Encarna in Ireland 27th Dec.

After a breakfast of kings, the type only Mama T can provide, we set off for the city center on the trusty 46A - the mythical bus that appears out of the mists during the winter solstice. First stop was Keoghes on South Ann St. always my first stop in town. A wonderful place with the light slanting in through the window and illuminating their fine pint, better than the passage graves at Newgrange sort of solstice effect. The obligatory photo with Phil Lynott outside Bruxelles and the obligatory visits to O'Neills of Sussex St. (fine food buffet all day), The Stags Head for their excellent home-made soup and on to The Porterhouse for a pint of Wrasslers XXXX. A visit was made to Oliver St. John Gogarty's which has the unique distintion of being the only Irish bar in Ireland that looks like it should be in Boston/Belgrade/Abu Dabi or whatever you're having yourself. After that, the senses needed to be restored with a visit to the Palace on Fleet St. a wonderful establishment which has a plaque behind the bar which reads 'A bird is known by it's song, a man by his conversation'. A stop at Mulligans on Poolbeg St. for what is arguably the finest pint of Guinness on the planet. A little relief was called for, though the young Encarna was bearing up well, so we took the Dart out to Blackrock to meet up with some friends and go for dinner in a place called Dali. It has very good reviews among the people who work in the ajoining insurance offices - I thought it had it's head up it's arse. All in all a wonderful introduction to Dublin for the Linense - I think.