Denver to Boston, Boston to Dublin. Almost a year of talk, talk, talk – Marathon #100 here at last.
Long travel day…but not like New Zealand long. All ‘bout perspective. Met up with Stephen in Boston so had a travel mate for a leg (‘though in reality, slept the entire 2nd flight). Early 5am touchdown. Ireland’s morning, my 11pm. Ugh. Gonna be rough Day One. Taxi’d downtown THEN best luck ever – super early check-in at The Conrad. Room available. FAAAANNNNTASTIC!
11am sleeps, quick shower, sit-down breakfast off St Stephen’s Green. GREAT holiday start!
Walked 5 streets to find pedestrian-friendly Grafton. The Plan? City sightseeing. Specifically, thinking double-decker tour bus. Did that in Auckland, good way to get acclimated. But first, an Irish haircut. New town, new country. Why not? Located a trendy spot on Grafton. Waited my turn, greeted by possibly the oldest coiffeur in Dublin. Been working at this SAME location since 1964. 9-to-noon/3 times a week; wife’s in a nursing home. Other than that – no idea, [I’m] horrible with accents. Just smiled & nodded. It’s only hair – luckily I packed a cap 🙂
Hop On-Hop Off, bought a 2-day bus ticket. Trinity College, National Art Gallery, Phoenix Park, Glasnevin Cemetery. I’m sure I passed all these stops. Reviewing my pics: old churches & beer.
Appears I was completely fascinated with the art of brewing (‘though I don’t booze beer these days). And when not focused on fermentation, I snapped pics – tens & tens of pics – of Catholic cathedrals (nope, not Catholic either). An unlikely combination, both found in abundance in Ireland’s capital. Not making excuses. HUGE FAN of both history & science.
Gothic cathedrals founded centuries ago, end of the Roman Empire. Hops, natural spring water from County Wicklow. Churches & beer. Aside from the science of making beer, spent an hour+ viewing old-era advertising. ‘Whistling Oyster’, a bicycling fish & Guinness’ lovely day Toucan. A lifetime past, I worked in New York media. But never ever, a bicycling fish. LOL>
St Patrick’s Cathedral, Christ Church Cathedral, the Dublinia. Finished the day walking Dublin Castle. Bus-abandoned somewhere near the river Liffey, service stopped at 6pm – who knew? 3-mile walk thru city neighborhoods & 2 seedy back-alleys (alive with drunks & shouting police). Picked up the pace, made no direct eye contact…a Google-map death wish. Yikes!
Tomorrow, Sis is arriving from St. Louis. Let the games begin ❤
Bicycling Fish & a Whistling Oyster (Guinness Storehouse)
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