Shopping off of Grafton Street - Dublin

One of the advantages of being in an older city is there are lots of great lanes and odd little streets to explore. This street off of the main shopping thoroughfare - Grafton Street - has always interested me.

Maybe it is the way the streets curve or the ornate lights that are above the shops. There are a lot of jewelers on this street as well and it seems to be a bit of a "lovers lane" in the city. I have never been in one of the stores on this street, but I find that I take it as a means to get across the city whenever it is convenient . . . and sometimes when it is not.

St. Stephen's Green - Dublin

All great cities have great parks. There are a lot of parks sprinkled throughout Dublin. However, the most popular park is St. Stephen's Green. During this trip, I had the good fortune to be able to walk through the park on my way to the City Centre every morning.

There is something lovely and compact about the park. Even better, there is not really a direct route through the park. With it circular walkways that intertwine throughout, you can enjoy walking a different way through the park all the time. It is a great place to also relax and people watch.

Bluegrass Session at the Cobblestone

One of my favorite places in Dublin is the Cobblestone. It is a great place to enjoy a wonderful pint and listen to some great traditional music.

The music sessions at the Cobblestone are open, which means anyone can join in (and is encouraged to do so). It also means there is not set list of songs and the musicians do not have microphones. As you can images, the lack of a PA system encourages people to gather around the musicians.

On this particular Saturday afternoon, there is a blue grass session that goes on. Although not strictly traditional Irish music, bluegrass music does have its roots in traditional Irish music. The music is great and the pints are like mother's milk. Not a bad way to start of a Saturday evening.

Traditional Music at the Cobblestone - in motion

While I was in Dublin, I took some photographs during one of the traditional sessions that I attended. Since my camera was enabled with a video camera as well, I shot a bit of the song the bluegrass session players were performing. Isn't a video just a successive series of photos?

At any rate, the video work isn't the greatest, but it will give you a feeling for the environment of traditional music. It is amazing to me that a place like this still exists in Dublin. Most of the other bars use microphones, have bands or closed sessions, and are riddled with tvs.

The Cobblestone in Smithfield village is a proper pub. It is a place you go to drink pints of Guinness and listen to the local musicians plans traditional irish musics (and sometimes a little bluegrass).

Trinity College Dublin

I really like walking through the campus of Trinity College. Not only is there a buzz around the campus because of day-to-day activity, the place has been home to some of the literary geniuses of Ireland.

This photograph shows the campanile at the center of the main entrance. It is very close to the Old Library which houses the Book of Kells - an illuminated manuscript created by Celtic monks in the AD 800 period.

There is such a sense of tradition in this place, the old stone buildings and cobble stone courtyard help to create the sense of timelessness that exists here.

On Holiday in Dublin

I have not been very good lately about updating the photo blog. I was on holiday in Dublin. This photo was the first one I took. I went to my favorite books store and picked out a few books to read. Then, I headed to the Quays pub in Temple Bar.

There is nothing like a good book and a really good pint of Guinness. It was so lovely and creamy. Definitely a good start to any holiday. I am going to be posting my photos from the trip over the next few days.

Broken Phone Booth

Whenever I am at the laundry mat, I often wonder if anyone every used the pay phone. Tonight, that questions was answered with a resounding yes. I heard a drunk guy talking to someone about the fact that he wanted to get his stuff back. He was threatening to shut their gas off and was accusing them of taking his stuff to the dumpster.

I guess you use the pay phone when you don't have a cell phone or if you are broke. I guess that is why this payphone, the one outside the laundry, is even funnier because it was broken, but the folks using it are broke as well.