren't for some souvenirs from street vendors and the one bus we took. All I had was a 20 Euro note for four of us and he wasn't too happy with us. (We had to buy the ticket on the bus.) He told us to just wait until the end of the ride to deal with it and then gave us change with a lot of coins.

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  27. Yael: I'm glad you enjoyed it!

    Andrew: I tried to stay more central but everything was booked up. (Or VERY expensive.)

    Mitchell: We talked about what marketing genius it is -- everyone sharing pictures of their beer on social media!

    GZ: I'd love to come back with Dave one of these days.

    Rachel: I guess I could have taken taxis but I hate to spend that money. I was miffed I couldn't easily use the bus. I bet it's a scheme to force tourists into cabs.

    Linda Sue: I WAS a bit achey after all the walking, so Olga and I could have commiserated about our aches and pains.

    YP: Yes, I think if we go again we'll have to try driving around the countryside.

    Bob: And that foam portrait stayed the whole time I drank my beer, which was a little freaky. It felt like I WAS immortalized.

    Boud: I have no idea either. I'm thinking they blow air into the foam somehow, maybe?

    Debby: Wow! I wouldn't have thought I walked THAT far, but maybe! Yes, I am quite skeptical of the Superstore claim but you could be right about the Harry Potter thing. LOL

    Ellen D: Carpe diem!

    Ms Moon: It helped that I had no agenda at all. I would have been happy doing anything.

    Kelly: Isn't that a great name? There's also a suburb called Rathmines -- maybe Rathgar's faithful lieutenant?

    Ellen: I had no bag to drag! I only brought a small backpack.

    Sharon: We couldn't figure it out either. I wish I'd asked!

    Margaret: I wonder if Guinness makes those portrait taps available commercially? Seems like a lot of bars might love to have one.

    Allison: I associate those other browsers with right-wing conspiracy theorists who think Google is gathering all their information.

    Bug: Yeah, thank goodness I'm a walker, though I could have taken cabs easily enough.

    Catalyst: It really wasn't THAT scary. Lots of people were out and about, they just didn't happen to be in the photo frame.

    Susan: I love walking around a new city and can do it for hours. I also love public transportation so I was sorry I couldn't indulge in that!

    Red: I wasted not a moment!

    River: Yeah, and coins only! They won't even take bills!

    Ed: At least he took your bill! I rode a bus in Istanbul once and the driver just let me on for free because making change would have been too much trouble.

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