Dublin, Ireland: Guinness Brewery

Well, it's been six days since our last show, so I think the majority of us are ready for a work day. As the saying goes, "idle hands are the devils workshop". We arrived in Dublin a couple of days early due to the Paris shows being postponed. I didn't have plans for Dublin, but I knew that I didn't want to spend my days drinking in the local pubs every night. Instead, I opted to go straight to the source, the Guinness Brewery. No, honestly, beer is not my alcoholic beverage of choice, I'd much rather a fine bottle of red or something bubbly, but, seeing as how I'm in Dublin, it made since to do as the Irish and "throw back a chilled pint", plus,... it was one of the highlighted stops on the city bus tour. Yep, I and my buddies were tourist for a day making all of the pertinent stops around town, while riding on the open air bus. I've learned not to criticize "those" people anymore,... yes, the person in town for a day or two, walking aimlessly with their head held high and cocked at a 45 degree angle observing any and everything above eye level, a Canon camera dangling from around their neck and a paper map at their disposal. I find that "occasionally", I AM "those" people and that's okay.













The bus pick up location was at a nearby intersection, it was from that point that we made a loop around the city all the while listening to the automated explanation and commentary for the historic landmarks we saw. Most interesting to me was learning of Trinity College of Dublin, founded in 1592, the Book of Kells, Ireland's most coveted manuscript and seeing the birth place of renowned playwright, poet and author Oscar Wilde.
Once at the Guinness Brewery, which, might as well have been called the "Guinness Brewery Magnet and Tourist Depot", we skipped the tour and headed straight to the top to The Gravity Bar. A bar with an endless supply of Guinness and a 360 degree view of the city. Being a Guinness "newbie", I did my best to get through my pint with a little help from my friends. We laughed and cheered with a few toasts, before leaving to go to Grafton Street for some window shopping.








The streets were full with the "hustle and bustle" of people seemingly moving fast, but going nowhere. It was now late in the day, the stores were soon closing and we had finally worked up an appetite. Unanimously, we decided on Wagamama, a favorite. Being back in Europe and the UK, it was only a matter of time before we'd seize the chance for the "Asian persuasion." For anyone not familiar, Wagamama is an easy modern dining experience of pan-Asian cuisine that taste very fresh and flavorful. As for the US, there are only locations in Boston and DC, so I get my fix whenever I'm in Europe. We worked off our meal by walking a good distance back to the tram stop that would take us to the Gibson, our home away from home. In all, it was a day well spent. Now,... what to do with the rest of my days off!?....