Heavy Dose Of Dublin Grayness

I have to admit I enjoyed the dull grayness pervading the chilly Dublin air this week. After leaving the vibrant, “bonne vie”of Paris, Ruth and I arrived at our latest destination in mid morning struggling to keep our umbrellas upright in pelting rain. Amidst the normality of such austere weather conditions here, I desired to probe how Dubliners had weathered the ravages of such hard times? My analysis would provide ample reason that these hardy people adapt quite well to such dismal weather. We would accordingly refuse to allow such weather weariness dampen our own spirits on this visit.

A first clue to Dublin’s staying power arose upon being informed that our Air B&B flat would not be ready to occupy for several more hours. Popping into a local coffee cafe, then, we would spend our idle time savoring the warmth of a hot coffee, sweet carbs, reggae music, and the solitude of an easy chair to plan our four day itinerary. Our later wanderings would reveal no surprise about why there were so many pub-filled establishments throughout the city. A heavy dose of Irish Coffee as well as Guinness Beer seemed tempting options for Dubliners under these circumstances.

Settling into our cozy flat in mid afternoon, we desired to walk along the nearby O’Connell Street corridor leading to sites in the heart of downtown.Yet the inclement weather convinced us to make use of the Dublin mass transit system and wisely book a ”Go Dublin “Pass for convenient hop-on, hop-off access throughout a more expanded portion of the city. This efficient mode of transportation would shelter us from the shivering wetness as we conversed friendlily with fellow passengers and sang Irish songs with them along the way.

So many famous writers have lived in Dublin. I could now join this esteemed literary past and use the “downtime” created by anticipated foul weather to write to my heart’s content in the company of Oscar Wilde, George Bernard Shaw, James Joyce, and Jonathan Swift. It excited me that the wind blown grounds of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the shadowed blackness of the River Liffey, and the rain soaked presence of a homeless beggar would stir my creative juices as they did long ago for these immortal authors.

When the overcast skies finally cleared, we decided to get out and explore the surrounding coastline.Traveling by train to the seaside gem of Howth, we absorbed the serene atmosphere of this fishing village and realized that the Dublin milieu did not portray all gloom and gray. Toughened to endure a weather beaten existence, Dubliners can always find a time/place for experiencing some “sunshine”in their lives. So keep your “head up” when your thoughts turn to gray and realize that “blue skies” will always lie on the horizon.