Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Dublin

Writting from Paris this time, but going to do an update of my time in Dublin.
 
Dublin was an interesting city. It doesn't call out to tourists as much as London or Edinburgh but I feel like they are working on that. The city itself is filled with quite a lot of contrast: the old with the new, the run down with the fresh, the poor with the wealthy. It is also, and I suppose this applies to the country as a whole, divided. Today the population is casting ballots on the Lisbon Treaty which would bring closer integration to the EU. The polls are too close to call and the campaiging was like nothing I have seen since back in Colombia. I took pictures of some of the campaign signs which I promise to try and post as they are quite interesting.
 
In terms of the tourist thing with visited the Guiness Factory, the Old Jameson Distillery, Trinity College and the northern coast (including Malahide Castle). Possibly the most interesting experience of all though was the taxi ride to the airport (the bus never showed up). We were lucky enough to have a most friendly and well read driver named Anthony. I learned more about Ireland today from that 40 minute ride than I did from anything else. I wish I had had the chance to sit down and chat with him longer.
 
Got to go! Stay tuned!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Hey TIm...

that's so exciting that you were in Dublin the day Ireland voted No to the Lisbon treaty!! historical man... that day made history & is a win for increasing democracy inthe EU.

glad your having fun over there...

-Katelyn