This is a long time coming, but I have finally gotten a chance to upload and comment on the photos from my trip to Ireland. The sad fact is that in the chaos of my trying to get out of the country my charger didn’t make it with me. So I took what I could and it died somewhere in Dublin. But I managed to at least get some shots of Dublin and the Guinness Storehouse

The Spire is a monument built in the city center of Dublin. Right down the main street. You cant see in this picture but there are little lights at the top. The thing is mostly a joke to the people there. It was supposed to ring in the new Millennium for Ireland. However they didn’t erect it till 2003-4. But its a nice thing to stare at for a minute, the sad thing is it was a winning design out of thousands, I really want to see what lost to it.

This is the post office. Made in blah blah a long time ago. EVERYTHING there is so old. Statues are on everything. I lost count of all the statues and who they were of. Over the years the building have changed occupants and purposes so many times its amazing.

Another statue I believe this one is of Oscar Wilde. They really love that guy. so far these are all within a couple hundred feet of each other. All along the main street in Dublin, O’Connell street, where I was staying.

Trinity College, a classic example of Victorian architecture. The windows get progressively smaller with each floor to give the illusion of height when looking up from the street. Also something about the servants lived on the top floors so they didn’t get the big windows.

Thats right, a store named Knobs and Knockers. They carry the finest in door knobs and door knockers in Ireland. I love it.

A couple of crappy shots of the only color statue in Dublin. Oscar Wilde again, lounging on his favorite rock across from his old house (not pictured). In the future I will actually walk the sites. Actually stopping and finding the shot I want seems a lot better than just snapping wildly as the bus flies past the subject.

The entrance to the main park in Dublin. Created very long ago and quite beautiful. I didn’t have time to actually wonder around the park but it seemed very nice from the outside. Apparently there is some rule on the books that says that citizens are allowed to graze their livestock in the park. No one does that anymore but U2 apparently bought a flock of sheep and ran them around the park for a day just because they could. My kind of people LOL.

Various “St. Someone’s Cathedrals”. Gorgeous architecture, and once again the age of everything is staggering. I mean how did they ever construct these monuments with the primitive tools and technologies. Oh wait thats right, forced labor and LOTS of time. Amazing the things of beauty that can come from horrible actions.

I took this shot just to try to give the impression of the surroundings, The mix of old and new. Walking amongst buildings that were built forever ago but have new things shoved into them. The whole city feels like that. New icing on a VERY old cake.

And the transitional piece, just before I jumped off the bus as it pulled into t
he Guinness Storehouse we came across this statue of its founder and apparently he did other things as well. Important things I am sure. I mean what else do you need to do besides concoct the best dark brew on the planet, but he did them. Whatever they were.

Ahh the place where dreams are made. Or at least DUIs. I was lucky enough to trade taking a picture for having mine taken. So this is my only appearance in this photo set. Yet another reason to travel with others.

Ahh the great wall of beer. Every bottle Guinness has produced since its inception into the ranks of mighty brews.

The waterfall inside the shop to show the purity of the water. I am really glad they don’t use this particular water after some of the things I…I mean other people were throwing into it.

The timeline of the history of guiness. Just pass this room is the first free beer you get. Its called the tasting room. But it should be called the endless supply of half filled glasses of Guinness room.

Such interesting little things can be found tucked into corners as you ride the escalator system up toward the Gravity Bar and the highest point in the factory. Like this little place to write a message and stick it on the old vat.

“Florida pwning in the Guinness Storehouse. For all those who couldn’t make it”

And now the highlight of the storehouse the Gravity Bar. Well more specifically the view from the bar. I have noticed my tendency to take pictures of the context or highlight of a thing without a picture of the thing itself. I will attempt to correct that on my next trip. In my defense, I was rather plastered at this point and am happy that I managed to still operate the camera. The place itself was crowded, but FREE BEER, and GUINNESS. COME ON!!!

If you look in the center of this one you can see the spike in the city center.

What a view, I highly recommend a trip to the top for a look around. Well to end the day I jumped back on another bus and rode it around the remainder of the tour. There wasnt much to see except the monument pictured next. I don’t have the slightest clue what it is all about but man it was huge.

So that was the end of my second day in town. The remaining 4 were spent wandering the countryside and seeing the major sites. The Cliffs of Moher and the Giants Causeway. Due to my lack of power there are no photos here for them. Probably for the best considering the inability to take pictures of them and possibly grasp the awesomeness. Even standing there your eyes don’t believe it. It looks like a picture. Its a weird feeling. However I did have a couple of helpful strangers that offered to email pictures of me they took while I was there. I do hope they materialize. If so I will add them as soon as they do.