VoM2: Temple Bar, Dublin

I continued my theme of “Dublin tourist” yesterday with a thorough walk around much of the city that’s not covered in the guided tours. You get out of “the zone” pretty quickly and into areas that seem to be mostly residential and small offices. One building looks pretty much like the rest, as do the many, many pubs that are ubiquitous. Dublin is a compact city and very walkable, with some nice parks and green spaces spread about. If you stick to “the zone”, though, you’ll pretty much see what you want to.

I finished up the evening by spending some time in “Temple Bar” which, despite the implication of its name, is an area of the city and not just a bar. It’s the nightlife focus of Dublin, densely packed with restaurants, clubs, theaters and, of course, bars. Although there were a few old-folks like me scattered about, the clientele was mostly young people of many nationalities, parading around for each other as they are generally wont to do. There’s music everywhere, some of it good.

Overall, I like Dublin. I give it strong marks for its history, broad international flavor, compactness and ease of getting around, plus, of course, “saints” Guinness and Jameson. Take off a few points for general drabness of architecture, food, etc. and there you have it. It’s an easy and rewarding place to visit, especially if you’ve not been spoiled by many of the world’s truly great cities.

Think I’m done being a “tourist”?… Just wait, there’s more! Early in the morning I’m headed to the train station to join a week-long tour of the west and a bit of Northern Ireland. While I’m in the mode, I decided to continue letting somebody else handle all the logistics for a change. It ought to be an interesting experience for me, eh? Check the map and stay tuned!