History Made Real!

This evening, as I was enjoying my dinner, busily tucking into what has now become the dining hall's staple supper meal of potatoes and shoe-leather, and particularly enjoying tonight's particular variation of shoe-leather, whose luscious texture, wonderfully anonymous brown gravy, and delectably pink undercooked and E.Coli-ridden center made me savor every bite in my mouth, before spitting the wretched stuff back on my plate, I began to contemplate the historical significance of my meal. Every bite of potato I took (in substitution for the "meat" I wasn't eating) made me appreciate more how the potato famines of the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries that decimated Ireland and parts of Scotland. I could totally understand, how, if this one crop failed, people literally had nothing else to eat.  It'd be like the Eskimos running out of seal, but at least they would have snow cones. Here I was, living this history! And this made me remember that I had not shared all my photos from Ireland. So, enjoy these picture from the Dublin, while I go find something else to eat...

This may be my favorite picture. I know it's kinda underwhelming, but its a great picture of the mix of Dublin, old and new, sacred and profane, high culture and blue collar, breweries and not breweries...

 Cool picture of a church. I don't want to be stereotypical, but I seriously think this is St. Patricks...

Or maybe this was St. Patricks...

Or maybe this dark spooky one was St. Patricks... Funny, I don't remember my trip being so Catholic-themed... Oh, well at least I stayed in...

OH THAT'S RIGHT A MONASTERY! (That's my friend Erin in ecclesiastical awe of our hostel.)

On an unrelated note, a storm has rolled, bringing howling wind and a bit of thunder, in that is making tonight feel a lot like the setting for the beginning of a scooby doo episode. I love Scotland!