June 22: Dublin

Impressions of Dublin so far:

-Looks and feels like Boston mixed with Seville
-People are friendly and warm
-We are farther North than we thought! The sun doesn't set until 10:30 pm and it's still just getting dark at 11:00!! It's so weird. And the sun rises at 4-something. I had heard that about Scandinavia, but didn't think about Ireland. Northern Scotland will be even crazier! (Although we were here for the Summer solstice so it's lightest of all this week.)
-The Irish really do love to talk, tell stories, and sing. Our tour guide pointed out a Gaelic description on a plaque that described how a window was broken. In English it just said "the window was broken;" in Irish Gaelic it translated "the window was smashed to smithereens." So much more colorful in Gaelic (and smithereens is an Irish word). English, originally a practical Germanic language, was enriched by French due to the Norman invasion and beautifully lyricized by Irish. I want to study more about it.

Day 2:

I had gone to bed having just received a text that my friend Christie is moving away, so I woke up feeling really really sad. Erik left for CrossFit and I just wanted to stay in bed and mope, but I dragged myself up and put on my running shoes. From years of experience I knew that 2 hours later I would be much happier if I had run than if I hadn't, and it of course proved true again. The sunny day, the happy music in my ears, and meeting Erik as he came home from CrossFit restored my energy for the day. I woke the kids up earlier so we could hit the sites we'd planned: St. Michan's church with its crypt mummies, a kids' museum based on Viking-era and Medieval-era Dublin, and Christchurch Cathedral, followed by lunch at the Queen of Tarts, then on to Irish Dance lessons, home for a quick rest and change of clothes, and then a night time concert of Riverdance.

I ran around in our neighborhood, which is a working-class area 15 minutes outside downtown Dublin. Some apartments looked quite run-down, but many were cared for beautifully and so charming with their bright doors and pots of flowers. We could tell where New York and Boston's aesthetic came from.

Erik had to work, so the kids and I set off for adventure! We knew we would be exploring crypts, but we didn't know they would literally be holes in the ground!! Lindsay was pretty nervous at first. 

Lucy makes the descent. Lindsay followed after we reported high ceilings and enough light.

There were indeed lots of dead people down there, including several preserved mummies (accidentally, due to the limestone, which absorbs moisture in the air and thus dries out the bodies). One is thought to be a crusader because of his crossed feet. A few are nuns.

Dublinia! We have learned so much about Vikings on this trip. We debated the merits of moral relativism, with Sophie defending the Vikings' violent way of life because it was not based on our belief system - they really did believe that was the right way to live, and that they would get to Heaven (Valhalla) by bravely slaughtering people for honor and their own personal gain. I think that ability to see from others' point of view is extremely mature and necessary for thorough analysis. But we also pushed back against it, wondering whether any of them had a conscience that pricked them with thoughts of their own wives and children and whether they would want someone to do that to them. Murder, rape, and thievery causes great suffering, so it cannot be a social system of the same value as a system that encourages peace, care, and protection for the weak. I mostly held back and listened to the kids explore these issues, my heart bursting with pride.

Sophie in the stocks

Christchurch cathedral

After a lovely lunch at a cute little cafe with the sweetest waitress, a long walk to our Irish Dance lesson!!! I will send you a video of us if you want to see.

Riverdance at the Gaity Theatre! This was one of the most thrilling surprises on the trip so far. I had seen Riverdance in Ireland in 1995 and again when the kids were little and I remember loving it, but I had not remembered how jaw-dropping it is. Also, I had remembered buying seats far back in the balcony, so I was surprised to find that they were second-row seats where we were making eye contact with the dancers and nearly getting splashed with their sweat. Of course it's over-the-top drama and of course the background music track with the synth makes it feel like a production rather than authentic Ireland, but those dancers, vocalists and live instrumentalists are legit. We were holding our breath or grinning so hard our faces hurt the entire time, and I cried during the bagpipe solo. Lucy cried for most of the second act, so overcome with the emotion of being a dancer and coming home to Ireland.