City of Words

"Our street-songs and ballads had always been short stories: touching, scabrous, satirical, tender; as alive to the stench of the eddying Liffey as to the possibilities of truth and beauty. Our story is not done yet."

I came across this quote in last week's issue of the Irish Times. As if right on cue, we were discussing the works of Yeats and the symbiotic relationship he had with the city of Dublin and the political movements of the early 20th century, and the Irish Times came out with a special edition paper called "City of Words. Dublin and its Writers". I was going on a trip to Dublin the following weekend, so it seemed fit to dig deep into the literary history prior to visiting the city of words.

We arrived to the city on a cold, rainy October afternoon. After a quick lunch, we went to the Book of Kells. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to photograph any of the books. I figured the flash would damage the documents but they're actually just copyrighted. The books are ornately decorated versions of the four books of the New Testament, written purely in Latin. I believe they date back to 800 A.D and are recognized for they're extravagance

and complexity. They are stored in the Library at Trinity College, in the heart of Dublin. Again, emphasizing the literary history of the city of words.

One of the many quotes written on statues, commemorating Oscar Wilde in Dublin's Merrion Square Park

After the Book of Kells, we went on a Viking Splash Tour, basically Boston's Duck Tours with a twist. They used the same DUKW boats from World War II, but instead of quacking, we did a lot of yelling. The tour guide explained that we were vikings (we even got to wear some sweet viking hats, but couldn't keep them unfortunately...), and that everyone else in the city were Celts, and the Celts and the Vikings were enemies. So every so often throughout the course of the tour, the guide would count to three, and we'd sneak up on poor, innocent pedestrians and yell savagely at them. It was absolutely hilarious! It was definitely the best way to see the city too, despite all the rain.

After the tour, we headed back to the hotel before heading out for the night. We went out to dinner at a restaurant that happened to be celebrating Oktoberfest. Unfortunately, I was on antibiotics from my various illnesses (UTI, kidney infection, and a bout of bronchitis: no bueno) and was not advised to consume alcohol, so I didn't have the chance to try all the beers. My friends seemed to thoroughly enjoy them though :)

After dinner, we decided to look for some pubs/clubs. We wen

t to the famous Temple Bar, which was a mostly older group and was ridiculously crowded, so we ended up at a four-story club called Fitzsimons. The first floor had live music, the second and third floor were dance floors, and the fourth was an outdoor terrace. Plus 3 for €10 Jägerbombs! Again, I didn't participate. Even if I wasn't sick, mixing red bull with any sort of alcohol doesn't really appreal to me. But we had a great time dancing and meeting people. I called it an "early" night around 1 am. I don't understand how people function on four or so hours of sleep. Call me a grandma, but I need at least 7!

The next morning we left for the Guinness Storehouse. It was awesome! Just the way it was set up was really fascinating. It began with the original 9,000 year grant signed by Arthur Guinness to keep the factory running. Then it led us through a tour of all the ingredients, followed by a timeline of the company's history. Then we were led into a taste test, explaining how to fully experience Guinness with all of our senses.

There was a lot of information about the brewing process followed by a tour of all the Guinness paraphernalia: old advertisements, different beer can/bottle designs, the famous Toucan, different sayings and billboards and, of course, the harp. The harp is not only an emblem of Guinness but also of Ireland. Ireland is one of the only countries in the world to represent itself with a musical instrument, but after spending some time in Ireland, it's not hard to figure out why. There is such a deep connection to music here.

The tour continued until we reached the very top, known as the Gravity bar. This was a circular shaped room with all glass windows, giving visitors a 360-degree view of Dublin, as well as a free pint of Guinness. After my first night in Ireland, waking up quite sick and hung over, I think I have a little PTSD from Guinness, because the smell alone is enough to turn my stomach. Thus I did not indulge in the free pint, wanting to keep my continental breakfast down.

The storehouse tour took up most of our day. We walked back to the temple bar area and had free lunch, courtesy of our program, then headed back towards good ol' Limerick. I wish we had had more time in Dublin, because I was truly infatuated with the city. Not only by the impressive architecture or the bustling streets, but simply by the atmosphere. "It is impossible to cross Dublin and not feel in the company of the phantoms from some writer's imagination". You can hear traditional music pouring out the windows of the pubs. You can smell the Guinness emanating from the storehouse. Even the green, slimy water of the river Liffey has its appeal. There is a "terrible beauty" about the city.

So what's next?

Well, I am leaving for Italy this Thursday! I can't believe it! We are starting in Bologna, then travelling to Florence, La Spezia, Pisa, and hiking the Cinque Terre! I cannot even express how excited I am!! Pizza! Gelato! Cannolis! Oh yeah, and some historic monuments and things... haha, no I am really, really excited to see everything. Especially the Cinque Terre. According to Rick Steve's, the Cinque Terre is the 'hidden gem' of Italy.

Sadly, I found out I have 3 midterm papers due the Monday after I return from Italy. I was planning on travelling to Belgium that weekend, but school has to come first this time. I'll just have to come back to Europe and explore later :)

Ciao!