Dublin, The Texty Bit

Alright, Dublin here comes the writing part!

When I first got to the city it was sunny and midmorning, while in my mind it was dark and approximately three a.m. I managed to get the hostile without any fuss and my taxi driver gave me her number, just in case I got in trouble or needed help. I put my luggage in storage before checking in and went to explore the city a bit.

Now, I'm going to be perfectly honest, I was a little disapointed at first, a bit melancholy, if you will. I'd just come from New York City and even knowing that Dublin was big, I wasn't expecting the such a profound similarity between the two cities. Now my first reaction may have something to do with the lack of sleep, jet leg and isolation I was feeling at the time, but I managed to sleep about 18 hours that first day.

Day Two, also known as Thursday, I woke up still feeling unhappy and forced myself to do some exploring. I managed to go to the Hugh Lane Gallery, which is mostly modern Irish art. I thought it was very, very cool. I also think I wondered around Dame street and the Connally bridge, maybe. At the end I found myself in an overpriced hotel bar eating an okey club sandwich.

Day Three, Friday, I took myself on a walking tour of the Temple Bar area. That is a part of Dublin I absolutely adore. Lots of street performers and tiny streets, funky shops and awsome pubs.

Day Four, Saturday, was laundry day, so I didn't make it out untill half past two, so I just looked at shoes for four hours. It was fun. I also ate at Queys Restaurant.

Day Five, Sunday, was also I slow beginning, due to a rather silly miscommunication. I ended up at the Guinness storehouse with a couple of friends, and later we went to the Mezz, which is a really cool pub slash music venue in Temple Bar. Then I slept off the beer and wine.

Day Six, Monday, was a bank holiday, but I still managed to go to the Book of Kells in fantastic Trinity College and take the Dublin Castle tour, then I did Grafton again and ate some food. It was at Trinity I found my new favourite poem.

I and Pangur Bán my cat
'Tis a like task we are at:
Hunting mice is his delight,
Hunting words I sit all night.
Better far than praise of men
'Tis to sit with book and pen;
Pangur bears me no ill will
He too plies his simple skill.

Oftentimes a mouse will stray
In the hero Pangur's way;
Oftentimes my keen thought set
Takes a meaning in its net.

'Gainst the wall he sets his eye
Full and fierce and sharp and sly;
'Gainst the wall of knowledge I
All my little wisdom try.

Practice every day has made
Pangur perfect in his trade;
I get wisdom day and night
Turning darkness into light.

It was written by an unknown Irish monk in the 8th century C.E. and this version was translated by Robin Flower; this is the earliest of Irsh poetry to have survived.

Tuesday I went to the National museum at was both disturbed and impressed by the collection there. The bog people being the most confusing in that they were both extremely disturbing and quite interesting.

Today I am it Galway after a six hour bus journey (it doesn't usually take that long, it just did today).

P.S. How's my Delilah kitty?