Here is the City Hall with a part of the Millenium Spire to the right. It is 120 meters (393 ft.) high. There are several double-decker tour buses as well. There is also a police van parked right there in the center of the pic as well. They are called the Garda (I've heard two pronunciations...guar-DAY, and GUAR-duh.)
We had just pulled our car out of the car park after our long day in Dublin, and as my husband was driving, I was looking at the map trying to figure out which way to go. We got headed out on a street and a motorcycle Garda pulled someone over right in front of us. We drove past this, and we were trying to make our way to the right streets. Actually what happened was we went in a circle. We ended up right back where we started. The street signs are not on nice, big sign posts like in America...they are posted up on the side of the buildings on the corners. That makes them very hard to catch sometimes.
While we were in stopped-up traffic, my frustrated husband asked to see the map, and as we were passing the Garda a second time, I teasingly grabbed at the map to get it back. Unbeknownst to us, the Garda must have seen this interaction, cuz a few minutes later, and many blocks away, we are once again stopped in traffic and I hear this tap,tap,tap on my window. It was the Garda! When I rolled the window down he asked, 'Do you know where you're goin'?'
I laughingly said, 'We do NOW!'
With a hint of humor in his voice, he said, 'Try not to fight over the map.'
We couldn't help but bust up laughing!!!
That city, well...all Irish cities really...are such mazes! None of the streets travel in a straight line. They curve all over the place. Sure does make you appreciate the fact that in America, you can travel for several blocks on 9th street and KNOW that 10th street will be right around the corner!
For those wishing to visit Ireland, if you are not an experienced European driver, I would definitely make sure to book bus tours!
I'm thankful for the time we spent in Germany while my husband was stationed there in the Army when we were young. It was a great country to get 'broken in' on our European driving skills. Now, Paris is another story...I could NEVER drive in Paris. There were constantly 5 cars wide on a four lane road!!!
Another excellent way to travel...The new Dublin Tram!
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