Dublin, Ireland, Friday, July 14.  Guiness, fiddles, crypts and wrong way drivers. 

Fun second day in Dublin.  Cassidy keeps us running. 

Last night we had a walking tour scheduled. We met two musicians, Booster and Larry, and walked through downtown Dublin visiting three different pubs and learning the history of Irish music. Check out a minute of their music at the link below. 

On Friday, July 14, we took a tour of the Guiness factory/museum. A beautifully done, seven story building in the shape of a glass of Guiness stout. Guiness has been brewed here since 1759 and the Guiness family has a great reputation for social justice, city restoration and their extensive employee benefits programs. In their family tree, since Arthur Guiness started brewing, they have politicians, philanthropists, evangelists and many other generous heirs. I highly recommend the book, THE SEARCH FOR GOD AND GUINNESS:  A BIOGRAPHY OF THE BEER THAT CHANGED THE WORLD by STEPHEN MANSFIELD. 

After reading this book last year, and while planning our Europe trip, I mentioned to Brianne how cool it would be to go visit the factory/museum. Brianne said why don’t we stop in Dublin on the way to Greece? Here we are!

Cassidy and I ran across the street from our hotel to Christ Church cathedral, we had heard about the crypt under the church. The outside church yard was filled with people selling candy and beef barbecue sandwhiches and all kinds of useless trinkets.  Inside we toured the beautifully preserved  crypt. As we walked through the crypt we discovered… a gift store!  Something didn’t feel right about all this. Remembering what Jesus did in John 2, I suggested we should weave some ropes together and make a whip, Cassidy suggested we turn over some tables.  Fortunately the Bible says…”The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man” Acts 17:24. Instead we went for ice cream. 

Until noon, I had been in denial, but the time had arrived. We rented a car and left Dublin heading for Kinsale. This country has it all wrong. The steering wheel, stick shift, seatbelt, rearview mirror and passengers are all on the wrong side of the car. Plus all the other drivers are on the wrong side of the road too.  I feel like I’m 15 1/2 years old driving on a permit again. Weird!