This morning we left John and Von to Skype their family and went for a stroll in the glorious morning sunshine. The city is bisected by the Liffey River. We went along the north shore past some lovely old sailing ships and some very futuristic buildings. There is a poignant sculpture called, The Famine.
This is now referred to as The Hunger, as there was plenty of food around for those that were wealthy. The poor were just allowed to starve. There is an on going program to raise money for the working poor and disenfranchised in Ireland. I was pleased to see a plaque beside the display thanking the people of Canada and PM Chretien for their help in this work.
We crossed the Harp (Our name for it) bridge.
Then we worked our way down to the National Gallery where we saw a very pleasantly sized display of Vermeer, Monet etc etc. Then there was a show for a contemporary Irish artist whose work was a series of various coloured bars of paint. I couldn't help wishing Dorian had been there just to hear his reaction. Delicious soup and bread lunch and then off to the National Library which has a beautiful oval reading room.
Then off to the National Museum Archeology.
Here we saw THE BOG PEOPLE !!!
These are perfectly mummified bodies found in the bogs of Ireland, Denmark etc etc. Really makes your skin crawl.
They also had artifacts dug up in bogs around here. Even a 30 metre dug out canoe. and a book of the Psalms in a leather binding.
Then a final visit to the National Museum of Decorative Arts. It's set in an old prison where the uprising people of 1916 were executed. This execution apparently was a major factor in keeping the IRA etc going.
We caught the train home and now I'm doing this. We get our car and move on tomorrow. Till then.
Interesting stuff! Thanks
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