Passport Card for US Citizens

“I love Canada...It is a great country much too cold for good sense, inhabited by compassionate, intelligent people with bad hairdos.” 

~ Yann Martel, Life of Pi

I'm considering a trip to Canada for an event and want to encourage others to attend. I realized that I'm part of the elite group of Americans (now at 42%) that hold a valid US Passport and I would be negligent to invite friends from the US to buy tickets without mentioning they need proper documentation.

For US residents, you need either a valid US passport or US passport card to travel by car to Canada. Really it's only required by the US to get back into the country, but the Canadians won't let you cross the border if you don't have the documentation to get back home. The passport card has limited uses but is also much cheaper. International air travel (including Americans traveling to Canada or Mexico) requires a valid passport.  Both passports and passport cards are Real ID compliant.

Should I get a passport book or card?

The event is Romancing The Falls Author/Reader Event

Dublin with the Moning Maniacs, Day 5

  "...Fecking-A, it's good to be me! Wind in my hair! Mega on the move! Leaps tall buildings in a single bound!
  Well, maybe that last part's a little exaggeration, but still...
  Zoooooooom! I freeze-frame through the streets of Dublin."
~Karen Marie Moning, Iced

Dublin on a Monday, post-storm and all is back to normal. My last day, time to work in all my sight-seeing! I mapped out my walking route and headed out.

First stop: The General Post Office (GPO), the headquarters of the Irish Post Office.

Because the GPO served as the headquarters of the rebellion during the 1916 rising, it houses the GPO Witness History Museum which depicts the events of the rising and the struggle for Irish independence.

The museum takes about an hour for the full experience and I hadn't yet had my Irish breakfast this visit. Next stop: Eddie Rocket's Diner. This kind of breakfast is heavy on protein and sticks with you for hours. The breakfast consists of sausage, potatoes, eggs, tomatoes, black and white pudding (actually a sausage-like food), mushrooms, and bacon. Usually baked beans are included as well.

I walked along the River Liffey and headed to the Docklands area of the city.

The palm tree was a little funny to see in front of the Custom House, especially after the snow storm. 

This is where I started to get emotional. The Famine Memorial provided a stark reminder of the impact of the Irish Potato Famine. From 1845-1849, the population of Ireland fell by 20–25% due to mortality and emigration (1 million people died and another 1 million emigrated).

Near the Famine Memorial, a stone commemorates the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (Oct. 17).

"Wherever men and women are condemned to live in extreme poverty, human rights are violated. To come together to ensure that these rights be respected is our solemn duty."
~Joseph Wresinski

A replica of the Jeanie Johnston, a ship which carried Irish emigrants to North America during the famine, is docked nearby. I didn't tour the ship, but did take a few photos.

I spent the bulk of my afternoon at EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum. The displays begin with phrase "We all come from somewhere."

The museum chronicles the reasons people have left Ireland, where they have gone, and the impact they've had in the world--good and bad.

The thing I have found most impressive on each visit to Dublin is the willingness of the Irish to "own up" to the negative events in their history, just as much as they celebrate the good. By admitting to policies that perpetuated inequality or poverty, they make a case for trying to do better. We could all learn a lesson from this attitude and atone for our own mistakes and missteps.

Moving along my path....
My hostel roommate Jillian had told me about Sweny's, a pharmacy featured in Ulysses by James Joyce. The pharmacy is now a second-hand book store and hosts daily readings of Joyce's works.

  








Apparently Sweny's wasn't the only pharmacy in the neighborhood.
















I was determined to see the inside of an old church! I picked Christ Church Cathedral because of its age and history. The church has been around for nearly a thousand years--first a wooden building was built in that location by Christian Vikings in 1030. After the Norman capture of Dublin, lead by Richard de Clare "Strongbow", the present stone cathedral was begun (1172) and continued for many years.

Strongbow himself is interred in the cathedral.

Over the centuries, parts of the cathedral became damaged. An extensive reconstruction began during the Victorian era, and many parts of the original cathedral were moved. The crypt contains a number of these pieces, as well as other historic items--like these statues of Charles I and II.

The crypt also contains a display of Tudor costumes.

These mummified remains of a cat and a rat were found in a organ pipe in the 1850's.

At various places along my journey I saw stones of Viking artifacts embedded in the sidewalk. I also took some time for shopping, with the goal of purchasing Irish wool sweaters.

By the end of my tour, I had run out of time to go through Dublin Castle, but I did walk around the outside.

A quick stop back at the hostel to unload my goodies and I headed out to meet up with some Maniacs at The Brazen Head for an evening of food, folklore and fairies.

A great way to end my visit!

Dublin with the Moning Maniacs, Day 4

“My city. I pondered that phrase, wondered why Barrons felt that way. He never said “our world.” He always said “your world.” But he called Dublin his city. Merely because he’d been in it so long? Or had Barrons, like me, been beguiled by her tawdry grace, fallen for her charm and colorful dualities?"

~Karen Marie Moning, Dreamfever

It's Sunday, the city has returned to life and brunch sounds like a really good idea. Crossing the River Liffey has become second nature. We usually take the O'Connell Street Bridge across, I guess because it's closest to the hostel, or maybe it's because it gives a great view of the Ha'Penny Bridge.

We watched the Trinity College women's rowing team practicing on the river.

I tagged along with my new friends Heather, Emma, and Jillian to the Elephant and Castle. One of their specialties is the "bowl" of hot chocolate.

Sourdough bread has become popular in Dublin and felt like it was easier to find in a restaurant than the more traditional Irish brown bread. I had poached eggs and sliced avocado on the ubiquitous sourdough toast.

Emma shared her French toast. I don't think it was made with sourdough.

Today's substitute gathering occurred at the Vat House. It provided an opportunity for those just arriving after the storm to meet Karen and for everyone to get anything they'd brought signed by her.

It was also time to say goodbye to some Maniacs as they started for home or continued their own vacation itineraries. At some point, gardaí (policemen) came into the bar. I spent the whole day there, talking with Anna-Margaret and Laura, so I had the opportunity to see them several times. I don't know if the Vat House had a higher concentration of unsavory characters, if these gentlemen were just coming in from the cold or using the location for bathroom breaks, but we saw them a few times during the afternoon. 

The official event wrapped up and my friends and I decided we should have dinner--stew, fish and chips, and bruschetta.

Our afternoon conversation was once again a lively one. We talked some about Irish history and the ladies explained to me about the sad story of  Magdalene laundries--homes for unwed mothers and their babies. I'm wondering about similar institutions in the United States, where so-called fallen women lived and worked, babies were not well cared for or adoption was forced. It doesn't seem that we in the US have made the same effort to atone for the atrocity in the way the Irish people have. They recommended a few movies that depict the history to learn more. For example, Philomena tells the story of forced adoption.

All of our conversations weren't so heavy. There was plenty of laughing and more language comparisons. For whatever reason, there are plenty of "potty" slang to discuss.
Having a wee slash, having a piss, taking a Jimmy Riddle all refer to urination. However, other uses of the word "piss" have nothing to do with toilet habits.
Taking the piss (making fun of)
Going on the piss (getting drunk)
Piss off (essentially like shut-up, or when you tell someone to "get lost.")
Pissed off (angry)
Piss up (have a party)

We parted ways, wished each other the best, saw Anna-Margaret into a taxi and Laura and I started walking to our respective "homes" for the evening. Along the way, I passed Lanigans Bar--the occasional hangout of Irish actor Aidan Turner. The bar was open, but not busy on this Sunday night and there were no Aidan sightings.

**I can't take credit for all the pictures.