I spent it at the Guinness Brewery, once I got to Dublin. I checked into my hotel and took the bus straight there; seem #13 ferries you door to door. I'd prepaid my ticket so sailed right in and immediately went to Arthur's Restaurant, where I had the best Irish Stew ever.
You have a great view of the city, even from this restricted space. And that was the first of 2 pints I had while there (the second one was free). It's amazing how fantastic it tastes. It's not bad in the US, but still...no comparison...
Then you ramble through this amazing building on a self-guided tour of not only the brewery but the city of Dublin and the history of treating your employees right. I'll deal with the exhibits, later; right now I'm still just amazed at how wonderfully they've used this building. It's my third time doing this tour...and being overwhelmed by it all.
I stayed till they closed, then hopped a bus back to O'Connell Street and walked over the Poet's Bridge, AKA: Ha'penny Bridge. Legend is, it used to cost half a penny to cross so you didn't have to go all the way down to O'Connell.
This view is from the center of the bridge (that bridge in the distance is O'Connell). It looks almost magical, but what you can't see is how much quieter Dublin is as compared to the last time I was here. In 2006, traffic was so bad, I got caught in gridlock trying to return a rental car and almost ran out of gas. Today, so many shops are empty and signs everywhere are offering spaces "to let"...it's close to spooky. People are begging in the streets, just like they do in San Francisco or New York. Talk about hearbreaking.
You can thank the rich and their minions for screwing up what was once a vibrant, exciting economy.
This view is from the center of the bridge (that bridge in the distance is O'Connell). It looks almost magical, but what you can't see is how much quieter Dublin is as compared to the last time I was here. In 2006, traffic was so bad, I got caught in gridlock trying to return a rental car and almost ran out of gas. Today, so many shops are empty and signs everywhere are offering spaces "to let"...it's close to spooky. People are begging in the streets, just like they do in San Francisco or New York. Talk about hearbreaking.
You can thank the rich and their minions for screwing up what was once a vibrant, exciting economy.
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