It was the beginning of spring when I arrived. I had looked Dublin up online, had seen photos and “walked” on Google Maps. I knew Dublin was not a big city, however when I got off the bus that took me from the airport, I saw a wide avenue, O´ Connell Street, packed of people walking everywhere, going every direction and on the ridge a huge and fabulous reflector needle called "The Spire", an urban landmark.
Dubliners are cheerful, relaxed and easy going. They barely get angry, barely shout out. I had never seen people dressing as Sherlock Holmes, so sophisticated, most of them wearing sports shoes though, ladies wearing heels and socks combined, such a weird thing, due to the climatic conditions I guess. Day after day, from 6pm onwards, dubliners head out to a pub, in there holding a pint of guinnes (best beer ever by the way) or any other beer, they enjoy the pub´s atmosphere, cheer up, chat outdoors if it isn´t not raining, which it is hardly ever. The sky barely clears but when it does, they bring out sunglasses straight away, at parks people can be seen lying down, unwinding at lunch time.
On the streets cars are driven so carefully, however they need about 6 car movements to park the car. People have a really hasty pace for walking, I try to match them but honestly I cannot keep up. It doesn’t matter, I get distracted whenever I see a beautiful ginger girl riding a bike, it is so sexy.
I spent the first fortnight wandering throughout the Georgian Dublin, the shopping district and the Temple Bar area. Fortunately, those were cloudless days. The ancient terraced buildings, 4 storeys generally, with smokestacks are a distinctive of the city. It looks like I am in the 18th century; most of them have been there for a long time. Buildings are quite similar each other, bricks facades, brown, grey and red tones which from a distance mixed together into a single tonality. Pedestrians experiment a monotonous environment. Any clueless person can easily think they have not changed position in their walk.
I went to Diceys and Everleigh, a couple of nightclubs. It was like Narnia, another world inside there, quite different from outside. If you have not been inside, you will never notice. By that time, I was living in a really tiny flat within the Georgian area. There were few steps before you get to reach the wooden door entrance from the sidewalk. Once inside, a long carpeted hall, roofs decorated with mouldings, a staircase with balustrade handrail of painted wood in front of the door with flats circling it. Buildings beside mine are identical and those 200 meters further were exactly the same. What has happened? Perhaps there was an urban law which used to force building identical buildings. I wonder how Dubliners can live in such narrow spaces; even the detached houses are small.
Anyway, unintentionally I found the docklands area which it could easily be another city, but that is another story. Dublin, a thriving city.
Dubliners are cheerful, relaxed and easy going. They barely get angry, barely shout out. I had never seen people dressing as Sherlock Holmes, so sophisticated, most of them wearing sports shoes though, ladies wearing heels and socks combined, such a weird thing, due to the climatic conditions I guess. Day after day, from 6pm onwards, dubliners head out to a pub, in there holding a pint of guinnes (best beer ever by the way) or any other beer, they enjoy the pub´s atmosphere, cheer up, chat outdoors if it isn´t not raining, which it is hardly ever. The sky barely clears but when it does, they bring out sunglasses straight away, at parks people can be seen lying down, unwinding at lunch time.
On the streets cars are driven so carefully, however they need about 6 car movements to park the car. People have a really hasty pace for walking, I try to match them but honestly I cannot keep up. It doesn’t matter, I get distracted whenever I see a beautiful ginger girl riding a bike, it is so sexy.
I spent the first fortnight wandering throughout the Georgian Dublin, the shopping district and the Temple Bar area. Fortunately, those were cloudless days. The ancient terraced buildings, 4 storeys generally, with smokestacks are a distinctive of the city. It looks like I am in the 18th century; most of them have been there for a long time. Buildings are quite similar each other, bricks facades, brown, grey and red tones which from a distance mixed together into a single tonality. Pedestrians experiment a monotonous environment. Any clueless person can easily think they have not changed position in their walk.
I went to Diceys and Everleigh, a couple of nightclubs. It was like Narnia, another world inside there, quite different from outside. If you have not been inside, you will never notice. By that time, I was living in a really tiny flat within the Georgian area. There were few steps before you get to reach the wooden door entrance from the sidewalk. Once inside, a long carpeted hall, roofs decorated with mouldings, a staircase with balustrade handrail of painted wood in front of the door with flats circling it. Buildings beside mine are identical and those 200 meters further were exactly the same. What has happened? Perhaps there was an urban law which used to force building identical buildings. I wonder how Dubliners can live in such narrow spaces; even the detached houses are small.
Anyway, unintentionally I found the docklands area which it could easily be another city, but that is another story. Dublin, a thriving city.