PUBBING IN THE RAIN

There are certain places you visit, here or abroad, where the weather must match what is pictured in your mind. When visiting Miami, there must be Art Deco pastel painted hotels that face wide golden beaches, and gleaming white Ferraris cruising down the boulevard, where only wrap around sunglasses and sunshine will do.

Looking for your heart in San Francisco? Well, the Golden Gate bridge had better be immersed in a puff ball of fog. London’s Big Ben can only put you in that Winston Churchill mind set when the skies are gray and a Sherlock Holmes fine mist is swirling around.

And so it was when Cutest and I recently visited Dublin, Ireland. On our first afternoon of exploration of the cobblestone streets and alleys, mist, then drizzle, then light rain only to return to mist immersed us back in a Jules Vernes time machine and the 1700s or even much earlier period. This is what we imagined and we were indulged. 

No Key West bright yellows or pinks to be found in Dublin.  Bar fronts or any retail establishment uses a pallet of brown, black, maroon or gray (maybe an occasional red) to cover their facades. In the dull late afternoon light we expected Scrooge (I know, he was an English character) to come grumbling out of any doorway and push his way past. Each wet cobblestone was a reflective stone mirror of the meanderings of those on their errands of the day.

To dry our rain gear and to wet our throats, we tucked into a couple of fine pubs where both liquid refreshments and local foods were served. The Irish are friendly folk. They smile, they are pleased to answer your questions, and there’s always a twinkle in their eyes when they offer up a toast.

Clouds and mist lurking outside only made every pub feel cozier.  Even when sitting in a pub of sixty or more, it still gave off that Cheers vibe. Imagine sitting deeply in your favorite wingback chair, a purring tabby on your lap and a fine Irish whiskey in your hand as the fireplace blaze crackles away. Sounds like a scene from a Hallmark Christmas movie.

As day faded into night, after sampling a few pints of Guinness (we are convinced it's made differently and tastes better than what is served in the U. S. of A.) and some delicious Irish stew, we strolled back to our hotel.

We considered our first day in Ireland a success on many levels and went on to enjoy many more.

MY FRIENDS ARE THE BEST FRIENDS,

LOYAL, WILLING AND ABLE,

NOW LET’S GET TO DRINKING

ALL GLASSES OFF THE TABLE!

P.S. Here's one of Cutest's 'great' videos showing you the inside of the Bank on College Green, so named as a bank was recycled into quite a good restaurant, aka pub.