Dublin
Yes, as far as I can tell, that is a tanker truck full of Guinness. Welcome to Dublin.
So, actually getting off the continent was kind of an ordeal, that’s all I’ll really write about that. The only benefit was that by the time I actually got on a flight that would eventually land in Ireland, I was so exhausted that I could sleep most of the way.
Dublin decided it was going to be very stereotypically Irish the night I got in. My friend Taiyo and I walked down the Liffey, got passed by a Guinness tanker truck, and then walked through a cobblestone square in Temple Bar where U2 covers reverberated off the walls and roads, provided by a live band. The pub we went to was a three-story wooden labyrinth of a place that brewed their own beer and specialized in porters (of course). It was wonderful to feel such a sense of place (even if it was a little touristy) after such a journey.
The next day we walked all over the city, visiting Dublin Castle (not really a castle the way you think of a castle), Trinity College, and The Guinness Storehouse, which was kind of interesting. It’s situated in the midst of an actual Guinness brewery, but the Storehouse isn’t operational anymore; rather, there are decommissioned mash tuns and roasting kilns and the like, with big video screens showing the steps of the brewing process. Throughout the whole thing I could just see Diageo marketing VPs plotting, inserting multimedia opportunity after multimedia opportunity. It was definitely the biggest “branded experience” I’ve ever paid to be a part of, but generally it was kind of cool and it concluded with stew and Guinness, so it’s hard to rag on it too much.
That evening, we went back east and walked around St. Stephen’s Green (a large and totally beautiful park) and then wandered around before finding a South African-themed burger place where we could eat outside on the street. This felt like the first time we had escaped the tourist centric part of the city and were eating in the midst of real Dubliners around our age, and it felt good. I hope I’ll be able to find these kinds of places in the other cities and towns I visit.
It’s funny; when I first got here, I think I primed myself to think that everything was going to be completely different, so the things I’ve been noticing most are actually the the things that are the same as back home in the States. Glancing at a rack of junk food and not recognizing any of the brands was less jarring than walking by a “T.K.Maxx” and a TGI Fridays. When we walked around Trinity College’s campus, we found their library and student center are concrete monstrosities just like Northwestern’s, probably built around the same time. I guess some things bridge continents, for better or for worse.
Ultimately Dublin is kind of a dirty city, but it’s full of youth and it has a certain charm to it. I think I’d come back. Stay tuned for reflections on a day trip to the West coast of Ireland, which really won me over.
Sláinte!
