A STAY IN DUBLIN

I dont think Dublin is my place this year - the Temple Bar seems to be a shadow of the place I remember from only about five years ago I couldnt find the bars I remember and some of the ones I did go into seemed a bit seedy. Maybe it was a mistake going back, certainly I think it was a mistake going this time. Having said that I am pretty sure that there are bars worth visiting it is just a case of finding them

I had a good night at the Red Parrot - I coudnt say what district it was in though if pushed I could work out the street

I had another good night at Quinns pub and I drank Smithwicks Irish Ale at both of them a drink I preferred over the Guinness and and apart from Heineken and Fosters about the onlly draft beer available though there was a beer called Millers Draft on at Quinns but I stuck to the Smithwicks. I had a Murphys Irish Stout at a place called the ivy House which was described to me as being the same as Guinness but from Cork, while not comparing them side by side I thought the Murphys a little smoother than its big rival

I also went to the Guiness Storehouse for the tour and a drink at the Gravity Bar and while I agree that it is probably the best pint of the black stuff you are likely to get I wasnt that turned on to it. If I thought I knew what I was talking about I would say that it had been evened out for the masses and any edge it once had was smoothed out. I had a Harp on the way somewhere and while I had no problems with it I dont think it was a memorable experiance

On to Amsterdam