Trip to Ireland
Wednesday, 23 August 2000
12:20 a.m. I overdosed on TV Tuesday evening.
Got into Jacob's Inn at 4:15 p.m. and put my stuff in my room. Then went downtown and checked out Temple Bar, which is like the Old Port in Portland. Found a restaurant where a traditional trio was playing, but there were no seats, so I went across the street and had fried plaice (flounder), chips (French Fries) and a salad,- Very Good. Strolled around until 7:30, heard some very talented street mucisians (buskers) Then went down to O'Shea's Merchant and watched TV until Mr. O'Shea and his group set up. They started playing about 9:45 p.m. and I left at 11:25 after complimenting the musicians. There were several couples who could do the dancing with fancy footwork!! . They didn't have a caller, everyone knew the patterns,- crossing over, swapping partners and "do-si-do-ing." They did a lot of different dances to different tunes, one of which was what we call "The Irish Washerwoman" in the States. Then a guy with a harmonica set in and played a cool variation on "Nellie Gray." Mr O'Shea looks like Dr. Keoghan. I think he said he is from Kerry. He plays a small accordian. The other two musicians were Mary, a singer with a lovely clear soprano voice (great range, too!) and a chubby guy in his forties who sanng well and played a mean guitar! Mr. O'Shea will be playing in Boston Sept.13 (Dooley's) and 14 (The Green ---). He has 44 gigs lined up including San Francisco in October or November.
I probably spent ten punts on Cokes and milk in the 4 hours I was there, but the music was worth every penny.
Walking back, after having seen repeated TV news stories about 1,400 muggings in 6 months in Dublin, I moved fast and thought about how to confront punks. The Gardai were out in force, and, whenever I met one, I exchanged pleasantries. A young girl walked with me part way. No conversation, we just "joined forces" until she came to her turn-off. Also walked about 3 blocks with a fellow who came out of the Out in Dublin Bar. I made it back here by quarter to midnight, and was very pleased to see the front door open and plenty of backpackers in the lobby. Had to laugh while telling them how I had clutched my lighter, hoping someone would think it was a jackknife in dim light. I thought about what threat to voice & concluded, about the time I got to Connolly's statue, that the most effective crack would be "Leave me alone unless you want to be down on the ground picking up your guts," while feinting a slash with the lighter. My back-up is to kick 'em in the knee. Well, the TV crew had interviewed a guy with brain-damage from being beaten.
It's almost 1 a.m., so I guess I'll hit the hay.
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Got up a littlle after 7 a.m., had coffee and toast and headed out to the National Galolery & Museum. Went to see the part of the Museum that I hadn't seen,- Celtic (Iron Age), Viking, and Medieval sections. I had only gotten up to the Bronze Age when it closed the first time I went. Had to wait around a little as neither one opened until 10 a,m,
Then I bought some plums as a health food shop (6 for 1 punt) and headed for the National Gallery. I found some 15th Century Italian artists and Jack B. Yeats. Wow, he was great! Too bad folks don't know about him at home. He did some fantastic semi-abstract hourse paintings! They had paintings by his father John and his brother William Butler Yeats (the poet) as well. His father was too sociable to be a moneymaking portrait painter, spent too much time making friends with his subjects and had a hard time getting around to finishing their portraits. But the ones he did paint show deep perception and genuine enjoyment of the person. He did one of W. B. that was so tenderly loving that it really gave me a wish that I could have known him.
I hiked back to the hostel, got my stuff and got to the bus stop by 12:30 p.m. Didn't have enough Irish cash to take the express bus so I took the slow boat. That's what screwed me up, along with the broken-down tractor-trailer just north of the G.P.O. for which we had to wait until it was towed off. I got to the airport about the time my plane was taxiing down the runway...damn!!! So I cashed my last traveller's cheque at the airport so I could take the bus back into town and rent a bed. $50 equalled 39 punts and 52 pence at the Bank of Ireland "bureau de change." Too bad, after budgeting myself carefully right to 62 pence when I got out to the airport, just enough to get a muffin before the flight.
Got back to Jacob's and took a room, stowed my gear and went over to Isaac's Hostel, because Jacob's computer is down. Met Maribel, the resident "nerd" and sent an e-mail to Jim and Doe at 6 p.m., on her, M's, account. no reply yet (9 p.m.). She said she'd keep checking for a reply and I gave her Jacob's phone number and my name.
While waiting, I went out and bought some milk for breakfast (to go with my Irish granola) and then splurged on a good supper: Salmon chunks in creamy dill sauce on egg noodles at 101 Talbot Street, which is the name and the address of the restaurant.
The weather today was beautiful, sunny and warm, 22 C or 72 F. I think that I'll plan on going back to the Gallery tomorrow, 10-11:30 a.m. and see if I can see the Rembrants and Van Goghs. That way I can get to the airport before 1 p.m. I know that it takes me half an hour to go from the National Gallery to Jacob's if I walk right along, and the trek "loaded" from Jacob's to the Gardiner St. bus stop takes 12 minutes.
Next, Thursday, 24 August 2000
Back, Tuessday, 22 August 2000