See. There I go again, getting sidetracked with trivial banter.
So on Friday night I made the announcements to my three traveling mates that I would not be joining them the following day. I
I had no plans for the day and didn't much care where I ended up. So, I headed down the streets of Dublin toward St. Stephen's Green. It was early enough that the stores had not yet opened and the tourists were not yet standing aimlessly in the midst of the moving. It was yet another crisp morning, with no clouds in the sky and the sun shining through the trees of St. Stephens as if it was begging for an instagrammed photo. My travels through the garden where quite magical and while I would have loved to share a photo of the gardens I was unable to because of my dead camera. The plethora of yellow daisies surrounded each fountain that trickled water over thousands of wishes seen at the bottom in the form of coins. Wishes from around the world. Wishes more accurately defined as hope. I reached into my pocket to pull out a penny (the Euro 1 Cent is SO SMALL. Smaller than a dime. About the size of a sequin) to use as my wish. After leaving my wish to sit at the bottom of fountain I headed through the remainder of the gardens, filled with indescribable, serene beauty. As I exited the park at its opposite end I headed down a random street, which led me to another garden entrance. This garden was for St. Patrick's Cathedral. No quite as lush as St. Stephens but certainly not dismissible either, I wondered down the steps to explore the gardens (I even saw a sign from the early 1900's that declared not handling your dog's defecation properly will result in a 1000€ and the requirement that all dogs of the same breed be henceforth muzzled in the garden). As I walked around the Cathedral I decided to go in and explore. Passing up Westminster has been something that I haven't forgiven myself for, so I preferred to not have the same guilty conscious as I did in London. I forked up the 4.5€ student price and took myself on a self-guided tour around the massive Cathedral. I took my time and read most of the information plates. Most interesting to me was the Door of Reconciliation on display. The door is said to be the origin of the phrase "Chancing your arm." I stayed at the Cathedral for a significant amount of time because I wanted to listen to one of the spoken Holy Eucharists, which to me turned out to be a disappointment because of all those who felt it necessary to be taking pictures and chatting instead of listening and reflecting.
After the Cathedral I decided to hop on a bus (I had bought a three day pass the first day that was unlimited). The bus's final stop had the word castle, so I felt it was a safe bet. I was wrong. Out of the city limits the bus went and into a more rural area. After 25 minutes on the bus I began talking to a lady (she was a bit coo-coo) who almost lit a cigarette on the bus then started talking to herself after realizing what she was about to do was illegal. She asked where I was from in "America," after just hearing me speak. After I told her what I was up to she told me that the 'castle' at the last stop was actually still a 40 minute walk from the stop. So, she suggested I get out at one of the next stops and explore that area. She cautioned, however, not to stray from the main road because she said it could likely be unsafe. Off the bus I went and walked around a bit before ultimately jumping on a bus that headed back into the city. By this point I was quite hungry and decided to stop in a small sandwich shop for a humous and pepper pita lunch. I didn't care to eat inside (most places charge an extra Euro to dine in), so I took my sandwich to go and headed towards Phoenix Park. While only a small corner of this park appeared on my map, I had a feeling it would be a great place to sit and eat lunch. It fortunately turned into much more. I wouldn't end up leaving the park for five hours.
Phoenix Park is extremely large and to cover most of it in one day would be murder. As I walked in at the southern entrance located on the edge of urbanized Dublin, I spotted a hill overlooking a small pond. The perfect place to eat lunch. I sat in the breeze and watched bikers ride by on their rented wheels and stroller after stroller pass. There was also a dog that decided to jump into the pond to chase the swan that was swimming unexpectedly near the water's edge. If I had had a book, I would have stayed to bask in the sun, but there was more to see, so I stood up and traveled further into the park. I saw a path that stretched rather far and was similar to that of the National Mall only the middle area was not grass but pavement for the few cars traveling to the Dublin Zoo. As I was walking there was a field of sorts to my left that was playing host to some game. I walked up to watch a bit because from afar the game seemed quite foreign. This didn't change when I got closer. All the players were dressed in white and were playing what I soon discovered was cricket. To the untrained eye it seems like a rather pretentious version of baseball. I continued my walking for close to a mile when I came along a site comparable to the Cliffs the day before. The Papal Cross in Phoenix Park can be seen from almost anywhere in the park because of its extreme height. I headed in the direction of the monument/memorial to see what exactly it was. Now, I must admit here that I regard religion with much caution. I consider myself more spiritual than religious. It's an odd feeling to try and describe, but as I approached this 116-foot monument, I felt, like I have many times on my travels, a strong connection with humanity. As I read the plaque located at the base, it stated that the monument was erected in 1979 for a visit from Pope John Paul II. Past the cross was an empty field where millions stood during his visit to listen to his mass. It was very surreal to stand at what seems like the edge of the world (for the cross, the edge of mental existence and for the Cliffs the edge of physical existence).
After leaving I traveled on what seemed like a less-traveled path to a small building with a large, steel gate that was creating a separation from the park to an even nicer gardened area that was clearly private property. I was curious as to what this was, and after looking around I noticed a minimalistic seal atop the gate that read "The Embassy of The United States of America." Well... you know what they say. Location, location, location. We sure have a nice plot of land in Phoenix Park. So don't worry, tax payers. While some of our cities in the States may be dilapidated and helpless, trust that our plots of land in other countries are gorgeous and well-kept!
*I'm about to fall asleep from typing, so I may rush through the rest of my travels. Don't take it to mean I cared less about what happened after this. I just have books to read, people to see, and drinks to be drank (TGIF). *
After seeing the Embassy, I traveled to one last monument where I took a short nap on the slanted steps. It was a war memorial for Ireland's efforts in India and China; Wars I was saddened to know nothing about previous to my trip. After leaving the park I walked back into the city and to our hostel to rest a bit before heading out to The Temple Bar. There I found Tina, who had abandoned Barbara and Mirco after becoming fed-up with their public displays of affection. We talked about our days, drank coffee in the kitchen and rested for a bit before heading out. When we got to the Temple Bar we were all shocked. We went at 7:30 so we could avoid it from being packed. I guess that was a stupid assumption. There was no room to walk inside, most everyone was already wasted, and the bar didn't have any absinthe (A bucket list item I'm trying to cross off while in Europe, where it is legal). So, we all agreed to travel to a nearby restaurant instead and called it an early night since the drinks were so pricey and we had to be at the airport early. That night I told my traveling companions that I would be leaving promptly at 6:45AM. If they were not ready I was not going to wait. (Some may say this is rude. At this point in the trip I couldn't give a rat's ass. There comes a time where taking responsibility for only yourself becomes necessary to avoid unwanted stress and argument) Barbara turned to me after I made my comment and snapped that a 'friend' would not threaten like that and instead be kind enough to wait if she was running late. I retorted that a 'friend' wouldn't have to wait up in the first place if each other's time was respected. I
Getting to the airport was a hassle, but I gave into to Barbara's request to get a taxi because I was done arguing that a bus would show up (buses run all the time. She was crazy to think no bus was going to come). We got to the airport after dealing with a taxi driver who wanted to talk the whole way. (Mind you it's 6:45 and we had not slept well the night before because the two German girls came in around 4:00AM) It was one of those situations like when you're at the store and the cashier feels it necessary to comment on the items you're purchasing ("Two bottles of wine? Well well well. Either someone's having a part or someone's terribly depressed"). We got through security (Barbara got stopped for having a jar of sauce. Figures!) and were on our way back home. To Scotland.
When I finally got home I went running. I was so tired but just had to release the weekend's stress from my body. It worked. I spent the rest of my day alone and recouped my energy for the coming week. Overall, Dublin was incredible. I'm so so happy I was able to go and explore a beautiful city. While much of my writing my have had an acrimonious tone to it, I can't stress enough that I wouldn't have changed a thing. That's actually a lie. Next time I travel it won't be with three others. As they say, 'two is company, three is
Now I'm off to take an afternoon nap on a rainy Scottish day. 26 days until I return home, and 26 days until I must say goodbye to an incredible country that has worked its way all too quickly into my heart.
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| HEY COW!!!!!! -Me |
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