martedì 17 dicembre 2013

Irish soul

Who remembers the 80's has to remember this song: talking about Ireland of course one thinks about U2 and yes there is Bono in this song but I thought this represents one of the songs which most expresses Irish soul. Yes there are many other artists and songs but this for me is truly Irish. By the way a lot of people say I look Irish, for the colour of my hair, for my eyes and a fair skin with freckles in the summer that doesn't look too Southern Italian. Well I am 100% Neapolitan, born and raised and I really don't know where I got these features, but I like them and if I don't look tipically Southern Italian what the heck. However, there must be something in my genes or somewhere along the road some Irishman must have crossed my grand grand grand grandparents because everytime I go to Dublin for some reason I feel very comfortable and kind of at home. Yes I love the sun, the sea and the heat but that melancholy on the cliffs, that light fog, those green fields touch my heart and make me feel good. I was in Dublin for a conference and it was my second time there. The first time it had been years before for Saint Patrick's day when I really had a blast! This time the weather was pretty nasty and the city was full of tourists. I stayed Trinity Capital Hotel very close to Trinity College, a very purple and modern hotel with a little kitsch taste. The position is central and convenient and you can reach almost everwhere in the center just walking. From there I could easily get to the Shelbourne hotel, the venue of the conference , from where I sneaked out to Saint Stephen Green for a walk. Who says swans and duks are not friendly? Look at this chaps coming out of the pond just to get some food and be close to people. Then I would take a stroll in the little streets of the center to look at the shops. During that walk I caught what turned out to be the most colossal cold I got in years... Of course I was optimistic with light clothes at the end of September: never underestimate the Irish weather.. Also Lucky Finnegan and Molly Malone looked at me with pity when I was the next day walking the streets with a running nose, a terrible cough and a fever. From then on I have blurry memories as also my pictures show: I know I was at a gala dinner and met many nice people amongst which also somebody who turned out to be a very good friend. We were taken to the Guinness factory for the farewell party in private buses with a thunderstorm outside and air conditioning inside which made me even more sick. And that's the evidence that I don't have any Irish genes after all... Another one is that I don't particularly like Guinness.. so I guess that makes me a 100% Southern Italian and that's it. The next day I was more and more sick but nevertheless I could take a stroll in Temple Bar and look at the shops in that area, stop in a pub for a pint of lager like the Irish would do and eventually have a bite in a very non Irish place but one of my favourites all over the world. People who follow this blog already know my insane passion for Wagamama and the fact that wherever I find one of them I'll have to go eat one of their famous soups at every cost. Amongst the shops I found I loved this one: Om Diva. I am not very keen on shopping in general but when I find something special like this one then I must stop and get something and believe me it was worth it. Oh well Dublin I am sure something will bring me back there one day and I hope that time I'll be in better shape. Until then Slán, Slán go fóill. Cheers