Oui! Je Suis Ici!

Yes! I am here! This is the view from right around the corner of my hostel. (Yes, Wade, I climbed it again, the stairs to Sacre Cœur.) Right at this moment I am sitting on the stairs of Sacre Cœur listening to street performers and deciding where dinner will be.

This morning was uneventful. The flight was fine, I got some knitting done. I got the RER fine into the Gare du Nord and the Metro to where I was staying. I'm in Montmartre but I think I'll go to St. Germain for dinner.
I was unable to find a locker at the Gare du Nord, but the hostel seems quite safe. I have one roommate, a girl from Australia who seems quite friendly. It was a pain to lug the suitcases through the Metro, lucky for me a kind gentleman grabbed the big one and got me on the train just fine. He also carried it up and out of the Metro where I thanked him profusely and told him my friends were waiting and I didn't have a number in Paris. Mes amis m'attendent! The gentlemen here ask for attention but are not persistent. Thank god.

So now I sit and my stomach rumbles. To St. Germain!
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Continental Drift

I just finished repacking my suitcases for Paris. I'm hoping to secure a storage locker at the Gare du Nord (the north train station near where I'll be) so I don't have as much luggage to manage in the shared dorm. I sure hope the hostel I'll be staying at has clean towels because I don't see any way my big green beach towel is going to fit in my little suitcase. (By the by, bringing my own towel was a great idea... The towels in the hostel I'm at now are about the size of a postage stamp.)

Yes, it is time to move on, I only have one breakfast voucher left. Speaking of breakfast, this morning it was terrible! No sausages and no coffee! Eggs and what I would call Canadian bacon were good, but the tea tasted a bit like fish. When I asked the breakfast attendant where the coffee was she pointed to instant coffee packets. "I prefer this coffee, it is really good!" I didn't find out. I found out the tea they were offering tasted a little like socks.

After my caffeine-less (but still pretty good on the pork) breakfast I stopped by the post office on the way into the city. I sent some items of clothing back along with all my Dublin books and maps and other books I had finished. I had gotten out pretty early and it was interesting to see a Dublin neighborhood on a Saturday morning, there were women in fuzzy robes coming from the corner store and people in pajamas randomly. I think Loring Park should encourage this and downtown Minneapolis as well. No need to get dressed before noon on weekends.

After my errand was completed I went back to the Charles Beatty Library and finished looking around. Then I made my way though St. Stevens Green and then Merrion Park. I pride myself on always having lived within the vicinity of Loring Park and I hold it dear, but Merrion Park might just be my favorite. I spent a lot of time doing park things, like thinking.

The National Gallery was right across the street so I checked it out. I have so much I could say about my time there but I'll just list the highlights and these who are so inclined can Google the artist or the piece if you aren't quite sure why I nearly wet myself to be able to see these:
*Harry Clarke's illustrations of Hans Christian Andersen
*a great collection of Jack B. Yeats, especially his later works
*huge Danish painters collection which means a few things, not only was Rembrandt's The Flight to Egypt, but a great Vermeer - A Lady Writing a Letter, and of course a bunch of great vanitas
*Hieronymus Bosch, The Descent into Limbo
*a few good Goya portraits, but El Sueño was my favorite
Of course there is a ton more and I could go on about each and every one, but I'll save for in person with those I know I won't bore!

As I was sitting outside the museum wondering what to do next and feeling a little melancholy (for I think my kind of loneliness comes after I've been somewhere a bit--keep moving and I'll be fine)... So I was sitting and stewing a little when an old Irishman came up to me and took my hand and told me I was lovely. We exchanged a few words, Edward and I, before he kissed my cheek and ambled on. It was a greatly appreciated small comfort.

I ambled on after a bit to the National Library of Ireland to check out the Yeats exhibit. They have a lot of stuff. You know, this has nothing to do with my trip but I just remembered last semester when I was doing a presentation on Diderot's Encyclopédie, my class met in the Andersen Library across the way from the Robert Bly exhibit. Before another student was about to talk about Paradise Lost, the rare book curator's eyes got real big and he interrupted telling us, "This may sound weird, but Robert Bly is in the Robert Bly exhibit."

Now when I see exhibits like this Yeats one, I think about the actual honoree visiting it. I think my favorite document was the Questionnaire on Creative Effort he was given by some preeminent psychologist to fill out. It was one of those silly Q&As that ask something like "Do you always have to work for inspiration? Always... Usually... Sometimes... Never." Yeats, as you could imagine never circled one without comment.

Not much happened after my last museum stop. I went back to the hostel and began practicing my French. I should actually get going to get a good night's rest. Next time I'll post it'll be from the continent!
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Report From Marino

Two posts in one day! Not that either of them are terribly exciting. The picture shown here is the view from the window in the hall. You can see the city centre in the haze.

I think I have my route down pretty well. I walk from Marine down through the Summerhill neighborhood to get to the central part. Today I went to an Internet cafe to wrap up some schoolwork and chat with Dan. Then, since I was near, I ate lunch at the Queen of Tarts. I don't know if I mentioned it but that is where I had the brownie. I might eat there again tomorrow, if anything for dessert. It is the cutest little cafe on a side street near Christ Church Cathedral and it reminds me not only of Tina's (where I first started cooking professionally) but Spoonriver (the last kitchen I cooked in). I highly recommend it for anyone who ends up in Dublin.

After lunch I went to the Chester Beatty Library, which is pretty much a museum on books, but it has other artifacts as well. Chester Beatty was an American who traveled extensively and collected books and manuscripts from all over... He loved Dublin so much he was named an honorary Irish citizen in the 1950s and his collection resides here. Holy cats. I'm going back because I didn't get to all of it before it closed. The religion floor is full of remarkable books and items I had never seen the like of before in all my museum going. There had to have been about twenty or so papyrus pages from a codex of the gospels from 250 AD and a swatch of the book of John from 100 AD! That's not to mention all the rare illuminated Bibles and Korans. Wow. The illustrations from Persian and Iran on the lower level were incredible as well, it made me want to read Pamuk's -My Name Is Red- again.

On the way back I walked though Grafton Street, but again, I may return. Going up my usual way I had a lot of company for I go past the stadium and U2 is playing this evening. It was fun to see the pubs overflowing and everyone excited for the show.

Well, I'd better get going. I'm putting a fresh coat of red paint on my nails in preparation for Paris!
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The View from My Morning Bench

I meant to post a more general post about my travels thus far since yesterday was not as busy day, but my Internet service was down last night. But it is up and running today so here I am.

Each morning I have breakfast here in Marino and sit outside admiring the view. I never thought of Ireland as a particularly flowering place, but I have been constantly overtaken by beautiful flowers on every turn. Especially since I walk through a residential area each day to get to the city centre. The roses grow like hostas grow in the Midwest. They are everywhere. I've sent numerous pictures to my mother already!

It has actually been very nice, to email Mom each day and I encourage others to email me whenever as well. I get them immediately and am more likely than not able to respond right away. I've noticed there are one comments on the blog, thank you both Ron and Wade! But for some reason I can't enter my own comments in reply. I still urge you to leave comments, but I also welcome emails - it makes me feel still connected to hear my phone alert me to an incoming message!

I have two full days left in Dublin. Today will be my foray to Grafton and the very central part of Dublin. Tomorrow will be a repacking day and smaller walking day as I prepare for Paris. I may bring my sketchbook back to the National Botanic Gardens... We'll see. Hope all is well in the States!
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It Is "Lashing" Out, Again

As a woman nearby so aptly put, it is lashing out. Which is to say that it is pouring rain. I am waiting it out a bit in the cactus wing of the main glass house in the National Botanic Gardens. Having been in Dublin a couple of days I think it won't last long. I hope.

The National Botanic Gardens is incredible. I've taken a bunch of pictures so take a look. The gardens were established in 1795 by the Royal Dublin Society. The glass structures are amazing and remarkable considering how old they are. It makes my usual haunt of the Marjorie Bell Conservatory look like child's play.

Haven't done much else today since it turns out I walked across Dublin and back yesterday. I got a bunch of work done and rested my poor legs. I'm not as young as I used to be! To be fair though, I don't know many who could have faired very well on such a trek.

Well, as expected, the sun's out and shining bright now!
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A Good Day for a Lady-Nerd

Okay, so first, a lady-nerd is a term Dan coined for me and my girl friends and I know once I describe my day he'll agree it was a lady-nerd kind of day.

I did what is becoming routine this morning: wake-up, eat breakfast and walk into the city centre. Today's goal was to first go to the Irish Museum of Modern Art, but my Google directions led me nowhere since I was following "user created content." I found the appropriate address but it seemed so far away. So I went to the next place on my itinerary, one of the oldest libraries in Europe, but since they close at lunch I decided to go back to Lower Camden where there had been a ton of little eateries.

I was on the prowl for something more my taste since last night's chicken and gravy on fries--I mean chicken curry--(you can see the pics on Flickr) left me wanting. I found a great lunch at... Shoot, I forgot the name but I think I'll be back... Anyway I had a lamb steak with a mint cream sauce, sautéed sweet potatoes and ratatouille for only €10. I would have taken a photo but it was dim and I didn't want to draw attention to myself. So good.

Afterward, with renewed spirits I decided to take the hike to the museum. I found some great streets along the way like Francis Street which is the antiques and tiny art gallery street. I'll go back there... I didn't take any pictures there because my battery was getting to the halfway point.

Same with the museum which is kind of hidden away. They had a Terry Winter's show that was very good. They displayed many of his sketches which were awesome. I also saw a great Ann Hamilton and a typical but still good Kiki Smith.

Then back to Marsh Library which is through a little archway behind St. Patrick's Cathedral. I highly suggest looking it up to read more about it, I'd include more now but I'm keeping an eye on my battery power. At the top of the stairs is a big door and a little bell to ring. Once I rang, a little Irishman peeked out and asked, "Would you like to visit?" His tone was of pure curiosity, as if once I was presented with the choice there was a possibility I might not want to. "Absolutely!" I responded, I couldn't wait! There was a few people who rang after me who said "no." I think they were from Ohio (the doorman asks everyone where they come from)... Even after he offered them a discounted rate of €1 they turned around and left. Right after them, however, was a mother and three little boys chomping at the bit to see books with chains and the skull. (The skull is from the head of Stella, Jonathan Swift's longtime 'friend'.) In the back of the library are the cages where scholars were locked in with books (um, where can I get in that line?). But after looking at the titles I can see why they had to look scholars in: Commons Journals, State Trials, British Statutes.... Blah!

Actually, the postcard in the picture is of the over 300 year old library (no photos inside) and the rest, well the brownie disappeared a few paragraphs ago and the coffee is getting cold. I'm on my way to Christ Church Cathedral to check out the choir before I head back to home base...
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Afternoon Coffee on the Liffey

You may not be able to see it in the picture, but what it says on the buildings from left to right is "Heineken," "Royal Liver Insurance," and "Guinness." Ha. I am quite literally sitting on the Liffey River, I can see the water between the slats of Bachelor's Walk.

Last afternoon/evening I walked the other way down Griffith Avenue and down Drumcondra. I realized I had gotten nearly to the city centre and that with my already in place walking habits that I may not need a bus pass at all. I dined at The Cat & Cage (you can see the meal on my Flickr page) and went back to my room for a good night's sleep.

This morning I enjoyed the free breakfast of which I chose eggs, sausage and baked tomato. It was very good, especially the sausage, and it has been keeping me going all day.

It was drizzling when I left, but I felt very smart for bringing my own umbrella. Little did I know that it doesn't matter if you have an umbrella in Dublin, I was soaked from my waist down. I warmed up and dried off in a cafe before heading in the direction of the Trinity College Library, which unfortunately would not let me find a corner to camp out in. Instead they directed me to the public library.

Thankfully by this time the rain had stopped and it actually had become quite warm. My drying continued as I made my way from the quaint book store ridden neighborhood to the bustling O'Connell Street. I found the mall in which the library was said to be and noted that Dublin's Public Library is very much like Minneapolis' public libraries (with the exception of my haven, the Central Library). It was stinky and sweaty and small and full of loafers. Bah. I figured I'd rather do my reading somewhere else and left.

I still haven't found a great place although on the way out of the shopping area I did find a pair of black jeans for €13! And a black and white striped T-shirt for €4! By the by, for all my fashion conscious friends, it is all about the LONG sweater or vest. LONG. And skinny jeans, of course. And flats still.

So now I sit, still on the search for a quiet reading place (and loving all the distractions). Just deciding now whether to scope out some dinner here or on the way back to my room (since I do have to get work done today). Hope all is going well at all your respective homes!

BSH
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