dublin #2

well slept after day one's exertions (and that vast dinner - we didn't need to do more than nibble today!), we decided on more culture, so headed to the national museum - the archaeology bit, that is (sign pictured - i know it's the back, i thought it was more interesting, 'k?). it's not that big, but it does have some very cool stuff indeed (and no, the gold wasn't my favourite, tho it is fascinating!). the clonmacnoise crozier is great - check out the wee figure holding the staff, a crozier within a crozier - as is the cross of cong, tho i can't find a pic that shows the amazing detail of the gold filigree, so you'll have to take my word for it. not sure about the bog bodies though - it's interesting, sure, but it's not very comfortable knowing they are bodies (even if they do look more like carved leather).

after all that excitement, a stroll round the national gallery cherry-picking was in order. highlights for me were danby's gigantic (and darker than it's pictured here) the opening of the sixth seal, which i went back to three times and could've sat in front of for a couple of hours, and in general finding out a little about irish art, not something that really appears in collections this side of the irish sea.

finally we discovered on our way to catch the airport bus that dublin has been super-early in switching on the xmas lights - and that the centrepiece of o'connell street, right next to the big pin in front of the gpo, is a 'tree' of lights. actually, it's rather fab, shame my front room is a bit small...

coming back into edinburgh to pouring rain after two bright (tho chill) days, just wasn't a good thing at all!