December 2010

Romancing the Old World Charm in Dublin Jutismita Hazarika

The world describes it as the friendliest place on earth and the music lovers tag it as the ideal location for 365 days of live music! And probably T this is the only place in the world where losing the trail of time seems worth a try. From ancient myths and legends to amazing landscapes to explore- a quick Google search on this beautiful island will reveal many marvels to you. So before embarking on an enchanting voyage to this great land, do not forget to go through a brief research about Ireland. Or else, find out a few facts with us- your truest guide to a travel ecstasy. Welcome to this land of forests, literature, castles and innumerable forms of charm. Apart from being the third largest island in Europe, Ireland comes at number twentieth in the World's largest islands list. A place that didn't capitulate to the grips of choleric Industrial revolution in whole Europe, however, has now succumbed into deep deforestation. But, notwithstanding the drawbacks, Ireland continues to be the same old land of magic and fairytales. Since we bring you Dublin in this issue, you must be thinking that we chose Dublin to represent the whole country just because it is the capital of this part of the world which was once named as the Lesser Britain by none other then Ptolemy, the great Greek philosopher. But, in explanation, we would like to place that, so far Dublin is the most touristed region in entire Ireland and hence it is obvious that we chose to talk about Dublin. The scarcity of coal and other industrial essentials had helped this city in fighting the black soot culminating into a dark period unlike the other European countries. This survival gave time to the city to concentrate on better things in life like literature and performing arts; No doubt, the world describes Ireland as the land of Jonathan Swift, Oscar Wild, W B Yeats, Samuel Beckett and of course James Joyce. Other then that, today, Dublin features in the list of top thirty cities in the world. Situated in the mouth of glorious river Liffey, Dublin literally means the 'black pool'. Admired for its mild winters and cool summers by the vacationers in search of poetry, art, romance and recreational activities, Dublin is unquestionably the best deal. Then, why not you try this out? Try fighting the charm of this land or simply, get lost in the city in search of castles, parks and the unexplainable old world charm! If you ignore the dash of sadness in the empty landscapes, the city will appear to you as the most romantic destination you have ever visited. No, we are not trying to take away the title from Paris-the city of love. The truth is that Paris is, after all, too crowded for romance these days! Now, coming back to Dublin, the concrete charm of the city lies in Central Dublin with beautiful ancient buildings raised with elegant Georgian architecture. But, unfortunately, Dublin is the twenty fifth most expensive cities in the world. If you intend to sail out to this land in search of your soul, then you will never mind your bills disappearing as every good thing on earth is worth a fortune! Although, if you want to avoid shopping in the expensive stores, our friendly advice would be- avoid the north side of the river Liffey because there lies the most notable and expensive Dublin streets like O'Connell Street, Parnell Square and Gardiner Street. Otherwise, leave your purse and cards back at your hotel, and enjoy these great shopping destinations without having to worry about the expenses. Afterwards, chill out at the Temple Bar area- a large concentration of pubs, restaurants, cafés, shops and art galleries. Being an exciting party hotspot with a very friendly atmosphere, Temple bar is every tourist's ultimate luxury. We suggest you, a glass of Guinness stout, liquor made from roasted malt simply because, it is not only for the Irish folks, rather, enjoyed throughout the world with 10 million glasses served out of the bars! Quite a nice reason to booze out! But, as we said earlier, the land of literature never fails a book lover- Temple Bar showcases great book fairs as well. The trick to find out is not very difficult-just exploring the area helps. But, the priority should be always the sight seeing. What is the purpose of visiting a place if you do not see what lies within the place? As usual, the choices are many- the Dublin National Museum, Castletown House, the National Gallery, St. Patrick's Cathedral, Powerscourt, Ha'Penny Bridge, Custom House, Christ Church Cathedral, The Chimney at Smithfield and many more important tourist spots. The easiest way to explore these sites is to take a bus tour round the city. Usually such rides cover all the major points of interest. Moreover, the city offers Dublin Ghost Bus tour- a thrilling excuse to seek out Dublin's connections to felons, phantoms and even Draculas. Now, if the world knows Dublin as the land of museums and galleries, it is also known for the vast parks-enormous and green. Dublin's Phoenix Park is for example, almost five times as large as London's Hyde Park. The park stands as the symbol of the city's pride while enclosing the Irish White House - official residence of the Irish president within it. The Dublin Zoo - an animal abode also finds a place of pride inside this amazing park. Nearby is the well-known Trinity College and Grafton Street, full of large, exclusive shops. Our personal favourite was Trinity College-the root of many legendary lives! A temple of teaching and Ireland's ultimate contribution to the world of education! No doubt, Trinity College attracts over 500,000 visitors each year. And, it definitely doesn't matter if you are a music enthusiast or not, a must visit place in Dublin has to be the Irish Traditional Music Centre. We bet you will come out being a fan of traditional Irish music and dance legacy complimented by a large 180° wide-screen auditorium. For the art and culture lovers, the options never run out as the city comes alive every evening with dance, music, poetry and other literary activities. Thus, we like to term the city as the intellectually beautiful place with the alleys and pavements buzzing with mesmerizing events all the time. In addition to this, checking out the Black pudding is the ultimate adventure for any tourist visiting Ireland. Though it sounds disgusting to say that this (in) famous dish is made from dried blood of pigs, the adventure seekers undeniably loves to try this out! Other then that, try out Ireland's very own Gubbeen Cheese. Otherwise, the food culture in the country is similar to the other countries of Europe. So, if you are in search of the perfect pint of life, you need not look beyond this vibrant city where the best things of life brims out like a Champaign bottle. So uncork life in the heart of this European delight and get soaked in the sparkling bubbles called culture, landscapes and history. And we guarantee, unlike that tall glass, the effects won't die down until and unless you decide to reboot your memories.