Day 2 and 3 - From Dublin City to Waterford City by the Sea

Our second day in Dublin dawned cold and rainy. Banks it turns out suck the world over. (Just before leaving St. Clair County, I brought in all my change saved from last year. My bank informed me they no longer take loose change, yes that's right, my bank no longer takes money). Leo, Toni, David, Genny, Jerry and I trekked up to Grafton street to change some USD to Euros and break a few hundred Euro notes. Leo was told Ulster Bank wouldn't break large notes. The result was the same at National Bank of Ireland until he told them he was a customer and the teller laughed and then changed the notes (that's our Leo).

Our actual tour commenced at 2pm with a substitute driver B. (our official guide would not be showing up until Tuesday morning). B. and the local Dublin guide, T. were lovely, exactly what you would expect of Irish gentlemen. Quick with a smile, joke and wit. From Viking Dublin to modern Dublin, with a guided tour of Trinity college and the Book of Kells. For me the most touching was the Potatoe Famine memorial. Tall, wretched figures depicting Ireland's starving people.

Tuesday dawned bright and clear we were off to Waterford via Glendalough Monastery. Glendalough was the monastic home of St. Kevin, there has been a church on the site since 800 A.D. The oldest relic was a 1200 year old sacristry table. The church of St. Kevin is one of three on the site and is a wonderfully perseved 1000 year old edifice. Today this is a national heritage site, quiet and serene surrounded by sheep farms and picturesque scenery. I finally learned the significance of the Celtic Cross. St. Patrick patron saint of Ireland was a canny man. The Irish were pagans before St. Patrick converted them. The pagan's religous symbol was the sun. So, Patrick modified the Christian cross to include a circle - marrying the pagan and Christian.

Late afternoon found us in Waterford with a walking tour of the city. Our local Waterford guide was J., 'best local Irish guide' winner for three years in a row did not dissapoint. Through commedy and an impromtu improvisation of the marriage of Waterford Irish Princess Eva to Anglo -Norman Lord 'Longbow' explained the 800 years of English oppression.

Probably the most surprising and study in Irish contrasts would be our 'real' guide D. showed up today. After our Dublin tour, I thanked B. for a lovely day and said good bye. He sort of chuckled and then said to the effect, "D. will be here tomorrow, he's a little wound", I found out how much in the morning. My only other experience with an Irish coach driver was the lovely John. He took a group of 20 strangers and in 5 days felt like a favorite uncle. Walking up to our bus this morning, we were greated with a rotating seating chart followed by a 30 minute safety/rules/regulations speech. Here was Ireland's only Type 'A' personality. As we left the highway in Wexford on our way to Glendalough, I was planning to organize a coup de tat with the other passengers when D. said, "You will see older buildings, but none so important as the cream colored one with the monsters in front." He honked the horn as we rumbled past his smiling children calling out to daddy on his bus. I looked in the mirror and saw a truly happy man, who with his speech was just trying to make sure at the end of the day the 24 tourists in his care would be happy and he could continue to support those three dear little faces.