Dublin Day 6: Saying Goodbye
On the eve of my
final night in Dublin, I want to take some time to reflect on being here and
remember my first experiences in Ireland. Though I agree with my professor, who
says we should be ready to leave Dublin and see more, I have absolutely loved
being here and learning so much. By being immersed in the life of this dynamic
city, I know so much more about Irish culture, city life, and people than I
would have ever hoped.
Today, however,
was not exciting at all. Even so, I feel as though I need to write about it. If
I get behind on these at all, I know that things will get worse as time goes
on. This morning was our first free morning all week, so we took advantage to
sleep in and wake up slowly for once. We got to eat breakfast in one of the
cool little glass alcoves of the hotel, which at least made the cloudy morning
a little brighter.
Once we had
eaten our fill and gotten ready to go, we set off on the long trip to visit our
friend Jenny in her Dublin Cookie Co. shop (29 Thomas Street—trust me, you’ll
want the address). We did not know what to expect, since we had never been to
that part of town, we had never met Jenny in real life, and she just opened the
shop on Saturday. But once we arrived, we were greeted wonderfully by a simple
but delicious shop filled with—obviously—cookies, milk, hot tea, and coffee of
every kind. Jenny is an amazing person who has lived in Dublin for eight years
and has been making cookies with her business for around 2 years. During that
time, she did not have her own shop, but did sell cookies with her partner at
local food markets that happen on weekends around Dublin. They are just
starting out in their new shop, and I think they are getting a fairly decent
crowd. As we sat and spoke to her about Dublin, what we had done already and
wanted to do, a few people floated in and out, buying cookies and then
continuing on in their day. She gave us recommendations on food, pubs, and
places she thought we would enjoy. At the end of our chat, she offered us some
cookies and tea for the road, and we gladly accepted. Any day I refuse either a
free cookie or a free tea, there is seriously something wrong with me. I
thought that the cookies would be good, as she has been perfecting her business
for a while now and has seen what sells and doesn’t sell. But let me just say
that when we drank her “special blend” vanilla breakfast tea and ate her salted
caramel cookies, we absolutely melted. Everything was completely and utterly
delicious. Every single cookie was worth eating, finishing, and cherishing.
They are not particularly fluffy or dense, but that just proves that they are
all completely homemade. As we walked down to George Street, we were in tea and
cookie heaven. I would recommend this shop to anyone and everyone. Thanks
again, Jenny, for your wonderful hospitality and your delicious cookies!
P.S. I borrowed some pictures from their Instagram (@dublin_cookie_co) to show just how amazing the cookies look, and to show the shop! Our cookies ended up gone before I could get a shot of them, and that should testify to how delicious they were.
After consuming
a couple cookies between the two of us, Diana and I made our way to Walton’s
music shop to pick up a tin whistle, or penny whistle. This is a traditional
Irish instrument that sounds like a breathy flute but looks like a recorder
made out of nothing but a brass pipe and a mouthpiece. Obviously, these are the
cheaper ones—they cost about €5-€6, depending on the place. And obviously,
professional whistlers can get much better quality ones that are not made from
a brass pipe. But the sound of a truly talented whistle player draws thousands
of tourists to buy one and try it for themselves. We musicians are no
exception. Diana purchased one for herself, and after some serious practice, I
realized my mistake in not picking up one of my own. Though the necessary
breath control is insane and the finger holes definitely do not use the same
muscle movements as the horn, I immediately loved playing it. Honestly, I
didn’t even know how to hold it properly—I was trying to point it out like a
snake charmer, which makes it squeak like a horrible wind blowing by a cracked
window. Sure, I need more practice. Sure, Diana is going to kill me for hogging
her instrument. And sure, we are probably going to get evicted from our hotels
for making too much noise. But I am so glad that we can practice both
traditional Irish tunes like Danny Boy, as well as great pop culture hooks like
Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter. The hollow, haunting sound soars above the
air in any room, slowly settling back in your ears as it comes back to the
ground. It’s a magical instrument that I hope I can master some day.
That errand
done, we walked back up George Street to Stephen’s Green mall (aka the actual
name of the Bird Cage that I only just learned today when I looked at the sign)
to pop into Boots. I picked up a Sleek highlighting palette (look how pretty!) and another
Bourjois velvet matte lip color, this time in 08, a vampy dark red. I also
found the Irish version of my shampoo and conditioner, so I bought some
full-sized bottles to stock up. I have a feeling I am eventually going to spend
way too much money at Boots, but I kind of knew that going in.
That quick stop
finished, it was 1:30 and time for lunch! We had decided much earlier in the
day that we wanted to eat at a place we walk by every day called the Fig &
Barrow, which we always say looks really cute but is only open for lunch, when
we are no where near it. Needless to say, we made the time today, and were so
pleased. There was no room in the main room, which was so elegantly designed,
but we still got to feast on pulled pork sandwich (me), chicken Caesar wrap
(Diana), and sweet potato and basil soup (both of us). We had so much left that
we just bagged it up and decided we would eat it in the morning for breakfast. It
was absolutely amazing, and I would also recommend this café to anyone who
loves interesting combinations, wholesome, healthy food, and good coffee and
desserts. Though we did not have time to stay for a pastry, their selection
looked wonderful. And, as their sign says, they make all of their goodies fresh
each day, so selection rotates depending on what’s baking that morning. Go
check it out on Baggot Street!
Our long walk
over, we settled back into the hotel and decided to take some down time. Packing,
reading, and Skyping all needed doing, so we checked off everything and even
had some time to practice the tin whistle. Like I said, it is an awesome
instrument. After a few hours in the room, we went down to our last dinner at
the Mespil. They served us carrot and cumin soup, seatrout with salsa verde,
and delicious carrot cake. Another successful meal!
We thought we
were going out to see some traditional Irish singing tonight, but our professor
ended up getting a headache that apparently transferred to Diana. Because of
everything and our early wake up call, we decided to skip the session and stay
in to rest. Which brings me to thinking about reflection on our time in Dublin.
As I sit here in our quaint little room, thinking about all that Ireland has
shown me so far, I think of all of the people we have met who have interacted
with us. Whether chatting, performing, or even blowing us a kiss while driving
a bus, we have met and shared spaces with so many amazing people. Not once here
have I felt out of place or unwanted. Yes, we look and act like tourists
sometimes. That happens to everyone, and it is bound to happen to us because we
are tourists. We are here for school,
but we are primarily here to learn about culture through cultural exposure itself.
And that is why I appreciate the warm welcome so much. Everyone—from the bus
drivers, to the guard, to the people in pubs, to the musicians, to the tour
guides, to the waiters—everyone has given us a chance to learn about the warmth
and comfort of Irish life, even in a place as busy and urban as Dublin. Come
tomorrow, when we drive through the fields and the mountains with sheep and
stone walls on all sides, I hope that the kindness and meaningful interactions
will continue to pop into our lives at unexpected moments. Because to me, that
is what makes the long, tiring trip worth it. A collection of interactions is
worth more than anything to me, and I am so glad it is happening for us.
And now, my
friends, I bid you goodnight. I have to get some sleep before the bus ride
tomorrow morning so that I can remain awake to watch the little lambs run
around the fields. I will take lots of pictures and tell you all about it tomorrow.
Thank you, Dublin, for being so amazing. We will see you again soon. Slán!
♥
photo credit Dublin Cookie Co. & Trip Advisor
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