Yes Bubs you do have some Irish DNA. I know you and President Bush like to claim you're an "Merican" but we all came from somewhere. In fact Bubs did his Ancestry DNA saliva test a few months back. Findings:
33% Irish
41% Western European
11% Great Britain
7% Scandinavian
2% West Asian
2% Middle Eastern
less than 1% Pacific Islander
-trace element going back 20 generations? huh? have you tried this test for Ancestory.com?
And all these years Boca thought he was mostly Martian.
DUBLIN, IRELAND
More texting and driving.
Rain, then sun, then rain and lots of young people on the streets.
And many many cranes sprinkled throughout the city- lots of building going on here. Good to see this because after the housing crash of 2008 many of the young folks left the country due to lack of work. Looks like things are back on track.
1st stop St. Patrick's Cathedral-been here before but we all know Boca never misses a chance to visit a church.
Pondering, something Pleep is learning to do.
Alter glowing- did Boca hit the maximum church visits allowed?
No Pleep, you cannot pontificate at the pulpit!
Yup, that's probably what my wife would want....a coffin up on the wall....at Saks.
The Grave of Jonathan Swift, Dublin
The grave, to the right of the entrance to the cathedral, is very simple, consisting of a gated off area on the floor, with little to distinguish it other than two plaques, one for Jonathan Swift and the other for his life-long companion and friend, Esther Johnston, or “Stella” as he called her. To the left of the entrance there is a bust of Swift and his epitaph, which he wrote himself. He had a strong sense of justice and his satirical essay “A Modest Proposal”, in which he suggests that the children of the poor be fattened up for the rich to eat, was an attack on the heartless attitude of the Irish rich towards the poor.
He was a writer, poet and a priest – serving as Dean of St Patrick’s between 1713 and 1742. A lot of his work was published under a pseudonym; e.g. Gulliver’s Travels was first published under the name of Lemuel Gulliver.
Swift had a great fear of death; it was thought that for most of his life he suffered from Méniére’s disease, and it is possible that towards the end of his life he suffered from Alzheimer’s disease; many considered him insane, with his outbursts of violence and his sudden speech problems. He died in 1745 and left his money for funding an establishment in Ireland for the mentally ill, for, as he said: “If there was ever a country in need of such an institute, it is this one”.
You will be happy to know Boca and Bubba FINALLY updated their wills before they left on this trip after many months of having it sit on the lawyers desk. Can we call that a little too much pondering Bubs?
The cool air and wind feels so good after the the heat of southern Europe. And lots of tourists here as well.
He was a writer, poet and a priest – serving as Dean of St Patrick’s between 1713 and 1742. A lot of his work was published under a pseudonym; e.g. Gulliver’s Travels was first published under the name of Lemuel Gulliver.
Swift had a great fear of death; it was thought that for most of his life he suffered from Méniére’s disease, and it is possible that towards the end of his life he suffered from Alzheimer’s disease; many considered him insane, with his outbursts of violence and his sudden speech problems. He died in 1745 and left his money for funding an establishment in Ireland for the mentally ill, for, as he said: “If there was ever a country in need of such an institute, it is this one”.
You will be happy to know Boca and Bubba FINALLY updated their wills before they left on this trip after many months of having it sit on the lawyers desk. Can we call that a little too much pondering Bubs?
The cool air and wind feels so good after the the heat of southern Europe. And lots of tourists here as well.
Oh joy, another church.
Loving those oh so colorful doors.
And no Boca, we are not going to try the hanging basket gig again. Enjoy'em while you're here!
Getting her Irish on? Green corn rows will do it.
THE GLORIOUS DOORS OF DUBLIN
So how did these colorful doors come to be?
The history behind the Georgian Doors
The story of how these doors ended up splashed with rich colors, bringing the perfect dose of effervescence to Dublin’s street scenes is an intriguing one in and of itself and one that really resonates with Pleep as he is a big believer in-individuality. Dating all the way back to the 1700’s during the Georgian Dublin time period (1714-1830), an era that describes the architectural style of the city’s buildings and also marks the beginning reign of King George I to the death of King George IV, Dublin became very prosperous while also rising to become the largest city in the British Empire after London. As the city’s affluence built, so did its elegant style of architecture. 
New chic Georgian homes were being developed beyond the medieval town and initially were given strict architectural guidelines. At that time, each building maintained the same uniform look and lacked any originality. Eventually, to break away from the strict structural rules, residents began adding their own personal flair to their doors. Colorful painted doors with ornate knockers and elegant fanlights above the door was a result of this push for individuality. Wonder if this would fly at Quail West?
Pleep's personal favorite-fabulous fuchsia. So what does your front door say about you?TRINITY COLLEGE OF DUBLIN- been here too, but Boca can't get enough of the learning scene.
Per Wiki:
Trinity College is the sole constituent college of the University of Dublin. The college was founded in 1592 as the "mother" of a new university, modelled after the collegiate universities of Oxford and of Cambridge, but, unlike these, only one college was ever established; as such, the designations "Trinity College" and "University of Dublin" are usually synonymous for practical purposes. It is one of the seven ancient universities of Britain and Ireland, as well as Ireland's oldest university.
Originally it was established outside the city walls of Dublin in the buildings of the dissolved Augustinian Priory of All Hallows. Trinity College was set up in part to consolidate the rule of the Tudor monarchy in Ireland, and it was seen as the university of the Protestant Ascendancy for much of its history. Although Catholics and Dissenters had been permitted to enter as early as 1793, certain restrictions on their membership of the college remained until 1873 (professorships, fellowships and scholarships were reserved for Protestants). From 1871 to 1970, the Catholic Church in Ireland forbade its adherents from attending Trinity College without permission. Women were first admitted to the college as full members in January 1904.
Trinity College is now surrounded by Dublin and is located on College Green, opposite the former Irish Houses of Parliament. The college proper occupies 47 acres, with many of its buildings ranged around large quadrangles (known as 'squares') and two playing fields. As of 2016, it was ranked by the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings as the 96th best university in the world. The Library of Trinity College is a legal deposit library for Ireland and the United Kingdom, containing over 6.2 million printed volumes and significant quantities of manuscripts (including the Book of Kells), maps and music.Some historial architecture around campus....
The square in front of the library and The Book of Kells exhibit.
Hey Pleep, didn't we see that same sculpture at the Vatican? So much for one of a kind.
And there we are lining up to see the Book.
Per Trinity's info on the book:
What is the Book of Kells?
The Book of Kells (Trinity College Dublin MS 58) contains the four Gospels in Latin based on the Vulgate text which St Jerome completed in 384AD, intermixed with readings from the earlier Old Latin translation. The Gospel texts are prefaced by other texts, including "canon tables", or concordances of Gospel passages common to two or more of the evangelists; summaries of the gospel narratives (Breves causae); and prefaces characterizing the evangelists (Argumenta).
The book is written on vellum (prepared calfskin) in a bold and expert version of the script known as "insular majuscule". It contains 340 folios, now measuring approximately 330 x 255 mm; they were severely trimmed, and their edges gilded, in the course of rebinding in the 19th century.
Where and when was the Book of Kells written?
The date and place of origin of the Book of Kells have attracted a great deal of scholarly controversy. The majority academic opinion now tends to attribute it to the scriptorium of Iona (Argyllshire), but conflicting claims have located it in Northumbria or in Pictland in eastern Scotland. A monastery founded around 561 by St Colum Cille on Iona, an island off Mull in western Scotland, became the principal house of a large monastic confederation. In 806, following a Viking raid on the island which left 68 of the community dead, the Columban monks took refuge in a new monastery at Kells, County Meath, and for many years the two monasteries were governed as a single community. It must have been close to the year 800 that the Book of Kells was written, although there is no way of knowing if the book was produced wholly at Iona or at Kells, or partially at each location.
Why is the Book of Kells famous?
The manuscript’s celebrity derives largely from the impact of its lavish decoration, the extent and artistry of which is incomparable. Abstract decoration and images of plant, animal and human ornament punctuate the text with the aim of glorifying Jesus’ life and message, and keeping his attributes and symbols constantly in the eye of the reader.
There are full pages of decoration for the canon tables; symbols of the evangelists Matthew (the Man), Mark (the Lion), Luke (the Calf) and John (the Eagle); the opening words of the Gospels; the Virgin and Child; a portrait of Christ; complex narrative scenes, the earliest to survive in gospel manuscripts, representing the arrest of Christ and his temptation by the Devil. The Chi Rho page (folio 34r), introducing Matthew’s account of the nativity, is the single most famous page in medieval art. There are portraits of Matthew and John, but no portrait of Mark or Luke survives. These were probably executed, like other major pages of the manuscript, on single leaves and they are presumed to have become detached over time and lost. In all, around 30 folios went missing in the medieval and early modern periods.
But the upstairs Long Room is one of Boca's favorite libraries. This will be Pleeps first visit so she wants to make sure he takes it all in.
Bubs can't stop sneezing- mold and dust abound. And Pleep is able to see ALL of the books.
Yes, Socrates is one of Boca's favorites. Asking a lot of questions seems to run in Boca's DNA- maybe related? Note to self: get your spit analyzed when you return to Naples.
Yes Bubs, must exit through the gift shop.
Since he saw the grave of Jonathan Swift, Pleep insists that we purchase a Gullivers Travels. Did you read Gulliver's as a kid?
YEAH, WHAT ABOUT THOSE IRISH WRITERS?
Per Français Powell explanation:
You have to go back in time to discover the origins of Ireland’s propensity to create great scribes. Ireland can boast that it has one of the oldest forms of vernacular literature in the world, with only Greek or Latin rivaling it. The Irish could claim to be literate from the very earliest centuries, making use of a simple writing system called “Ogham” which was a way of communicating by way of inscriptions on little stone tablets. “Tain Bo Cuailnge” also known as “The Tain”, a story of a battle between the Queen Medb and her husband was written around the sixth century is widely regarded as one of the first major epics in literature and storytelling and is still published in various translations for a modern audience. The tale itself was written in classical old Irish and later into a more recognizable form of Gaelic called Middle Irish more readily understood for those wishing to keep the language alive.
Put aside the ancient roots of Irish literature, some might say it is the intervention of alcohol that has contributed a lot to Irish literature. Take James Joyce for example, accredited as being a “functioning alcoholic”, able to work and write to the best of his ability despite being known for being a heavy drinker (something that ran in the family, his father equally liked to drink). Joyce, seemingly quite a wild man, could be found in the streets, going on binges and getting in fights. It was only the “morning after” while recuperating with friends that he would set his mind to writing great literature.
Samuel Becket led a colorful life, his writing is known to express a bleak outlook on human life and culture while incorporating gallows humour and black comedy, Becket slurped red wine every night until the early hours of 5am, did his drinking habit impinge on his writing?
Samuel Becket led a colorful life, his writing is known to express a bleak outlook on human life and culture while incorporating gallows humour and black comedy, Becket slurped red wine every night until the early hours of 5am, did his drinking habit impinge on his writing?
One undeniable fact is Ireland steeped in a rich cultural history which sets it apart from many others. Significantly it’s also a history that is chequered and turbulent continuously up to the present day. A close look at their history reveals they have been conquered and repressed and made to suffer at the hands of invading tribes, from Celts, the Angles and Saxons, followed by the Vikings who came to rape and pillage and finally the English left their mark on this country. All these incursions igniting ideas for meaningful literature, a culture desperately fighting back against perceived Imperial suppression.
SO WHO'S YOUR FAVORITE IRISH WRITER?
AND SPEAKING OF WRITERS AND DRINKING : SO MANY PUBS, SO LITTLE TIME
But the really good ones in Dublin are still kind of quiet. People will drop in once, twice, three times a week, just to see who's around, what's going on. They might have traditional music, guitars and fiddles and all of that, but the conversation has to flow. You can't be in a place where it's too noisy to talk, because the talk and the drink go together. Don't forget the joke!
A lot of the pubs in Dublin that are really good pubs, the decor hasn't changed at all-I guess it's worked for 150 years, why change? They're like museums, they curate them. And in a place like that, you find staff that's been there for 30, 40 years. A lot of pubs in Ireland are being taken over by corporations, but the good ones are still owner-operated, by a real "publican". Pleep can't stop saying the word...so close to his political party and he says a much better descriptor.
What difference does the owner-publican make?
The old idea of the publican living over the pub is mostly gone, but in the country the pub used to be the post office, and still is the mortuary--there are a couple places around Ireland where they have the mortuary or funeral director sign up, where there were no hospitals or morgues nearby. If you had to wait three days for the family to claim the body, you would take it to the local pub and take it down to the cellar with the beer.
The old idea of the publican living over the pub is mostly gone, but in the country the pub used to be the post office, and still is the mortuary--there are a couple places around Ireland where they have the mortuary or funeral director sign up, where there were no hospitals or morgues nearby. If you had to wait three days for the family to claim the body, you would take it to the local pub and take it down to the cellar with the beer.
And the publican, he oversees people holding christenings there, or wedding receptions, funerals, wakes. In the old days, he was kind of like the banker, too, if you needed a couple hundred bucks till payday, you'll get an advance.
There's a place called the Gravedigger's near Glasnevin Cemetery, and when the publican there was a boy, and they still had real gravediggers, not machinery, his job was to listen for a knock on the wall. If he heard a knock, one of the gravediggers wanted a pint of beer, so he'd go up to the bar and pull a pint, and he'd have a little notebook that he'd bring out with him to the gravedigger, and at the end of the week they'd settle up, if they had the money, or would carry them over till they did.
Why are those places disappearing?
Dublin now is a modern city, and the people are way more sophisticated than their grandparents, or even their parents. Now many of the young people are staying home for wine, or going to cafes. Guinness is perceived as an old person's drink, the young people stay away from it.
Dublin now is a modern city, and the people are way more sophisticated than their grandparents, or even their parents. Now many of the young people are staying home for wine, or going to cafes. Guinness is perceived as an old person's drink, the young people stay away from it.
The real old-fashioned workingman's drinker, those people are vanishing. Dockworkers were among the most famous pintmen, and I met one man who would put away 15 to 20 pints of Guinness in the day. Starting in the morning, he'd have one or two for breakfast, and then they had a break around 10 o'clock called "the bureau hour," where he'd have a couple more pints. Then on lunch break, you were supposed to go home, but most of them just went to the pub, then another break in the afternoon, and then go to the pub after work. "You just sweat it out," he said, but those kinds of drinkers, 50, 60, 70 years ago, they were in the pub all day every day, spending their family's money, and the kids didn't have shoes.
Are those old pubs going out of business?
The owners all moan and complain and do have much more difficulty than they used to have, but they just have to adapt--it's very hard to get a license for a pub in Dublin, because it's a gold mine. No matter how much they complain, it's like the oil companies complaining about taxes.
The owners all moan and complain and do have much more difficulty than they used to have, but they just have to adapt--it's very hard to get a license for a pub in Dublin, because it's a gold mine. No matter how much they complain, it's like the oil companies complaining about taxes.
Boca's personal fav...2 for one.
Pleep's personal fav.
Dublined out, it's back to the ship. Pleep is so pleased his Tequila has arrived...along with his Pops supplements. Now that's quite the combo- supplements and Glenlivet.
Let's try the Explorer's lounge Bubs...
How did they know I insist on 3 stuff olives?
Cheers to you to Bub.
This boat is surely filled with a lot more "elderly" crowd than the Seabourn Encore making Boca feel ever so young. Is it because the length of the cruise? The itinerary? The cost? Enjoy the moment Boca. Don't forget you are turning 65 in November.
Come on Bubba- one more twirl around the Pacific Rim prayer wheel! Keep that Karma flowing.
Pleep so enjoyed the tempura lobster.
Topped off by some entertaining Irish Dancing...
Pleep thinks he should join a dance troupe when back in Naples as he remembered one performed at Quail West last season. Right. Boca needs more klikitey klak around the house.
HOW ABOUT THAT NEW YOUNG (38) PRESIDENT of Ireland- on the cover of Time this week? AND HE IS ALSO GAY, LIVING WITH A PARTNER-and elected in Ireland??They say the 2nd most important export (1st being Guinness of course) is U 2- Bono and the boys. We missed the jumbo concert they gave here last week. As Bubs remarked, "he's the only one on the planet with more sunglasses than you Boca." Hmmm a girls gotta keep up her image you know.
Looking forward to our next visit to Ireland. Bubs plans on driving the ring road around the island. Left hand drive and all.
