Day 17 Living like a local

Our trip started in Dublin and we were able to see a good deal of the city during our first stay here. I suspect you would be here for a long time and not run out of things to do, but today we chose to stick close to home and wander the streets of our neighbourhood. We wanted to observe daily life here and experience what it might be like to be a Dubliner. Now to be fair, that may be a bit presumptious, since Dublin is a large city and my experience and assumptions certainly may not reflect others who live here. Maybe what we really were looking for was time to notice how Dublin is different, or the same, as other large cities we've visited!

First thing that's impossible to ignore is that Dublin offers a quiet, peaceful vibe often lacking in many urban areas. There are plenty of people out and about but seldom do you hear loud conversations, and this dispite the fact that people greet one another constantly. The plentiful street benches are very well used and people stop for a chat, including with us! The Irish are friendly - they greet you on the street, they stop for a chat, and they are eager to help if you have a question. You don't even have to ask for help, just looked puzzled and someone will offer a hand. Drivers wave as they pass you on country roads. People make eye contact and smile. It's lovely, but it's all done very quietly!

Many vehicles here are hybrid and that may soften the traffic noise, but drivers here are much less aggressive than most other places we've visited. You never hear a car horn. Drivers will thank you when you have given way to them, and whether in the car on the highway, or as a pedestrian on a busy street, people are patient and kind and no one appears to be in a hurry. Walk lights are everywhere and cars are very respectful, no one seems impatient. Most roads have designated bike lanes. Riders seldom wear helmets! As a pedestrian you are expected to watch bike lanes and cross appropriately as you would with a car. If a path is designated a shared route, they are clearly marked. Everyone just seems to cooperate and nothing seems much of a fuss.

David also noted that becase few buildings are air conditioned, the constant hum of AC units is also missing.

Dublin is a very walkable city with excellent public transit to get you between your home walks and your destination walks. We have noticed this throughout much of Europe, but more rarely in North America. At one point today we sat for an ice cream on a park bench in BlackRock Park. The bench happened to be beside the DART rail line that runs along the Irish Sea and links Howth in the north to Greystones in County Wicklow. They run every 10 minutes, so again you might suspect additional noise. These however are electric trains that run on rubber wheels so produce no more than a whisper as they pass by.

Speaking of that Irish Sea, the constant whistle of the wind through the abundent greenery may create a gentle backdrop to mask noise. I am really not sure of the reason, but we both agreed when you can wander a busy city and regularly notice the coo of doves, stop to admire the flowers and hear the bees, and wander happily with no notion of where you are without care or concern, you are in a kind and gentle space!

Speaking of doves and bees, we are surprised by the lack of wildlife here. There are plenty of birds for sure - seagulls of every variety, magpies that are huge, robins that are so tiny and cute it's hard to believe they even have the same name as our robins, and tons of birds that I can't identify (I can hear my mother's tisk-tisk). Today we saw our first squirrel. The two girls who were walking in front of us startled when they saw it, prompting us to ask if squirrels were an unusual sighting. Apparently they are not, but not near as common as they are in our backyard! A woman behind us stopped for a chat and explained that grey squirrels are not native to Ireland. Tiny red squirrels (haven't seen any of those either) are native and when grey squirrels were illegally introduced it has endangered the tiny red natives. Efforts are currrently underway to restore balance and are fortunately meeting with some success! What they do have plenty of though are foxes. We regularly pass one on our nightly walks!

You also have the impression of a very social place. There are loads of beautiful city parks and wandering through it is clear they are well used. It is a gathering place and we watched countless examples of moms gathering with children, older people meeting for chats on park benches, moms with new babies gathering to exercise together while their babies slept under the trees. There were of course families, and joggers and dog walkers too, but you really have a sense of people being connected here.

Food trucks are a big thing here and they are good. They are also places where you see people gather and sit to enjoy a cuppa or an ice cream. A little later in the day the gather switches to local pubs. They tend to be scattered throughout neighbourhoods here rather that in a downtown core or attached to a strip mall. I have yet to see any drunk or disorderly conduct, but people regularly gather in pubs. I presume as a result of COVID they all have outdoor areas that are lovely extensions of a time-honoured tradition.

Grocery stores are also small and local and never have large parking lots. Daily grocery shopping is a thing!
Churches are open and you regularly see people coming and going from churches for short times of prayer througout their day. Church bells mark the time in their neighbourhoods. The annouce daily mass, funerals, 12:00 and 5:00.
Fences are not a thing but stone walls and hedges definitely are!
Front lawns are scarce. Home fronts are very clean and tidy, usually decorated with pots of beautiful flowers. Front yards a usually covered with pea gravel and are parking lots. No trouble with guest parking here!
Windows and doors all lock from the inside with a key. Still trying to figure out how that's a good idea. The key would be lost in my house for sure and if we had to leave the house in a fire it would be a disaster! Guess it makes sense to them though! Also, although windows are always open, there aren't any window screens. There are very few bugs though so it works!
Bathroom vanities are rare (inconvenient), toilets flush sideways (illogical), and separate hot and cold taps means warm water is a challenge.

It is fascinating to me that life can be so different in a world that has become so universal. Ireland might benefit from some of our more convenient household options, and I KNOW we could benefit so greatly from being more laid back with the sense of community that is an ingrained way of life here. Don't misunderstand, I love the differences, but it just amazes me!