By Norma Hopcraft
Dublin was just okay after the beautiful architecture of Paris. Dublin was gritty and reminded me of NYC.
But the Dubliners are so nice! I stepped off the bus from the airport, completely disoriented, not knowing which way was which. I asked an older gentleman to point the way to the street I needed. "Let me help you, pet," he said with a twinkle in his eye and a mischievous smile. He got me oriented and then said, "You just go like t'at, and you'll be fine, love!"
So kind and charming, the Irish! No other stranger could get away with calling me "pet" and "love"!
I was at Dublin Castle and asked the man at the information desk, "Where's the Beatty Museum," which is on the same large grounds. He was a little Irish man leaning on a cane.
“If you’d like, I’ll show you the secret door so you don’t have to go all the way around,” he said in a marvelous brogue.
“I love secret doors in castles!” I said.
I found on this trip that I was liking the Irish but not Dublin that much -- scooters and bikes whizzed in every direction, stepping off the curb was to risk your life, buses coughed by constantly, and the architecture just wasn't beautiful like it is in Paris.
A young French guy was handing out headsets at Christ Church Dublin. He said he likes Dublin better than Paris.
“Why?”
"It’s vibrant. There’s music everywhere. And the people are so nice.”
Yes, whereas the Parisians are so glum, I admit it. Complaining is a national sport in France. But the buildings in Paris are far more pleasing to the eye than the gritty thoroughfares of Dublin.
I have the answer: Let’s take the cheery Irish on another one of their diasporas (America, Australia, the Caribbean), only this time we'll ask the Parisians to leave and put the Irish in their place.
Voilà! The perfect city!
Compare for yourself:
The Louvre and the Seine by moonlight.
The Musée D'Orsay and -- guess what?
L'Institute de la France. Can a city be this beautiful?
Now for Dublin:
The bell tower of Trinity College. Not bad.
The Dublin riverfront at the River Liffey.
The riverfront in late evening.
Looks like the set for an Irish movie.
What do you think? Which city would you prefer, and why? Comment below!
