Friday, August 1, 2008

Day 2: Dublin






We awoke to a wet morning and got on the LUAS to Trinity College to see the Book of Kells. There was a very small line (which grew later as we were in the darkened viewing rooms) and we got in quickly. It’s amazing to see manuscripts that have been worked on by scribes hundred and hundreds of years ago… the part that was most intriguing was the use of the minerals to mix into pigments. They had a display of the rocks and substances used as pigments, and a guide to which areas they came from. We think moving goods is hard now… some of the stones came from Afghanistan and Asia, and some from more locally. It’s such a testament to how devoted the artisans were to their practice and their faith.

After a stroll through the Long Library filled with thousands of gloriously musty volumes and busts of ancient and modern scholars and philosophers, we emerged into the spitting rain of a Dublin noon.

Interested in escaping the rain and wandering to our hearts’ content, we walked over to the Powerscourt Shopping Gallery and settled into Mimo Café for lunch. Laura and Eric shared handmade linguine with chicken, cream, and mushrooms, Tom and Clare shared a penne with tomato sauce and olives, Cindy devoured a panini, and Lisa split her pasta with her Dad, Bill. A bowl of seasoned fries to share was a nice dipping appetizer to share. After we finished our very divine lunch, we split into two directions:

Split 1: Tom and Cindy and Clare to Merrion Square and Genealogical Hunt. We tried to go to the Natural History Museum but it was closed down due to an accident with some tourists. We asked an Officer of the Garda what was gong on, he told us the whole story!

Ask a question in Ireland, be prepared for the 20-minute version. Anyway, Officer Quinn told us all about the mishap and also how to get to the genealogical society. At the Dublin Library and Genealogical Society we were instructed to go to the General Registry to find our information. We scurried over across the bridge, only to find ourselves back where we started the day on Abbey Street at the Registry. As we entered the office we were told that the office closed in 15 minutes! An American woman from San Francisco overheard our request and literally shuttled us into the Registry. She sent Tom in one direction looking up his grandfather’s birth record in the annals, plus 3 years in either direction and told Cindy to start looking for the proper yearly quarter and name. Meantime Tom was instructed to fill out the request form and get it up to the desk before closing! If it wasn’t for this wonderful and knowledgeable woman we would have been lost. In 15 minutes the name and Registry was found, the forms and payment turned in and we were out the door. The Proper birth record should be in the mail to Tom in the next 2 months. This is the final document needed for Tom to claim Irish citizenship.

Split 2:
Bill, Eric, Laura, Lisa took the Guinness Storehouse tour. The Guinness Storehouse has been tarted up in the past ten years, and has moved from a sweet recount of Guinness History to a slick multimedia production of the technology and processes used to produce the black brew. We stopped by the tasting room, viewed all of the step-by-step instructions to produce the best beer in the world, and then ascended the glass elevator to the Gravity bar where our prize awaited us: a cold Guinness pint.

We all had agreed to be back at the Abbey Theater at 6:30 pm to meet up the with Ladd and Debbie Terry, and just as the four beer seekers were approaching the LAUS stop at their hotel, they saw Tom and Cindy and Clare walking toward the stop. We reconnoitered at LUAS line to ride back into town to meet Ladd and Debbie for drinks. Ladd and Debbie are pleased with the students that they brought to Dublin. It’s been a good trip for them. The month of study was almost at an end. Tom was glad to finally sit in a Dublin pub with Ladd. After all these years of sharing students in the Study Abroad Program, they had yet to be in Dublin together until now! Slainte’
After that we wandered over to Temple Bar for dinner at our other favorite pub-grub place: Farrington’s. Eric fulfilled his wish for Irish stew, Clare downed most of mom’s fish and chips, and we lifted glasses to all those that weren’t there with us that night.

téigh in éag (means: to end!)

2 comments:

Carla said...

I love reading the details of your adventure. It's nice to hear about familiar places. Pete should be interested in the Guiness tour getting a face lift. Speaking of Pete, he's spending the weekend in Saigon, and heading back to Singapore on Monday. If it wasn't for blogs/skpye, I'd feel much more alone. Now I can read/webcam my way along with you both! Enjoy your city days before heading out west (er..southwest). Lift a pint for me my friend! Kisses to all!

c

Oh! Bama said...

When Michael was in Dublin in June, Guinness was closed for "rehab." He went back 10 days ago and it was reopened--tarted up a tad. Keep having fun in Ireland and share your days (and nights) with us on the blog. It makes for great reading.
Sláinte chuig na fír, agus go mairfidh na mna go deo.
"Health to the men and may the women live forever." hugs to you all, Joycie