After spending some time exploring various day trips available out of Dublin, I decided I'd crowd-source a plan for the weekend. Emailing the "misc" email forum in Dublin, which consists of just over 3,000 members who regularly post apartments for rent, items for sale, or ask for general advice on assorted (or miscellaneous, if you will) topics, I gave a quick intro of myself and shamelessly asked if anybody was taking any day trips or hikes that weekend and wouldn't mind me tagging along. To increase my chances of a response, I did mention the fact that I was visiting from NY, because why the hell wouldn't I play that card? And just to allay any fears, I also promised the group that I'm not weird. While I accept that most people think this is (and subsequently, I am) ridiculous, all that matters is that my tactic worked (but more on that later).
After running into a few Israelis at our TGIF happy hour, I was invited to an apartment party later that evening. As expected, I was probably 5 years older than the median age there, but I loved meeting all the Danes, the Dutch, the Israelis, the South Africans, and even a few native Irish. And of course I laughed with them when I received a couple of ribbings along the lines of "oh you're the one who emailed misc earlier looking for friends." The rest of the night got a little hazy, after a few rounds of the Dutch children's-game-turned-drinking-game Stef Stuntpiloot (known as Loopin' Louie in the US), followed by a night out in the City Centre area known as Temple Bar. We danced, we drank, and we listened to some traditional live Irish music (with famous classic rock covers sprinkled in between).
Considering that I had only slept about 8 hours in the previous 48 hours, I decided at 3am it was time to go home, and as I often like to do, I opted to walk home and take in the city. Over drinks earlier, I asked a lot about the city and the rest of Ireland, learning about the different neighborhoods and major attractions around. I was also warned about 'knackers', which can be described as the hoodlums or hooligans of Dublin. On my walk home, only a few minutes away from my apartment and just outside what I believed to be a pretty fancy neighborhood of tech companies and their residences, a group of about 8 kids walking from the opposite direction spotted me and hurried over. They began yelling at me to give them cigarettes (I had earlier bought a pack in a moment of drunken weakness), and as I took out my pack their dirty little fingers fumbled at them until they each got one, and then they all scampered off back in the direction I had come from. I continued my walk home feeling slightly uneasy, knowing the situation could have ended much worse and now understanding that these knackers were unfortunately a factor I'd have to take into account when getting from place to place. And as I've been told, because government housing is not limited to certain areas in Dublin, the knackers, ranging from children to young adults, alcoholics and junkies, actually reside in all parts of the city. But like anywhere I travel, I believe if you've got a good head on your shoulders and are aware of your surroundings, you should be able to avoid trouble pretty easily.
After running into a few Israelis at our TGIF happy hour, I was invited to an apartment party later that evening. As expected, I was probably 5 years older than the median age there, but I loved meeting all the Danes, the Dutch, the Israelis, the South Africans, and even a few native Irish. And of course I laughed with them when I received a couple of ribbings along the lines of "oh you're the one who emailed misc earlier looking for friends." The rest of the night got a little hazy, after a few rounds of the Dutch children's-game-turned-drinking-game Stef Stuntpiloot (known as Loopin' Louie in the US), followed by a night out in the City Centre area known as Temple Bar. We danced, we drank, and we listened to some traditional live Irish music (with famous classic rock covers sprinkled in between).
"The Yankee with a Yankees cap? Real original, Erez."
-Everyone I met that night
Up Close & Personal with the Knackers
Considering that I had only slept about 8 hours in the previous 48 hours, I decided at 3am it was time to go home, and as I often like to do, I opted to walk home and take in the city. Over drinks earlier, I asked a lot about the city and the rest of Ireland, learning about the different neighborhoods and major attractions around. I was also warned about 'knackers', which can be described as the hoodlums or hooligans of Dublin. On my walk home, only a few minutes away from my apartment and just outside what I believed to be a pretty fancy neighborhood of tech companies and their residences, a group of about 8 kids walking from the opposite direction spotted me and hurried over. They began yelling at me to give them cigarettes (I had earlier bought a pack in a moment of drunken weakness), and as I took out my pack their dirty little fingers fumbled at them until they each got one, and then they all scampered off back in the direction I had come from. I continued my walk home feeling slightly uneasy, knowing the situation could have ended much worse and now understanding that these knackers were unfortunately a factor I'd have to take into account when getting from place to place. And as I've been told, because government housing is not limited to certain areas in Dublin, the knackers, ranging from children to young adults, alcoholics and junkies, actually reside in all parts of the city. But like anywhere I travel, I believe if you've got a good head on your shoulders and are aware of your surroundings, you should be able to avoid trouble pretty easily.
As you can imagine, I don't expect to take any pictures of or with any knackers on my trip. So here's an illustration for you all (and no I didn't draw this)
In case you want to ID them from a distance, this is their most common get-up.
Exploration Day
Sleeping late on Saturday, I headed out around noon and took a stroll over to Trinity College, Ireland's oldest university.
A few rugby teams practicing. Nothing too barbaric.
"Sphere Within Sphere" located outside The Berkeley Library. Sneakily joining a walking tour already underway, I learned (for free) that George Berkeley (which Berkeley, CA and its college were named after) was an Irish Bishop and Philospher.
"You've gotta ask yourself one question..."
In time, I'll find the patience to re-take these when they don't come out well. Or I'll just wait for the software that fixes it auto-magically.
Temple Bar
A few blocks away from Trinity College is the area known as Temple Bar. Mostly cobblestone streets and alleyways crisscross and are filled with pubs, cafes, art galleries, vegetable markets and food stalls, with locals (incl. knackers) and tourists walking or loitering around, while buskers perform on every corner. Even without drinking or eating, you could spend a few hours walking around this area. My favorite part was something I stumbled upon just by chance. An Artist Co-op known as the The Icon Factory created The Icon Walk, a series of murals highlighting famous Irish authors, musicians, politicians, athletes etc. I believe the original purpose was to raise awareness of Irish culture and the arts, but one of the unintended results was also less violence, drug use, and public urination in the alleyways that used to be full of them.
Literature section of The Icon Walk
A brave author who knew where to contribute his value - Digging
Oscar Wilde's dangerous idea
Understanding Irish humour will be essential for making friends while not getting my ass kicked
GUINNESS, Arthur
You can hardly walk half a block in Dublin's City Centre without a few reminders of the dark, creamy stout whose name is as synonymous with its home country as its trademark is with their national symbol, the harp. So it was only a matter of time before all of that pervasive (and enticing) messaging became too much to resist, and I had just enough time to walk down for a tour at the Guinness Storehouse, located at the St. James's Gate Brewery.
For anybody visiting Dublin, beer lover or not, the Guinness Storehouse is a must-see on your trip. It is incredible to hear the story of Arthur Guinness' vision, and witness its rise to the global iconic and beloved brand it is today. Highlights included the Cooperage Exhibition, the Guinness Ads section, and the Gravity Bar with 360 views of the city.
Heaven's Gate (my heart literally skipped a beat when I rounded the corner and saw this from a distance)
Notice the tracks that run through the streets, once used for transporting that frothy, malty goodness to your mouth
The 9,000 year lease signed by Arthur Guinness, which the entire Guinness Storehouse is built around. I told you, the man had vision.
One of my favorite highlights was the video here documenting the laborious effort by extremely skilled coopers in producing these watertight wooden barrels, using only the most rudimentary tools.
The Guinness empire maintained an entire fleet of cargo ships. Delicious cargo ships.
If you say so...
The Guinness Zookeeper. I thought he was delivering Guinness, when in fact he is just trying to hold onto what he's got while being chased by a Lion/Bear.
There should've been instructions for how to pose in this photo.
Closing Time @Gravity Bar - Guinness Storehouse
Saturday night I met up with a Brazilian Googler who responded to my misc email, having drinks at her apt with her flatmates, discussing life as an expat in Dublin and all the tips and tricks to flying out cheaply. After a few drinks out, I called it a night, learning my lesson and taking a cab home this time to avoid the knackers.
Howth
After an exhausting game of soccer with a bunch of Israeli Googlers, I met another Spanish girl that responded to my misc email along with a few of her friends at the train station by my apartment. We rode about 20 minutes until we reached Howth, a small fishing village on the northern peninsula that forms Dublin Bay. We started with a delicious seafood lunch and then took a walk along the pier. When the girls headed home, Juan, Javier, and I decided to hike up alongside the cliffs that surround the peninsula. When we saw some Irish lads driving golf balls off the cliffs into the water, I was reminded of the Seinfeld 'marine biologist' episode, which I recounted to the Spaniards. Then we nervously watched those same kids sidestep down the side of the cliffs to retrieve the balls they didn't clear over the edge.
To the right is where we ended up hiking
Howth Harbour in all its glory
The best part was when started to head up, we asked an elderly lady by the pier if we were walking in the right direction. Her response was something along the lines of "Yeah, you can follow the road here to get to that trail, will take you about an hour and a half to get to the top. But why bother with all that when you can just go to the pub and have a Guinness?" Classic Ireland - makes me want to come up with some de-motivational posters.
I'm told you never forget your first Irish lighthouse
Ireland's Eye
My backyard - The Dublin Grand Canal Quay (pronounced 'key')
Dublin continues to amaze and impress me, though its proximity and ease of access to the rest of Ireland and Europe has got me itching to pack a bag and take an adventure. So until then...
- From Erez with Love
