CÚIG GHRIANGHRAF-Ireland Day 29

Today was "bonus" day 1 in Dublin. When we woke up, my first thought was "we should be on our flight home right now". It was a fleeting thought though as we planned for the day. We started the day with a great breakfast in a nearby café as our hosts were entranced with a rugby game with Ireland as a finalist (they won).

It was one of the few sunny days that we've had in Ireland, and it was absolutely spectacular. We had booked a hotel about a mile and a half away and we decided to just walk with our backpacks. When Jim first proposed that we only take two backpacks on this trip, I was skeptical. Since then, every time I have seen tourists lugging roller bags over cobblestones, I'm grateful for his wisdom. It's also been great for my strength and endurance. Walking has definitely become a healthy habit, and I have enjoyed our walling adventures-definitely a gift of our European travels.

We said good-bye to our hosts, Peter and Jarek. They really were delightful, and we appreciated our stay with them. We made our way over to Wynn's Hotel, a stately older property across the river in Dublin. The desk receptionist found us an available room for an early check in, and she handed us a key with an attached weight that reminded me of sinkers used in deep-sea fishing. She advised us that it might be prudent to leave the key at the property when venturing out rather than carrying the key. We checked into our room which is spacious and comfortable.

We learned that there is a premium fee was added to the room as Dublin is hosting the hurling finals on Sunday. At the risk of being gross, I do have to admit that every time Ireland boasts its affinity for hurling, my warped mind goes to the slang definition "Well, of course it is, given Ireland's stereotypical reputation for heavy drinking." Hurling is an ancient Gaelic outdoor sport resembling Gaelic football. The closest thing I can otherwise think of is lacrosse although the sport seems pretty fierce like rugby.

One fun fact that I learned: The game has been described as "a bastion of humility", with player names absent from jerseys and a player's number decided by his position on the field.

A local acquaintance also told us of the legend of the "Mayo (county) curse:

"According to this much-disputed story, a priest put a curse on Mayo football after the lorry transporting the victorious ’51 players failed to pay proper respects to a funeral cortege in Foxford. Supposedly the priest decreed that Mayo would not win another All-Ireland until all members of the team had gone to their eternal rest." The last player passed last September at the age of 95. I'm not sure how Mayo fared during the season, but we thought it was a funny story.

Meanwhile sports fans will be out in force today as they root for Limerick and Kilkenny. I guess I have to root for Limerick given my ancestral ties.

We learned that there was going to be a Trans/Intersex March in Dublin during the afternoon. We thought we would go watch the march as a show of solidarity and alignment with my Q Center volunteer work back home. John, an online acquaintance told us that he was planning to March so we decided to join him.

While we were waiting for the march to begin, I talked with some of the organizers. One organizer was attached to the international Socialist party, and when he learned that we were from the Pacific Northwest, he asked if we knew Kshama Sawant. I told him that I knew her, and that we have voted for her once on the City Council, but we didn't support her in the subsequent term. We had a good conversation about activism. I shared with him that I appreciated the topics that she raised, particularly the fight for increasing the minimum wage, but that attacking perceived opponents was not a winning strategy if you can't build a winning coalition.

We appreciated the opportunity to march, particularly as a show of support for members of our community who are severely marginalized. We also have missed Pride celebrations back home as well as across Europe. This felt like a grounding opportunity.

One of the landmarks of the neighborhood where we're staying in a large stainless steel spire that reaches 121 meters in height. I learned that this spire was built at the former site of the Horatio Nelson pillar which was bombed by the IRA in the mid '60's. When we asked John about the purpose of the spire, he remarked that no one seemed to know and that the only cool feature was when they made it look like a Star Wars light saber. I have decided to rename the momunent "The No Point Pointed Needle". (Space Needle seemes to have been claimed.)

We ended the evening with a spectacular Itakian dinner, the best we've had since our time in Italy. Despite our disappointment in not being home, I do think that we managed to make limoncello from lemons.Read more