Temple Bar is bordered by the River Liffey and Dame St, and preserves its medieval set up. It was the location of the first performance of Handel's Messiah (1742), and is a huge touristy destination in Dublin.
We went to a nearby pub to hear some live music (we joked about requesting the Star Spangled Banner), drink some whiskey, and engage the adorable bartender, Josh, in conversation. He told us he was in his final year of university, and is working towards a degree in forestry. One of the things Lizzie and I enjoyed the most in Ireland were our fabulous cab drivers. Any time we took a cab, we engaged the amusing and knowledgeable drivers in conversation, and in the way into Dublin this evening, our driver, Gerard, told us about an adult store which had been recently built. It's open until 3 in the morning, and when it was first constructed, a group of 80 year old men would be out in front protesting, counting their rosaries, and Gerard was like "someone needs to take the old fellows home." Maybe they could stop and get a movie or something first. ;)
On the way back from Dublin, our cabbie wasn't quite as friendly, until he learned that Lizzie had driven us all through Ireland, and then he suddenly opened up, proud of her pretty impressive acheivement. The western part of Ireland isn't easy to navigate through. Before I left Boston for Ireland, I talked to my friend Lisa, who will be going on a duck tour, as to whether they'd have similar tours in Dublin. They do, and they're called viking splash tours, and the tourists wear faux viking helmets and scream as they pass by large groups of people. Lisa--if they don't give you a horned helmet, they aren't doing right by you. Yarrrrrrrrr.
In any case, it's back to Boston tomorrow. Hope you all have survived Andrew okay. Can't wait to see you!
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