So far, Dublin is living up to my expectations and even the weather has been more sunny than not. Though the winds are cold the local people are very warm and are happy to provide directions, without me even asking. Maybe it's all my Patagonia layers and the Timberland boots that give my nationality away. Tonight, I'm staying in the Temple Bar district at Barnacles Hostel. It’s supposed to be the cleanest one according to the Lonely Planet. It's also the smallest dorm room I’ve ever seen, built more for leprechauns than people. Six of us share one shower, so you'd better be quick out of your bunk unless you're prepared to wait for an hour or more. The price of the room includes breakfast. Big deal, it's only a few slices of white bread, rank Nescafe and watery orange juice. I'd rather just drink Guinness. But Barnacles is centrally located and it’s easy to walk around to most of the sites. So far I've toured the Kilmainham Gaol, where many Irish political prisoners of the 1916 Easter Rising were held and then executed, the Dublin Castle (more of a palace than a castle) and lots of pubs. The Irish traditional music scene is alive and well. I went to the Brazen Head Pub, reputably the site of the oldest pub (circa 1198--though it’s now housed in a newer building). Internet cafes are on almost every block, so keeping in touch with US news (especially the ongoing political debates) is easy. Most of the Irish can't stand Bush and are very worried about the upcoming US election. Last night I went to a party for journalists hosted by The Dubliner magazine. There, I heard a good band called "Chuzzle" (named after a Dickens' character Martin Chuzzlewith). The lead singer, Dara O'Dubhain, wore a black top hat and red overcoat and stepped onto the top of the bar to sing, then hid amongst the crowd as he sang into his cordless mic. The music was a cross between the Beatles, David Bowie and yet still original. I thank my new Irish friend John Downes for the invitation. On Oct 12, I’m leaving Dublin to head on south, first to see the Rock of Cashel and then on to stay in County Cork. I've decided to hook up with a traveler's tour of the rest of Ireland, after seeing how the Irish drive in Dublin. It's worth the cost, as gasoline here is $4.00 a gallon (hear that Americans?!),not to mention that my credit card company won't cover the cost of collision damage waivers in Ireland (or Israel....must be an "I country" thing?) so if I add all the costs in it's cheaper and easier to leave the driving to someone else. I’ll just sit back, relax and enjoy the scenery.

VISITING ST. GUINNESS
The Guinness Storehouse has a windowed, 360 degree view of the whole city from the top floor. I enjoyed a fine pint there after learning way more than I needed to learn about how the black stuff is brewed. While there, a film crew showed up. It turns out they were filming an episode of the BBC version of "The Bachelor" TV show....seems just as cheeky as the American version too. Later, I went to Trinity College to see The Book of Kells, an illustrated manuscript of the four gospels dating from the 8th century. It’s amazing to learn how pigments were created so many centuries ago and to see how calfskin was cured to make paper and how the binding was done before modern techniques. It seems to me that using many modern methods doesn’t compare in quality to the old technology. Because in our modern world, we don't take the time to make things with equal quality.