18. Last Night, Museums and No Library!

This post started later on last night, during dinner at an Italian restaurant right around the corner from the place I'm staying.

I walk in, pop upstairs to sit, and happen to sit next to the MOST flamboyant man I have ever met. So. Much. Fun. His name is Skippy and his friend is Mark, and they're flight attendants. Yeah, that would be the best flight ever! We chatted for about a half hour, they told me that they'll be in Paris at the same time I will be, and we all agreed that we should leave it to fate as to whether we meet again. 

Fate is a funny thing, isn't it? 

We sit in pockets of nothing happening, at least we think they're pockets of nothing happening. There's always a next thing to happen though. We don't know what it is, but it's there. Isn't that a weird thing to think about? That there's about to be something happening, but we don't know what it is or who it will be with, if with anyone at all? For a control freak like me, that can be a terrifying thought (though I would imagine it is for anyone to gets thinking on it). But isn't it a freeing thought too? That the world is made of possibilities? It's also made of chance and error and fear and mistakes and missteps, but the chance that it could be full of amazing is, well... amazing. 

Europe is clearly doing a number on me!

Anyhow, back "home" for the night, and more of this post tomorrow.

......

It's Monday now, and I've been out and about for a while. First I went to the post office, and paid a painful amount of money to send four packages home. It's wasn't that I bought a ton, but I bought some breakable stuff (1 package), a blanket the size of me made of Irish wool (1 package), some treats for work sent to the office address (1 package), and then some random stuff that didn't fit with the others (1 package). I'm just saying, while this mailing things back thing is a good idea, it costs more than me lugging around a checked luggage bag. I think in this case though, I'll pay for convenience, especially with six flights in 30 days, 

Anyhow, after that I went to the Irish National Gallery. All but three rooms were closed. Good thing it's free to get in.

From there I went to the Irish National Library. You weren't allowed in with a bag, and had to put all of your belongings in a locker. The lockers were glass and completely see throug. I'm only half way through my Europe trip and have no desire to lose my cash, credit card, iPhone, camera and iPad for the sake of some books, so I passed on that. A little too much tempting fate in that one.

From there I walked around and saw a few fun things.

Someone stole my name, and branded it horribly.

And last night I bought a couple of mugs, but those are shipped now, so here's the bag, as well as the bag from a super-fun store, where I bought my friend a present.

From there ended up walking by a museum that a guy I met working at Wagamama said was amazing. It's called The Little Museum of Dublin. It's mostly two rooms, and apparently all of the stuff in it has been donated by the people of Dublin. It's quite fun.

And now I'm having an early dinner (4:37pm here), and then headed back to the AirBNB place to clean up, pack up, relax and get some sleep, to be up for 2:30am to get ready to catch the bus at 4am... sense the excitement.. and then please do sense the sarcasm.

The great news is that once all is said and done, I'll be in effing Barcelona!!! I'd imagine it will all be worth it, but more on that in my next post tomorrow, from that very place! Until then...