It's really cold outside! Have been with the snow on and off all morning along with a cold, biting wind. The snowflakes are like those styrofoam beads you find in beanbag chairs - guess they are more of a snowbead. Wandered through Temple Bar and some of the shopping areas on both sides of the river. Its refreshing to not see any of the major chains - almost all the stores are individual shops with the occasional local chain store. There are a few McDonalds, but I haven't crossed paths with a Starbucks yet.
Only tourist stop so far has been Christchurch Cathedral. One of the interesting things about Ireland is that even though the history goes back thousands of years, much of the political and religious landscape has remained in flux through the 20th century - history is still being unfolded and stories being created for the generations that follow. I've been reading the book "Ireland" by Frank Delaney which is a fictional tale that weaves in a lot of traditional Irish folklore and stories. Its added some nice background and context to the city and country.
1 comment:
I'm sure you'll start noticing the starbucks if you look back twice. They spread like the black plague. Doing anything during your saint's day over here is impossible. My daughter came to the office and a group went with me for lunch just to find the longest lines we've ever seen in each restaurant we went to. Is it anywhere near as crazy over there? I always wondered if St. Paddy is more of an american tradition now than irish.
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