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| Herbert Park morning walk |
I had the opportunity to go to Dublin in late April/early May for a work project. It was a bit of a challenging trip to plan -- who knew that getting from Seattle to Dublin was tricky? Besides covering the basics (and purchasing a Rick Steves book for myself), I did little prep beyond getting ready to teach four classes! This is really uncharacteristic for me -- I'm the person who plans like you can't believe before traveling and then has plenty of options when I get on the ground.
So I found myself folded into a tiny coach seat on BA flight to London, heading off to the semi-unknown of Ireland. And it was certainly an interesting journey.
I know that a lot of folks are really sold on Ireland -- people inquired very enthusiastically about what I was planning, how excited I was, etc. - and while the trip was alright, it wasn't quite amazing. But before I dis on Ireland, my two caveats are as follows:
- Work trips just aren't the same as fun trips. Sort of. I've had a ton of fun on work trips (say, Sydney... Tokyo... Zurich... etc., etc.) but I imagine it is a different experience when you aren't cramming sightseeing between meetings or events. So the parts of Dublin I saw the most were the areas around my hotel and around the office, which, while nice, probably weren't the best places.
- Europe is one of my favorite places to visit, and once you start traveling around Europe, you set your bar pretty high. And, sorry Dublin, but you just can't compete with Paris. Or Austria.
That being said, what I loved most about Dubin was the people! Everyone was incredibly friendly and helpful and generally cheery. I've never been in a country with so many thoughtful and kind cab drivers (one spends a lot of time in cabs on Google business trips)! The weather, though quite cold in the morning at and night, was unseasonably nice. The local office was bright, splashy, and filled with welcoming Googlers.
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| Upper Library |
I didn't have a chance to see too many sights, but the ones I saw were nice. My favorite was the Book of Kells and the library at Trinity College. The Book of Kells is a manuscript of the four gospels from about 800 CE, and the exhibit was really great. But afterwards, they let you into the library, filled from floor to ceiling with ancient books. It was a fantastic experience and made me want to buy all of the books I love in classic, hardbound editions and add on a library wing to my house (my library as it stands is completely full, and I'm limiting myself to the number of books that can fit, nicely displayed, of course, on the shelves). I also enjoyed the Natural History museum, though I only had an hour to wander around before it closed. They had a fascinating exhibit on bog buddies, more or less mummies who have been dug out of peat bogs. Most of them were only torsos, as it seems that part of the bodies were lost in the machines that extract peat.
The touristy area just north of Trinity was also fun -- filled with buskers, my favorite shop there called Avoca, which sold amazing lambswool blankets, scarves, and hats, and some cute restaurants. It was nice to stroll as the sun was setting, hearing the voices and the guitars echo off of the walls and the brick streets. I loved the long walk from the historic core to the hotel, especially the brightly-colored doors on Georgian homes. And I loved touring the old churches and appreciating the walls of stained class panes! I didn't take as many photos as I'd like, but I'm still getting the hang of my new camera!
So I'm not throwing in the towel yet, as far as Ireland is concerned. Everyone speaks so fondly of the countryside, and so I hope I have the chance to go there some day. This trip, however, was more about having a positive impact on others through teaching, sharing wine with a colleague, and relaxing in a park drinking hot cocoa as the sun set.
And that's what travel is really about -- connecting. That's why I'm always on the road.
xo
Sarah
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