So, we’ve reached the final leg of our trip… Dublin.
First, the adventure. I’m happy to report that other than some spilled coffee (that burned right through the bottom of a cup, mind you) that there wasn’t an adventure. I wasn’t forced to use a laundry tub that kept my clothes wet. I didn’t have the Irish Death Plague Coursing through my lungs, making the simple 100 yard trip from bus stop to the lodge an undertaking worthy of Odysseus himself. (I’ve gotten literary in my Irish Times…) It was a typical trip.
Our typical trip began at 8:00 a.m., which doesn’t sound that ungodly but is still earlier than we’ve typically had to be presentably for some class activity, which usually began around 10:00. Because we’re writers, and it’s important to remember that writers sleep late. I’m guessing. That’s the excuse I’m sticking to, anyway. But we trudged to our first bus, ensuring we were there early enough to make sure our luggage made it, and there was a LOT of luggage. Some people on later stops needed to hug theirs to their seat because there was no more space.
Then, we made it back to the Galway Bus Station, where we’ve spent a good portion of the trip.
I should point out, that the trip was a reminder about everything I love about Ireland. The green hills, the sheer beauty of the land… it’s incredible. It’s something that I’m glad to have experienced first hand. I really wish I had the time to just spend a year exploring this island. Of course, I could spend lifetimes here.
After the Galway Bus Station it was off to our second bus. Thankfully this trip didn’t include any ferries that rocked with the waves to the point that it seemed like we actually were the mighty Odysseus, and that we’d really pissed off Poseidon. This trip just involved busses. And a little bit of walking.
But a scant five hours after we began our journey, we made it all the way to Dublin.
I’m kind of glad that we ended in Dublin. I wish we had been here for Bloomsday, mind you, but it’s a stark contrast to where we spent most of our time. Galway was a city in the sense that it had some buildings, a McDonald’s, and a thriving community of bars. The Aran Islands really might as well have been that island on Lost, where the good natured, long haired man who enjoys cheeseburgers would eventually end up becoming king. (Just saying.) And Doolin wasn’t really a “town” so much as it was one long road with a few pubs and cows. Lots and lots of jerk cows.
God I hated those smug jerk cows. Mooing all hours of the night. One of them charged us. He had blood on his mind.
Moving on.
But Dublin is a city, and once again, we’re back to finding Starbucks and McDonald’s on every street corner. It’s good in some ways. Mostly because… well, we’re back in a city. You can really only watch cows for a little while before they turn on you, with their bloodthirsty ways. But Dublin is a really nice city so far. It’s walkable in that I don’t feel like there’s a red bus or taxi (or cow) gunning for me at any minute. It’s nice in that it does have those amenities that I’m more used to.
But I do miss being out in the country a little bit more. Granted, it’s been one night, so I don’t really have much to go off of, and maybe it’s a little early for me to be nostalgic for the Doolin Donkey. But I think it’s just the end of the trip catching up with me. And sadly, Dublin does mean we’re almost at the end of our journey.
Today’s adventures also included a trip to the Writer’s Museum, where we learned that Ireland has a long history of writing troublemakers. Which is probably why I relate to Ireland so much. It’s full of people that took a look at the rules, and then decided the rules were crap, and just spent their time making fun of them. Oscar Wilde, Samuel Beckett, James Joyce… All spent their time mocking the establishment. Maybe we need more of that now. Maybe that’s something I can do with my writing one day?
We have a few more adventures coming up, mostly an exhibit on Yeats, and I just found out that Ireland is getting a movie more than a month in advance of America, which means that there will be what I’ve wanted to do from the get go (but existed mainly in smaller cities): Bad Shakespeare Takes Ireland Summer Movie Season combo post! Here’s hoping I can pull that off.
Anyway, here’s hoping the wrap up to my adventures are some great ones.
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