It is finally the time. It is the time to start sharing pictures from my trip to Ireland with Andy.
Day 1 was mostly getting acclimated to the the time change difference. We mostly got our bearings, got our rental car, got into our AirBNB, and finally did some minor sightseeing around the Grafton Street area of Dublin.
Grafton Street appealed to me because one of my all-time favorite moves is ONCE. Ted Lasso said that he “liked ONCE so much I saw it twice! ” I like it so much that I’m closer to triple digit viewings than I am a couple of viewings. The Grafton Street area is where many of the scenes from ONCE were filmed.
This isn’t very exciting to most people, but to me it was a great way to start the trip!
Here is the first collection of images from Day 1 in Ireland:
1 of the 1st pictures I took in Ireland. 1 of the first pictures I’ve taken in a foreign country in close to 20 years. It won’t be 20 years until the next set.
The shuttle to the rental car place.
The AirBNB in south Dublin. We were almost to the mountains. A place called Oldbawn.
It took a few minutes to get into the AirBNB. There was an issue with the lockbox and then unlocking the doors was a bit of an adventure. But we did get in.
Driving to Grafton Street!
A little slice of the new world in the old world.
We did eat here on the first day as kind of a compromise. It was the worst meal I had on the trip.
Next up is the first filming location from ONCE we visited. This is where Guy meets Girl. He is singing “Say it to Me Now” which is my favorite song from the movie. Probably my favorite Swell Season song period. He is singing his heart out about his old girlfriend. The only person that stops to listen is Girl. She tips him 10 cents.
From the movie.
“Scratching at the surface now…”
… And I’m trying hard to work it out, And so much has gone misunderstood…
…And this mystery only leads to doubt, And I didn’t understand…
…When you reached out to take my hand…
…And if you have something to say, You’d better say it now”
The spot where Guy meets Girl was the most important location for me to see. But it wasn’t the last. But after see that location we wandered on down Grafton Street.
Flowers! You didn’t think I wouldn’t find a way to do some flowertography now did you?
I definitely gave this street poet 3 words!
He invited us to his spoken word show, but we couldn’t make it.
Buskers!
The 2nd filming location from the movie ONCE we came across is where Guy finds and recruits the backup musicians to play on his album. He finds them playing Thin Lizzy covers appropriately at the statue of Phil Lynott.
From the movie.
They’ve rotated Phil since they made the movie.
The lead singer of Thin Lizzy.
Stickers!
Andy left a Boone First United Methodist Church wristband on Phil.
I wish I would have had a pick to leave.
I don’t know. But I also wish I would have had a sticker to leave. But I have stickers galore now.
I love big city sticker culture!
Buskers! But they were not playing Thin Lizzy.
If I’m going to photograph a street artist I ALWAYS tip!
After we left Phil we continued up a side street to see what we could see.
One does not pass by a cheesemonger without sticking their head inside.
They mongered the heck out of this cheese! I regret leaving this place empty handed.
St. Ann’s Church of Ireland.
That is it for this collection of Ireland Day 1 pictures. But there are plenty more. Plenty more!!