Dublin, Ireland

Ireland is the Arkansas of Europe. I don't mean that in a derogatory way for either the country or Arkansas.  Both are very green and the people are friendly and helpful.  They also generally lack any sense of urgency about anything and have a working class attitude and refinement. Salt of the earth but, couldn't care less for fashion or propriety. 

I started noticing things in Belfast and my train ride to Dublin.  There were no fancy stations like the rest of Europe or the Far East.  They were more like bus stations. Their trains were fine but plain and better than in the U.S. but more utilitarian than sleek and stylish.

Once in Dublin, I found it a nice scenic town, friendly but, like a lot of Arkansans, they lived in a beautiful place but, seemed used to it.  They grew up up in a place that outsiders appreciate more than those who were born and raised there.

Oscar Wilde statue on rock made with 4 different colored stone.

They had a large Chinese population and traditional restaurant . These are
copper exhaust fans for when cooked or heated at the table. Very good.

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Scientology office.

Watched futball at Dublin sports bar.

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House of Oscar Wilde now American College of Dublin.

 I can also tell you they they don't care for Britons nor the Ulsters.  There is a long bitter history there. It is not currently hostile but it underscores life there a little. Now, it's like us dissing Iowa and Minnesotan snowbirds but, with the potential  for it to suddenly turn ugly.

I guess because it's a small country, it has a little attitude. Ireland has 4.7 million people, a little bigger than Arkansas at 3 million. and almost half of the over 8 million in just the city of London. Just like there are 8.7 million people in New York City, almost three times as many than in all of Arkansas.

They have only four warships over 2000 tons in their navy, and they're an island! They are the Samuel Beckett, James Joyce, William Yeats and George Bernard Shaw. I guess naming them for writers is a pretty good choice and reflective of their national character.

 I found a nice park in the city center with statues of  Oscar Wilde and James Joyce. There were artists displaying their paintings on the iron fence around the park, similar as you would see in New Orleans or Paris.  I found one artist I particularly liked, Pete Hogan. I bought one I like the style so much.

I got to talking with Pete and he asked where I was from. I said Memphis and he was interested in Elvis. He learned that I was on an around the world cruise.  He told me he too, had cruised around the world but, mostly by himself in a 30 foot sail boat he'd built himself.

Wow. He told me he wrote a book about the trip and illustrated it himself. He dug through his car and a large bag of painting supplies and pulled out his book and gave it to me. It is a marvelous book and the illustrations are wonderful. I got him to autograph it for me, to which he seemed a little embarrassed. This the second book given to me by it's author on this trip, both of which are my favorite treasures. 

One of his illustrations. 

Walking around I found a little Victorian era pharmacy turned bookstore called Sweny's that is less than 100 yards from where George Bernard Shaw was born, It is the place in James Joyce's book Ulysses, character Leopold Bloom bought his lemon soap. They still sell the soap, books and conduct readings in the evening. I would have liked to stay for that.

Talking to the proprietor, he asked where in America I was from. Apparently there was certainty that I was an American. When I told him I was born and raised in Memphis, he said, "Oh, Elvis!" Then he pulled a guitar from under the counter and began playing for me.  This was not the first time that happened on the world cruise. I didn't buy any lemon soap but, I did get a few postcards to sent home. 

The last shuttle bus back to the ship was at 4:45 so I had 30 minutes left on shore. The Kennedy Pub was close by so I stopped in and ordered a pint of Guinness.  I told the bar keep I only had time for one beer because I had to catch a bus.  

Remember that lack of urgency I talked about?  I took him almost 10 minutes to finally give me a beer.  That while just casually talking with a customer who was leaving and had already paid his tab. I downed the black beer, dropped 5 euros on the bar and ran to the stop. I was the last passenger and the bus left as soon as I got on.

Kennedy Pub

My quick beer.

Like Arkansas, it may not be big but, it has natural beauty, talent, genuine friendliness and a touch of stubbornness and defiance. Maybe it should be out sister country/state.