DUBLIN

I have taken so many pictures, and still have several
from Cork that I would like to post, but also want to
write about today. I am in Dublin, staying in a
sweet little house/flat belonging to a friend. She is
away, as of this morning, and I am loving having
space to myself. Since leaving Montreal nearly
3 weeks ago, I don't think there has been a single
day on my own! It has been wonderful, and
stimulating, and lots of fun….and today, alone,
has been GREAT!

This is the
street where
I am staying.
Little front
gardens, and
fairly quiet,
considering
I'm in the
middle of
the city.

Today I went into city centre, taking the LUAS,
which is the tram. It took me a few tries to get
the ticket out of the machine, not noticing that
the credit card icon had a big X on it, telling me
that it was pointless to keep shoving my credit
card into the slot as I was doing. I felt a little
foolish, with a great line gathering behind me.
But now I know how to do it!
The stops on all the trains and trams are
announced in Gaelic (Irish) as well as in
English. Street signs are written in Irish as
well as English, as are motorway signs. The
kids take Irish in school, the same way that in
Canada we all take french.

Here is a
sign with
a familiar
icon, but
unpro-
nouncable
words!
Unless
you're
Irish.

On one of the main downtown streets, I saw
this statue which I suddenly realized was
alive! Here's the image:

As I was walking by, I saw one of the men move his
head a little, which was when I realized they were
alive, and holding these positions in the boiling hot
sun! The dog was not real!

The first thing I saw when I got off the tram was
this church, and when I got closer I realized it is
the Unitarian Church of Dublin.

It is much fancier than
the Unitarian churches
I am familiar with.
Debra, how would you
like to be the Minister
here?

I thought this sign which was
posted outside might
be interesting to the
Unitarians who might
be reading this blog: