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June 28 - Dublin
Click a picture to see a larger view.
Ellen was ecstatic.
Doug Gresham called and left a message. Douglas, son of Joy Davidman
and adopted son of C.S.
Lewis is Ellen’s
only cousin. He was the original inspiration for visiting Ireland and, although the trip took on a life of
its own, Ellen was disappointed that
her last email to Douglas
remained unanswered. She left the name and telephone number of the hotel where
we were staying in her last email and she was very pleased to have heard from
him. Tomorrow, we head for his home.
Today, we hit the stride of the city.
After first taking a picture expedition down O’Connoll,
we headed to Dublin
castle where we arrived just in time for a guided tour. “Castle”
is a misnomer. The structure was built on the ruins of a Norman castle of which
only one turret remains. The rest is a classic British courtyard with Georgian
style buildings. The castle is more of a palace with large reception and
banquet halls, the largest of which 
hosts
the inauguration every seven years of the president of the Irish Republic.
One
of the surprises of the tour was when we were guided through an archeological
dig beneath one corner of the modern buildings on the site. It was an
accidental dig. The building engineers were looking for the source of a sinking
foundation when they discovered the remnants of the castle moat. As you walk
down steps hung around the dig, you see the ancient 
walls
of the 
Norman
castle. As the archeologist found, the lower parts of the wall were built by
the Vikings. They could tell this was Viking construction by the cement used
between the stones. Viking cement is made using horse hair and egg shells. Humm.
Could the collapse of Viking empires be traced to an egg shortage? I wonder.
Today
was clear with patches of blue, unlike the two previous days in Dublin of scattered midst
and light rain. It brought out the street performers. On one corner was a woman
playing the electric harp, on another, a man painting chalk art onto the
sidewalk, on yet another, a man playing Irish music. He was sitting by a statue
commonly known as the “tart with a cart,” named so due to the ample bosom she
displays.
That night, we attended a Somerset Maugham play at the Gates
Theatre, The Constant Wife. We were told that theater is popular in Dublin and it was evident.
Midweek and the theater was full of people who appeared to represent a
cross-section of the city. The play was cast with top professionals. It was a
fine finish to the day
Well,
perhaps our traditional martinis were the fine finish to the day.
Click Below to see the display of rabbit sculpture that
lined O’Connell Street
while we were in Dublin
