Girls Gone Isled: Dubliners, round 2

Today was an eventful day in Dublin. Ellen and I had a nice breakfast in the downstairs of the B&B. The thing that always strikes me about Europe is the wonderful aray of cultures and nationalities you wind up encountering during your day. At breakfast alon we heard French, German, Polish, and English being spoken. I think Americans who don't live in big cities such as New York tend to be uncomfortable with multiculturalism. I've heard my dad get frustrated with people who don't speak English in America and I've seen my roommate petition against things such as putting up Spanish translations in the public sector, and I think it's a shame. Multiculturalism allow people to grow. Looking at different viewpoints and ways of life or even just learning a foreign language forces one to question one's own way of doing things and could prompt positive changes for the individual. There is so much to be learned from other people, and when one discounts others because they are different or speak a foreign language, an amazing opportunity is lost. But okay, enough of my lecturing. Suffice it to say I really enjoyed the breakfast atmosphere.

Ellen and I then went on a 3-hr walking tour of Dublin. We saw City Hall, Dublin Castle, Christ Church Cathedral, the Viking ruins, Temple Bar, the Ha'Penny Bridge, Trinity College, Irish Parliment, and ended on St. Stephen's Green.

The tour was wonderfully laid out and extremely informative. We also had the added bonus of having an annoyingly high-strung Nebraskan there who was dead set on hearing every word that came out of our tour guide's mouth. Ellen and I were highly amused as at one point two girls asked him to take their picture, but oh, Louise was just starting her schpeal about the Ha'Penny Bridge. The Nebraskan glances nervously at Louise, gives the girls a harried look and reluctantly agrees with the instruction, "Quickly." God help me if I ever become as anal a traveler as that man. Subsequently, whenever Ellen and I have needed a laugh, saying "quickly" always does the trick.

After the tour we stopped by the National Archeological Museum, which was astoundingly awesome. Ireland is scattered with ruins and archeological artifacts dating back tens of thousands of years. We started out tour of the museum in the section full of "stuff" (i.e. Viking jewelry, spears, pots, etc.), moving on to exhibits on the cairns and burial grounds in Ireland, and ending with the most awesome bit of all. Appparently Ireland is a great place to preserve dead bodies. This is because Ireland is full of bogs. I think it's because bogs don't contain oxygen or bacteria, both of which break down the body after it's died. Anyways, Ellen and I stumbled into a room titled "The Bog Bodies." It seemed pretty bland as all it appeared to be ws a series of description stuck on these rounded walls. But, on closer inspection, you could walk around the walls and see the bodies on display. The bodies were hidden as they could be a little gruesome, i.e. awesome.

The one which really caught our attention was Old Croghan Man. His body, if you could call it that, was over 2000 years old. Archeologists suspect he was of royal descent because he had manicured nails (which were clearly visible when we saw the body. Old Crog Crog as it turns out was pretty brutally murdered. His torso was severed off his body and the torso then decapitated. His nippples got slashed too. When we made it around the wall, Crogie Boy just looked like a shriveled leather jacket with hands. It was incredible how his body looked after 2000 years in a bog. Even more incredible were all the things scientists were able to deduce about him from the body.

Ellen and I then headed to St. Patrick's Cathedral and watched the sun set over the adjoining park. We headed back to the B&B and grabbed some pizza and beers for dinner at another nearby pub.

Ellen remarked that our time in Ireland is providing us a wonderful opportunity to have a "college" experience together. I think that's a great way to look at it. Even though we spent so much time together in high school and have stayed in regular contact over the phone, Ellen and I have not ever been away from home together. It will be a great bonding experience for us; I look forward to the adventure to come.

(Accompanying photos:)