So, our return from Dublin last weekend was good and bad. Good because I don't think my body could have survived there for another 24 hours--pub hopping is fantastic and we had a fabulous time, but there is such a thing as too much beer. Bad because, well, Dublin is actually FUN compared to Hereford and there are loads of things to see and do. And also bad because the trains were running like 9 million hours late and what should have been a return journey of 90 minutes ended up taking over 4 hours. Guh. Sunday train travel RAWKS.
As I mentioned before, Dad was in town for a few days. It was a good thing he traveled light because for the first 4 nights he had to change B&B's due to the neighboring Hay on Wye Festival. We went to Hay during his visit--it's a lovely little town just 20 miles or so from here. It's annually host to literary greats and political pundits; last year was Al Gore and prior to that were the Clintons, Bono, Sting, etc. In little Hay--off-season population 1,700! However, it does boast a used book store for every 17 residents, so as you can imagine, Mike and I were in heaven.
We also made our way to Stonehenge (where we managed to get a total of ZERO pics...), and the journey itself was an adventure. We got soooo lost on the highways that what should have been a 1 hour and 20 minute trip morphed into a gargantuan 4 hours. Needless to say, tempers were frayed and backs were sweaty upon our arrival, but it was well worth it. It's a very cool place. There were, of course, loads of tourists there including ourselves, but the walking paths were eerily quiet. The sense of history there is palpable--the grounds are surrounded by burial trenches and holes, which are called Aubrey Holes. Until the 1970s, people could purchase pickaxes in neighboring Salisbury, a city 10 miles or so away, and chip off pieces of the large stones that served as handy 'souvenirs.' This is no longer the case, of course. For like 20gbp, though, you can buy a tiny plastic replica Made In China. Hahahaha.
While Mike was working, Dad and I traveled to nearby Ledbury to go to Ice Bytes, the closest! Internet Cafe, where I did some printing and such. We then headed to the local Bulmer's cider museum--Bulmer's is the brewery that produces Strongbow, actually. We toured through the old Cider House and had the opportunity to go down into the old Cellars where the cider was produced until the mid-1970s.
The machines are now entirely automated, but even just 40 years ago making cider was a fairly arduous process. The barrels above are the original ones that Bulmer's used up to that time--you can see where one has been cut in half for people to stand inside and take pictures. Gives you a sense of size, as the ceilings were around 9 feet high. The rack of bottles that Dad is standing beside is just one of thousands that are in the Cellar--all empty now, of course.So, Dad arrived on the Thursday evening and left on the Wednesday night, to catch his flight from Gatwick early Thursday morning. It's actually physically impossible to get from Hereford to Gatwick before 12pm the same day, and I started work on the Wednesday anyway, so he spent a day on the road while we toiled back home. Fun was had by all.
That Friday, I got news that my Social Work Registration had gone through, and we headed to Dublin to spend a fabulous weekend with Erika and Lester. Our plane was delayed by a half hour so we didn't get downtown until midnight or so on the Friday, by which time all of the pubs and such were of course shut. So, we slept off our travel weariness and awoke the next day ready for FUN. And it was awesome. Our first stop was brunch in a basement restaurant, which was really nice. After hitting the Temple Bar market for Lester and Erika to pick up produce, Erika and I went in search of good shopping while Mike and Lester headed to the Dublin Library. On our way back to Erika and Lester's apartment, we passed by her workplace and a giant hand. It was on the Department of Science and Technology grounds, and initially had a guy sitting in it. He got camera shy, though, which kind of ruined the shot but whatever. A perfect afternoon.
The evening consisted of visiting many, many pubs and seeing some of the sights. Firstly, we saw this statue like a million times that day because we managed a rather circuitous route. For the life of me I can't remember who it is, which is pretty ridiculous, and the shot is kinda crap due to the lighting, but he was a nice statue, and more importantly a landmark for myself in terms of navigation....Another navigation landmark is the Liffy, a big canal that bisects the north and south of the city. As you can see, the housing along it is quite dense, and to be frank, it kind of smells because there's a fair amount of garbage in it. But, it's a cool idea, no...?
We also saw a fair amount of very different architecture, Dublin being a mix of massive commercial development and preservation of historic buildings. This giant aluminum ball on top of a condo development was one of the uglier ones, though, I must say.
We then proceeded to pub-hop our way from the Temple Bar area back to Lester and Erika's apartment again. Some of the pubs in Dublin are truly spectacular; my favorite by far was the one housed in an old Cathedral fit with pipe organ and stained glass.
Of course, what's a pub if it's not surrounded by a bricked wall faced with headstones?! It makes sense that the builders would have to deal with the dead bodies (I don't know where those went) and other 'accessories' that accompany cathedrals, but it didn't really occur to me. Erika astutely noticed a wall of former headstones towards the back of the square. And in yet another example of ways that Dublin is torn between its past and future, these headstones were adjacent to yet another wall topped with spiked turnstiles of pain.
Oh, also, the cathedral pub boasts really, really expensive drinks. 2 Guinness and 2 Margaritas for a mere €30 (approx. $50). Ouch.
We then made our way over to a pub of Lester's recommendation; I think it was called The Ram's Head. Regardless, that's what I've taken to calling it. It had beautiful mosaic work throughout, and was really nice.
And, of course, as is predictable in major cities worldwide, there were police outside the pub. They were clearly very busy, as 3 of them were required to harass a old guy who was sitting on the sidewalk. No doubt the old guy was wasted and drinking in public; also consider that he needed crutches to walk/drag himself along the sidewalk. Meanwhile drunken Englishmen staggered about breaking bottles and being obnoxious. Awesome.
We started to head towards another couple of pubs in the Temple Bar area, but as Mike was wearing shorts and it was after 8pm (?) we couldn't actually get in anywhere. The pub security guys seemed almost embarrassed to have to do it, but admitted that short skirts are no problem. Next time, Mike will remember that... So, we ended up with some sidewalk tables for a bit just outside of the Temple Bar area, and that was nice. We met some people who wanted some guidance about Canadian travel, and we managed to sell Alberta adequately. And, also, answer their questions about Toronto.
We ended the might amongst Free Palestine protesters at the Hop House, one of Erika and Lester's local haunts. You may recall my initial references to it when I went to Dublin a few weeks ago. Lots of heated discussions and political conversations ensued, and it almost felt like being home. Almost.
The next morning, Mike and I dragged ourselves out of bed at 6:30am or some time equally ridiculous and began our trek home. The flight is only 35 minutes, actually, but the trains and taxis required to facilitate said flight are like 5 hours [without delays] so it was quite a hike. But worth every minute, really. Despite the fact that the airport coffee was crap, we prevailed and were back to the H around 3pm on Sunday.Since I'm out of pics, just a quick update on other news. I am now a Registered Social Worker, as you know. Since I'm surrounded by English Efficiency, I will likely still be under the job title of Reviewing Officer for the next 4 weeks, but it will all be sorted eventually. As most people have said, this experience is meant to teach me patience, right? As an added advantage, I can now access the elusive Moving Allowance as well, which makes me happy in my heart. The job itself looks pretty good--there are huge differences between Canadian and English social welfare legislation, which is making for a super steep learning curve right now. Also, people in the office laugh at me for referring to biscuits as cookies and crisps as chips. But, it's all in good fun--all of the staff have been very welcoming and kind, and the vibe in the office is positive. I'm determined to turn off my political-dar and remain firmly outside of any office politics that might happen, and the environment seems conducive to that. As an observation, there are approximately 40 staff persons in the office, with the Psychiatrist being the only non-white person.
Mike is Data Entering for next week and the following, and then his ESL job starts. We're not able to go to Barcelona, as he has a training day on the 29th of June, which was supposed to be our second day in Spain. **sniff** But, this makes some decisions regarding Daniel's visit in September considerably easier, actually. Looks like it's going to be London for 2 days, Rome for 3 days and Barcelona or Madrid for 2 days. He still needs to choose between the 2. Also, Erika and Lester are going to avail themselves of our soon-to-be spare room (1st of July, people!) during the second week in July, so that will be good.
I hope everyone at home is happy and healthy and well. On Wednesday I was overcome with feelings of disconnection here, and was missing everyone terribly. We've been here for 7 weeks already, which feels unbelievable to me. My goal for the next couple of weeks is to get involved with a sport or similar activity, with the hope of connecting with some like-minded people. Most people should have received postcards by now; if you haven't please e-mail and I'll try again.
XOXOXOXOXOXOX!
