Well we're on the way home and I am writing this sitting in limbo (again) at Halifax Airport...(free WiFi... we brought out 12" Mac G4 with us, small but adequate.) We have been travelling for more than 12 hours and it isn't over yet. Dublin to Heathrow, Heathrow to Halifax and finally Halifax to Montreal. The layovers are long so it makes for long delays between flights but at least we didn't have to run between terminals at Heathrow. That is one huge airport, when we got our boarding passes at Dublin, there was a warning that it would take us 1/2 hour to get to our connecting flight. The gates are always advertised with the amount of time it takes you to get there, 10min, 20 min, etc.
The last couple of days we have been packing our baggage, bringing back the rental car (They upgraded us to a Ford Mondeo, a car that is way too big for Irish backroads. It had the turning radius of a tank and it was often a very tight fit ;o( ) We also took two days to visit Dublin town, we would take the bus in the morning and take the bus back late afternoon. (We sure weren't going to risk the tank on Dublin's streets. )
Dublin is not a huge city, but it is a very pretty one, with it's Georgian Squares, its Georgian doors, its pubs, songs, museums, the River Liffey, with its multiple bridges and parks; Stephen's Green, Phoenix park (biggest city park in the world 2,5 times Central park). We saw the statue of Molly Mallone, famed fishmonger and supposedly part time harlot, immortalized in song. The Dubliners, having a good sense of humour, have baptised the statue "the Tart with the Cart". We visited the Irish National Museum of History, a really well done museum that houses the treasures of Ireland. The museum covers Irish history from pre-history to modern times. Since much of Ireland is bogland and bogs preserve all kinds of things both organic and non-organic, they have a huge collection. There is an exhibition of "the hoards" discovered, the gold work is stunning, especially when you realise that it dates from between, 3500 and 2000 years ago. The torcs, braclets, pectorals and chains are truly magnificent and the delicacy of the work is mind boggling. Almost as awe inspiring are the organic things that have been preserved in the bogs. There is a 23 foot dugout canoe, made from a single log of oak that dates from the late neolithique over 4500 years ago. There is clothing, food, shoes, weapons and finally human remains that are perfectly preserved. The "bog men" are so well preserved that you can easily make out their faces, and how they died. One has so well preserved hands and arms that you can see his nails and the lines on his palms. He is also wearing a leather armband that would not be out of place today. On another, you can make out his hairstyle, short on the sides and back with longer hair on the top of his head tied in a topnot. They were probably sacrifices, and they were probably nobility (no callouses on their hands and well manicured nails, good clothing and not suffering from malnutrition.)
What is even better, is that like the British Museum this museum is completely free. Yes, in Dublin, the state museums are all free of charge. The Irish are proud of their heritage, and are not afraid of showing it.
So that's about it, I'll try to download my photos as soon as possible. So from Halifax Airport, "slán a fhágáil ag duine"
The last couple of days we have been packing our baggage, bringing back the rental car (They upgraded us to a Ford Mondeo, a car that is way too big for Irish backroads. It had the turning radius of a tank and it was often a very tight fit ;o( ) We also took two days to visit Dublin town, we would take the bus in the morning and take the bus back late afternoon. (We sure weren't going to risk the tank on Dublin's streets. )
Dublin is not a huge city, but it is a very pretty one, with it's Georgian Squares, its Georgian doors, its pubs, songs, museums, the River Liffey, with its multiple bridges and parks; Stephen's Green, Phoenix park (biggest city park in the world 2,5 times Central park). We saw the statue of Molly Mallone, famed fishmonger and supposedly part time harlot, immortalized in song. The Dubliners, having a good sense of humour, have baptised the statue "the Tart with the Cart". We visited the Irish National Museum of History, a really well done museum that houses the treasures of Ireland. The museum covers Irish history from pre-history to modern times. Since much of Ireland is bogland and bogs preserve all kinds of things both organic and non-organic, they have a huge collection. There is an exhibition of "the hoards" discovered, the gold work is stunning, especially when you realise that it dates from between, 3500 and 2000 years ago. The torcs, braclets, pectorals and chains are truly magnificent and the delicacy of the work is mind boggling. Almost as awe inspiring are the organic things that have been preserved in the bogs. There is a 23 foot dugout canoe, made from a single log of oak that dates from the late neolithique over 4500 years ago. There is clothing, food, shoes, weapons and finally human remains that are perfectly preserved. The "bog men" are so well preserved that you can easily make out their faces, and how they died. One has so well preserved hands and arms that you can see his nails and the lines on his palms. He is also wearing a leather armband that would not be out of place today. On another, you can make out his hairstyle, short on the sides and back with longer hair on the top of his head tied in a topnot. They were probably sacrifices, and they were probably nobility (no callouses on their hands and well manicured nails, good clothing and not suffering from malnutrition.)
What is even better, is that like the British Museum this museum is completely free. Yes, in Dublin, the state museums are all free of charge. The Irish are proud of their heritage, and are not afraid of showing it.
So that's about it, I'll try to download my photos as soon as possible. So from Halifax Airport, "slán a fhágáil ag duine"
3 comments:
I would love to see the bog men - that sounds astounding.
Welcome almost home.
slán a fhágáil ag duine
Yeah, that...
Welcome home brother mine.
Oh, wow. After my nightmare through customs in Vancouver I had given up on my dream of going to Ireland, but now I feel I really must visit this museum. Thanks for the descriptions and I can't wait to see your pictures.
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