Different country, different currency
It's hard to believe that we are no longer in the UK but we are definitely in Britain. (United kingdom= England+Wales+Scotland+Northern Ireland
Britain= UK + Ireland)
The Euro, not the Sterling Pound, is the currency here.
The double decker buses are not red, but yellow and blue.
To me Dublin is special because of its literary greats, its history and its cultural vibe.
It being a UNESCO city of Literature I have liberally used quotes from the greatest of Dublin writers whose works I'm acquainted with.
Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett
As usual, we do not have a plan. Right after we check into a hostel we start exploring, wanting to make best use of the evening before it gets too dark .
How inspiring that the very first thing that catches the eye is the bronze statue of James Joyce!
For myself, I always write about Dublin, because if I can get to the heart of Dublin I can get to the heart of all the cities of the world. In the particular is contained the universal. James Joyce on Dubliners
What a promising start!
Sure enough the very next thing that kindles us is the pedestrians, especially because they are clutching tote bags of various sizes and material with the Guinness logo on them. Of course,Guiness beer is made here.The Guinness Storehouse is Dublin's, and by dint, Ireland's, topmost tourist attraction. Strangely, right before us stands a tall modern building with the iconic Heineken sign on it. It turns out that this is the O’Connell Bridge House which has exhibited various brands over the years, such as Sony, Coca-Cola, and even Guinness. That's something to chew on.
There are no strangers here. Only friends you haven't met. W B Yeats
And then we find ourselves walking on a cobbled street that is filled with boutiques, funky shops, eclectic cafes, nightclubs and bars. We are on the streets of Temple Bar. It is beginning to explode with music ready for hordes of tourists. Great minds need to relax, too.
The passing of time
Within minutes we are on the famed Ha'penny Bridge with a handful of the quotidian love locks. The filigree bridge once charged a half-penny for crossing! And then we catch sight of a unique building in the corner made by two streets. It's the Pen Corner, an iconic store that sells everything you need for writing, especially fountain pens and paper. The store has since closed and those of us who do not use traditional writing implements understand why.
After all this is writers’ land: symbolism and lore
A gleaming gold tree stands out at a bank. A sign of the country's high economic rating!
Then there is the statue of Molly Malone. Who was she? In Irish folklore,she was a tart with a cart. She sold tarts in the day; at night she sold herself. Such was the life of working class women now immortalized not only in the statue but also in a popular song called Cockles and Mussels.
I don’t have ugly ducklings turning into swans in my stories. Maeve Binchy
But a black pool has turned into a field. That takes us to the origin of the name Dublin. It is made up of two words: Dubh and Linn which respectively mean black and pool. The pool was at the confluence of the two rivers, Liffey and Poddle. Poddle fed the moat surrounding the castle we are on it. It has since been filled and is Dubh Linn Gardens.
As is true of many old buildings the castle has played many roles over the years.
It is getting dark and a few drops warn us of a wet evening. But there is still some natural light to give us a glimpse of the Dublin Spire. If we linger a little longer we would see it lit up and therefore be awestruck by its 121 meters in all its glory.
We pass by the ornate pillars at O'Connell bridge, the oldest bridge( built at the end of the 18th century) across the river, now widened to accommodate more traffic. And then into our hostel.
The huge poster that we pass with the male figure tripping over a suitcase, though meant as an advertisement for something else, neatly sums up our occasional dilemma with suitcases.
Early the next morning we set off towards the castle because Trinity College, Dublin's oldest and most illustrious college is adjacent to it.
Along the way are ancient streets that have preserved history with sections of the old wall, etc. There is so much to explore.
Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much. Oscar Wilde
Apparently, the river Liffy divides Dublin into North and South and, yes, with some deep rooted rivalry.
The Universal Link On Human Rights sculpture along the banks with an eternal gaslight flame has a powerful message: we are prisoners of conscience.
As we cross the river we get beautiful pictures of the custom house reflected in the water.
Also, in the distance there appears a futuristic bridge with a span like that of a harp( the national symbol) on its edge. It's the Samuel Beckett Bridge. Closer to us is the replica of the Jeanie Johnston, one of the famine ships that sailed millions of immigrants escaping the potato famine, to the New world. The replica is within sight of the monument.
Treasured moments
We have arrived at Trinity College. To step into the campus, with its notable bell tower, on the hallowed grounds tread by notable alumni, including Bam Stoker of Dracula, is almost like a pilgrimage.
Adding to the awe is the knowledge that the Book of Kells, a thousand year old book, with exquisite and intricate illustrations by Celtic monks, is on display in the Old Library. Not surprisingly, the queue waiting in line to purchase tickets is impossibly long. I'm quite satisfied being in the vicinity. But other areas of the University are free to saunter into and therefore the ambience registers. At one portal, the Nobel Laureate George Bernard Shaw, an aristocrat with a loveless childhood who became a champion of worthy causes, stands loftily reflecting on the passers by!
Pose with a dandy: The Importance of Being Earnest
A little further away is a rectangular park. At the nearest corner is a large crowd either posing for or taking photographs. Who is that figure sitting so dandily on the rock! I tentatively make my way through the crowd and self consciously pose for a shot. This dramatic figure is none other than Oscar Wilde, the writer of the above book, known for his satire and how he challenged gender roles. The historic street lamps and various other sculptures do not seem to get as much attention. And to think that I had earlier passed by his childhood home . The statue of Oscar Wilde is striking. It depicts the man of letters in a dandy pose resting on a boulder.
Swinging [bridge] across from the lighthearted to the heavy hearted
We cross the Liffey over the Sean O’Casey bridge which is a pedestrian swing bridge. It rotates 90°. Now we are on a cobblestoned boardwalk. A haunting scene confronts us. Emaciated figures of man, woman, child and a dog, carrying bundles of their meager possessions in the process of escaping the potato famine. A grim reminder of a harrowing journey. A game changing catastrophe.
Moving on.
Across the river we now see the new Docklands replete with sleek skyscrapers in modern architectural style. A preschool stands out for its colorful jigsaw puzzle mural.
Dublin has so much in such a walkable space. It has such variety and colour. It is a beautiful symbiosis of the old and new, the past and the present.
Note:One of the reasons for why I write:
We do not write in order to be understood; we write in order to understand. Cecil Day-Lewis
