<a href="/blog/a-fallen-king">Parnell's demise</a> sent shockwaves around Ireland. Hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of Irish people felt hurt and betrayed. Irish patriots clashed - mostly verbally but sometimes quite literally, too - with patriots of the Catholic Church, both sides hurling bitter accusations at each other, neither side willing to give the opponents' arguments even the least consideration. Not only communities but also circles of friends, and even households became deeply divided, the gulf between the two camps widening by a minute. Nothing short of a miracle could bridge that gulf, and in real life - unlike in fairy tales - miracles are extremely few and very far between. Wonders aren't a commonplace either but, at least, they do happen every now and then. One such wonder did happen to the end-of-the-19th-century Ireland, and that wonder had a first name and a family name. It was called James Joyce. When Parnell died, the wonder was 9-years-old.Even as a child, Joyce must have been just as affected by the national tragedy as most of his compatriots. Quite likely, he would have his own strong opinions - and feel intolerant of the opposite ones. However, Joyce was also an artist (as writers are, in a way, Artists of the Word) - and, as such, he would identify with each and every character he created, and willy-nilly represent and reconcile their opinions (however clashing they might be) in his works. It so happened that all Joyce had been writing about was his native country and its people, notwithstanding the fact that he lived abroad since the age of 22. &nbsp;His first significant published work was a collection of 15 short stories titled “Dubliners”.&nbsp;On the surface, “Dubliners” might look like a “naturalistic depiction of Irish middle class life in and around Dublin in the early years of the 20th century”. A more thoughtful analysis would present a much more nuanced picture: larger-than-life - yet very faithfully depicted - characters involved in a whole network of complex relationships. Combined with meticulous precision of physical locations, and considering that almost all “Dubliners”' characters were transitioned into Joyce's later works, one has to conclude that, taken together, the stories essentially reinvent Dublin (by then a 1100-or so-years-old city). In other words, already with “Dubliners, Joyce began what can be literally called ”God's Work" by creating…well, not exactly the Heavens and the Earth as a whole but still a part of the Earth with a variety of life on it. Unsurprisingly, some other artists working in different arts and genres eventually tried to follow suit. One of them “translated” Joyce's book into “paintish”, his efforts resulting in 15 illustrations, one per “Dubliners”' story…&nbsp;

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God's Work

Centrally located, O'Connell street is the heart of the city of Dublin. Like any healthy heart, the street is vibrant, intense and…quite small (literally speaking, of course, as metaphorical hearts come in all sizes): its length is mere 500 meters. The O'Connell monument marks the southern entrance to the street, while its northern end is dominated by a monument devoted to Charles Stewart Parnell - yet another prominent politician who picked up the baton from O'Connell. The transition might have been purely symbolic as Parnell was 11 months old at the time of O'Connell's death, but Parnell's actual contribution to the cause of Irish liberation from British rule was equally groundbreaking.Known as “The Liberator”, O'Connell didn't actually succeed to set Ireland free. One might argue that his biggest practical achievement was the <a href="blog/the-irish-gandhi/">Catholic Emancipation</a> that positively affected a vast majority of Irish population by improving Catholics' daily lives and giving many of them a new sense of purpose. However, the Emancipation didn't prevent either the “Famine That Never Was”, or more bloodshed caused by a major uprising and the actual War for Independence almost a century later. So, all considering, O'Connell's most important breakthrough might have been his realization that, when it comes to political/social issues, a straight line is not always the shortest way towards one's objective - sometimes, contrary to conventional wisdom, a chasm can (and should!) get crossed in two, or even more small jumps! That was how he had brought about the Emancipation - and Parnell used a similar strategy 60 or so years later when zoning in on the next crucial objective, the Home Rule. He clearly understood that even though England would always feel obliged to oppose Ireland's full independence - and crush any armed resistance to the best of its ability - it might feel much less belligerent if more peaceful methods were employed, and somewhat less radical goal were pursued &nbsp;Like earlier O'Connell, Parnell was elected to the Parliament. While in London for Parliamentary sessions, he would concentrate his efforts on making friends and forging alliances. One of his allies happened to be none other than William Gladstone, the leader of the Liberal Party and a future Prime Minister of England. Gladstone, among several other important politicians, was sympathetic towards Parnell's attempts to introduce Home Rule for Ireland. &nbsp;As for those who opposed the idea, Parnell resorted to his gift of gab to perfect a most annoying but completely legitimate Parliamentary strategy of filibustering. Upon having listened to his deliberations concerning, for instance, London sewers for 6-7 hours at a time, even his most inveterate opponents gradually began to feel that maybe, just maybe, some concession to Ireland wouldn't be the worst possible outcome, after all! &nbsp; &nbsp;Parnell came close, really close. There was every indication that the Ireland Home Rule bill would be voted for within several months. Had it happened, and many a life - including those of non-combatants - would've been spared within the next decades but… A man-made disaster struck: there appeared rumours that Parnell had an affair with a divorced - not even married! - woman. When those rumours were confirmed, Irish society at large started to turn against the man who had for years been Ireland's biggest hope. He was being vilified and, eventually, ostracized. Tragically and ironically, at the same time, that witch hunt was instigated and led by the Catholic Church - the very people Parnell had been trying to help, did their utmost to bring him down. &nbsp;As a result, he lost his seat in the Parliament and his leadership in the Home Rule party. His dream shattered and his heart broken, Parnell died in two years. Ireland never received the Home Rule, and its path to Independence led to a bloody uprising and an even bloodier war… &nbsp;

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A Fallen King

The most obvious and straightforward way to liberate one's country is to defeat the occupiers militarily and throw them out - and that's exactly what Irish people had been trying to do for many centuries. However, it is easier said than done - and that's exactly why it took them all those centuries to finally succeed. In the meantime, they kept suffering one blow after another, both figuratively and quite literally - and some blows were much heavier than others. The worst ones arguably came in the 17th century when passionate but relatively poorly trained and equipped freedom-fighters had to oppose a fully professional army that had never lost a battle. Motivated by greed for land, and led by Oliver Cromwell - a talented military commander but also a ruthless religious extremist, widely abhorred for his utter disregard for human life - the English razed city after city to the ground while painting them red in the defenders' blood… To oppose someone like Cromwell, the Irish Resistance seemed to need a leader whose military prowess would match Cromwell's own, and whose personal charisma multiplied by his patriotism would inspire many thousands to rise and fight. However, when such a leader finally materialized, he turned out to fit less than 50% of that description!As a very young man, Daniel O'Connell went to France to continue his schooling in a Jesuit college. As fate would have it, it happened in the beginning of 1790s when a bloodbath, otherwise known as the French Revolution, was underway - and the shock was enough for the young Irish to develop a lifelong aversion not only to mob rule but to any violence. Besides, he fled home via England, and - wild as this guess is -that might be the reason he never really perceived England as a hostile country. For example, many years later, he - already a prominent political figure - greeted George IV of England to Dublin. Even more telling, born Donall O'Connaill, he anglicized his name. He also chose English rather than his native Gaelic when addressing crowds of his followers (to make sure that everybody would understand him, O'Connell sent interpreters to the midst of those listening crowds - to translate his words).The exact opposite of “fighter”, and rather friendly towards the occupying nation, it's hard not to wonder how could such a man possibly move his country any closer towards regaining its freedom? The answer seems to be very complex and quite simple, at the same time. A charismatic patriot (he undoubtedly answered that part of the above description), O'Connell relied on his imagination and turned it into an efficient weapon. He must have imagined endless thousands of people coming together to express an opinion and ask for a change - very politely and not at all threateningly (as a lawyer, he also made sure that none of his gatherings would ever break any current laws). Then he acted upon that vision - first, by founding a Catholic League and encouraging people to join it; then he invited all those people to come to places sacred to every Irish - such as <a href="/blog/resisting-the-wind-of-change">Tara</a> and <a href="/blog/children-of-the-north-wind">Clontarf</a> - to talk and listen, to exchange opinions, and simply to be together with like-minded people. When in 1828 O'Connell couldn't take his seat in the English Parliament after being elected there (the so-called Penal Laws explicitly banned Catholics from any political offices), about 100,000 people gathered to ask the authorities to reconsider. In less than a year Irish Catholics were emancipated, and O'Connell did become a Parliament Member after a successful re-election. Such was his fame and significance that George IV lamented in a private letter: “While O'Connell is undoubtedly the King of Ireland, and Wellington is the King of England, I can't see myself as anything more than the Duke of Windsor!”O'Connell's ways and ideas were so counterintuitive that they must have been perceived not just as a wonder but rather as an outright miracle. When a famous American abolitionist Frederick Douglass heard about that miracle, he couldn't help coming to Ireland to meet its maker - and the echo of that meeting reverberated for more than a century, and over several continents. Douglass had a significant impact on Abraham Lincoln, and from there the path led to India where Mahatma Gandhi led famous non-violent marches (such as the Salt March in 1930), and back to the US where Martin Luther King's dream earned him the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964…&nbsp;

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The Irish Gandhi

Human history is, in a way, a history of wars with flowery names - be it quite literally (The War of the Roses in England) or metaphorically. For instance, a clash between football fans that quickly degenerated into a full-fledged war between El Salvador and Honduras - the Football War. It is also known as The Hundred Hours' War, and this type of description is even more popular because of its alleged precision. After all, the Six Days' War between Israel and several Arab countries did last exactly six days - and the famous Hundred Years' War between England and France did go on for a 100 years…and then it continued for 16 more years! Strictly speaking, it's not the longest ever armed conflict as, say, the Spanish Reconquista stretched over no less than 781 years. However, if we consider a type of warfare involving regular armies that engage each other in pitched battles - as opposed to historical processes - “116 years” does begin to sound like a benchmark. In particular, against Irish struggle for independence. &nbsp;I use the word “struggle” because the formally defined War of Independence didn't begin until 1919, and already in 1922 Ireland became a republic. Yet the actual war - the nation's collective effort to throw off the English yoke and become free - had started as soon as <a href="/blog/an-ill-fated-wedding">Henry II</a> set foot on Irish soil uninvited in 1172, and it never ceased until the goal was achieved. It doesn't mean incessant hostilities for 750 years in a row - no country or even empire in the world would possibly be able to sustain that without seeing its economy and social life fall completely apart - but rather that many generations of Irish people had to incorporate a possibility of rising up against the occupying forces at any moment, with their daily lives. Such a balancing act would inevitably shape the national psyche, thus producing a unique combination of features once defined by Ancient Romans as the ability to “build houses as if they were going to live forever - and to feast as if they were about to die tomorrow”.Dublin City Free Tours are so structured as if they were purposefully created to reflect and represent that Irish skill of reconciling the incompatible. Formally, there are two independent tours aptly dubbed “The Southern Tour” and “The Northern Tour” - because each of them is restricted to the respective side of the river Liffey. More important, each of them is strictly devoted to its respective topic - it's all about “Life” in the south, and all about “War” in the north. Never mind that both sides are divided/connected by a rather short bridge crossed by thousands every day, and none of those thousands would ever perceive crossing the bridge as "going to the other side". Just like other thousands in other times would cross the invisible bridge between living and striving today, and possibly dying in a fight tomorrow - and never think about it either? Or had thinking and prioritizing become an inseparable part of the switch? If that were the case, and if we were to gain an insight into their actual priorities, it might be provided by that very bridge - as both it and the street it leads to on the northern side, are named after the same person widely known to the nation as the “Liberator”.

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A Balancing Act

On Sunday, November 21, 1920, in the small hours of the night, militants of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) carried out a well-planned attack on English secret agents in Dublin, killing 14 of them and effectively destroying the whole carefully planted spy network. Ten or so hours later, several trucks full of English regular troops and their local allies, known as Irish Constables, arrived at Croke Park where a Gaelic football match was taking place. In theory the squad commanding officer was supposed to come to the pitch and address the players and the spectators - to relate the morning incident and explain that several players were suspected IRA sympathizers or even operatives. In practice the soldiers burst out of the trucks, ran to the pitch and opened fire on the players and the spectators (most likely, unprovoked - despite occasional claims to the contrary). The shooting lasted less than two minutes but that was enough to kill - uncannily - exactly the same number of people, 14, among them two children (10 and 11 years old), a pregnant woman whose wedding was scheduled for the following Friday, and one of the teams' captain Michael Hogan (a stand in Croke Park was named after him soon thereafter). Even if enraged Englishmen didn't attach any particular significance to the actual target of their retaliatory effort but were just eager to avenge the death of their compatriots and colleagues, and it simply so happened that a match took place on that very day, the attack on the <a href="/blog/the-gaelic-soul">citadel of Gaelic sports</a> was tantamount to an intent to destroy the very heart and soul of the Irish nation - and therefore, highly symbolic. Arguably, it might have prompted that one last supreme effort the Irish needed to eventually throw off the English yoke.&nbsp;The tragedy remained in Irish history as “A Bloody Sunday”, and it happened to be one of the last acts of an intense, bitter and extremely violent drama that had started almost exactly 750 years earlier when a besieged local king reached out to a Welsh nobleman Richard de Clare, also known as Strongbow, to ask for help. In return for keeping the king on the throne, de Clare would marry his daughter, Aoife, and become his official heir to that very throne. For all we know, Strongbow might have even liked Aoife - and he definitely liked the prospect of becoming a king. That happened much quicker than he could possibly hope for, too, as the old king died only 9 months after his enemies were successfully defeated - so, the former mere nobleman promoted to kingship must have felt very lucky and even chosen. He began looking around, mostly eastward - and that, unsurprisingly, disagreed with Henry the II of England who wasted little time when faced with the necessity to deal with the problem. Henry planned to visit Ireland for just a couple of weeks but then, Strongbow promptly disposed of, he reconsidered.What started as a routine local affair, and was supposed to end in a similarly routine marriage, turned into a centuries-long Struggle for Independence - and that struggle not only completely reshaped the way of life and the value system of Ireland as a country, and its people, but also affected the New World and even such a faraway country as India…

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An Ill-Fated Wedding

Most nations are passionate about sports. Many countries are quite good at a number of different sports. Some of those or other countries are dominant at a particular sport - and almost all such countries have a special museum devoted to that sport. The Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts, The Ski Museum in <a href="holmenkollen">Holmenkollen</a>, The All Black Experience in Auckland (there is another Rugby Museum in Palmerston North - the sport is sooo big in New Zealand that one such museum is simply not enough!)… Those are probably the most iconic of such museums where people come to learn about the history of the sport, and celebrate their athletes having over many years overcome fierce opposition from all over the world, and established themselves as the best of the best in their chosen sport.The GAA Museum in Dublin is both rather similar to and strikingly different from its above-mentioned counterparts. GAA stands for “Gaelic Athletic Association”, and the first word is by far the most important part of that title. It's the traditional Gaelic sports that museum visitors learn about - and they do celebrate incredible Irish athletes who are undoubtedly the creme de la creme of those sports. However, there is one missing component - the "fierce opposition from all over the world". &nbsp;There are essentially four Gaelic sports - hurling, Gaelic football, rounders and, surprisingly, handball (which has nothing to do with the Olympic sport of the same name). The female version of the first two of those has its own name (camogie and ladies' football) but the sports themselves are fully identical. Those two sports also happen to be significantly more popular than the other two - and none of the four existed outside of Ireland about 200 years ago. Then waves of Irish emigration introduced them to such overseas countries as Canada and the USA, Australia and New Zealand, and even Argentina - yet, the games were mostly played by immigrants themselves. Over time some locals joined in, clubs appeared, and their number grew. However, even today an absolute majority of players involved in any Gaelic sports have Irish roots. Since there are no world championships (or any real international competitions, for that matter), the biggest hurling/ Gaelic football tournament on Earth is the All-Irish Championships where players represent their counties. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;The Championships are regular and well-structured. 32 teams from the 4 Irish provinces participate in their respective provincial championships for about 80% of the season. The winners of that stage qualify for the semifinals that determine the finalists in all four categories (hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, ladies' football). The finals are played throughout the month of September - one on every Sunday - and every Irish knows exactly what (s)he is going to do on those four Sundays. The choice is pretty limited: the lucky 82,000 fill the stands of Croke Park, the third biggest stadium in Europe, while the remaining unfortunate 5 millions or so are glued to their TVs for a number of hours - and for a good reason as the skill set required by the games (in particular, hurling) ensures that the All-Irish Finals will feature the finest and most skillful athletes on Earth. &nbsp;A picture is worth a thousand words (and a Youtube video might be worth this whole blog!) - so, my description of hurling will be very brief: it's a unique combination of baseball, rugby and field hockey, and it's the most athletic, passionate and dangerous contact sport one can ever imagine. It's not for nothing that hurling is known as “the warriors' sport”. One last fact I should mention is that it's played by amateur warriorsOne more time, to make sure that this mind-boggling piece of information is fully appreciated: the finest athletes on Earth whose talent fills to capacity the third largest stadium in Europe - and rivets millions to their screens - and who could've easily chosen any sport and excelled at it so much as to become multimillionaires well before the end of their careers - are amateurs! They aren't paid a Eurocent for their tremendous achievements, and neither are most coaches, referees, and even stewards enabling the games to go ahead. That means that all those athletes have to work (to pay their bills) AND practice regularly (to maintain their level) - and that's what they do for years and years. They go to work every day, practice before and/or after work 5-6 times a week, and volunteer in the sports community every now and then. Why all that? The best answer might be provided by the picture below.<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1666996608/7kwonders/DSCF_8781_86d42b125f.jpg" alt="DSCF8781.JPG" srcset="https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1666996607/7kwonders/thumbnail_DSCF_8781_86d42b125f.jpg 208w,https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1666996608/7kwonders/small_DSCF_8781_86d42b125f.jpg 500w,https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1666996608/7kwonders/medium_DSCF_8781_86d42b125f.jpg 750w,https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1666996608/7kwonders/large_DSCF_8781_86d42b125f.jpg 1000w," sizes="100vw">Those are counties team jerseys, whose design and characteristic colours haven't changed for generations of players - and no player, who put on one of those jerseys even once, would ever trade it for any other jersey. In other words, no hurler/Gaelic footballer has ever played for a county (s)he wasn't born in - at least, according to our guide whose grandfather had participated in several All-Irish finals (the guide himself also played the sport but at a lower level, so he decided to serve his sporting community by spreading knowledge and promoting Gaelic sports and values they represent). This devotion to the concept of "county" is so intense that one might even suspect some local nationalism…but for one striking fact: anthems are played twice before every All-Irish final. Tempting as might be to think that every Irish county has its own anthem, it's not the case. It was Irish national anthem that filled the air on both occasions, and this is highly symbolic: even if each team is playing against an Irish opposition, both are still playing for Ireland as well as for their native county. By simply being there and playing those unique, distinctly Irish/Gaelic games, both teams and every player/referee/coach as well as the spectators promote their Irishness and celebrate the very existence of their games rather than just their athletic prowess. &nbsp;&nbsp;

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The Gaelic Soul

“Being born in a stable does not make one a horse”.&nbsp;Arthur Wellesley (better known as 1st Duke of Wellington), a prominent English politician and a military commander renowned - among other things - for his role in defeating Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo, was born in Dublin, Ireland. Judging by the above quotation, Wellesley was not exactly happy about or proud of his birthplace.Jonathan Swift, a scholar who served 32 years as Dean of St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin, and a famous writer who penned “Gulliver's Travels”, sounded even more bitter, if less rude, when it came to his native country: “I reckon, no man is thoroughly miserable, unless he is condemned to live in Ireland”.James Joyce - arguably Ireland's most famous and most enigmatic writer, a man who singlehandedly perfected, if not created, a whole new genre in literature (stream of consciousness) - might have not lashed out at Ireland publicly but he literally voted with his feet instead. Joyce left the country when he was 22, returned for several brief visits over the next 10 years, and never set foot on Irish soil again for the remaining 30 years of his life. And yet, every word in Joyce's books was informed by sights and sounds of Ireland, by people he had known and buildings he had come to or passed by as a youth. In other words, all Joyce ever wrote about was Ireland.There are other “yets” and other dignitaries whose feelings towards and opinions about Ireland are strikingly different from those of Wellington or Swift. Barak Obama who, by his own admission, came to Ireland “in search of that missing apostrophe”, believed that “Irish blood was spilled on our battlefields. Irish sweat built our great cities”, while “our spirit is eternally refreshed by Irish story and Irish song…”. Finally, St. Patrick's Day paints green hundreds of cities around the world, many of them located thousands of miles away from Ireland.So, what is it about that little island, squeezed between the Atlantic and the Irish Sea, that fills both its admirers and its detractors with so much passion while sparking their imagination and inspiring their eloquence? As the country itself can't tell its own story, it needs facilitators - knowledgeable and passionate people who would help to do justice to it and to unlock its secrets for the world to see and admire. Some of those facilitators tell the story of the country as a whole, others concentrate on a particular city, district or even a single (but truly historic) building. Together, they make sure that the Emerald Isle is better understood and appreciated by the rest of the world. And not all of them are even Irish.<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1666386078/7kwonders/DSCF_8812_9ab07b888c.jpg" alt="DSCF8812.JPG" srcset="https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1666386078/7kwonders/thumbnail_DSCF_8812_9ab07b888c.jpg 208w,https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1666386078/7kwonders/small_DSCF_8812_9ab07b888c.jpg 500w,https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1666386078/7kwonders/medium_DSCF_8812_9ab07b888c.jpg 750w,https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1666386078/7kwonders/large_DSCF_8812_9ab07b888c.jpg 1000w," sizes="100vw"></figure>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;JoshAn American from Buffalo, he came over to Ireland to study at Trinity - one of the oldest Universities in Europe - and he stayed after his graduation to teach there. He combines teaching with running a museum devoted to James Joyce, and he guides tours offering insights into Joyce's life and personality thus sharing his passion for Irish literature with people from all over the world.<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1666389520/7kwonders/DSCF_8885_815a292b89.jpg" alt="DSCF8885.JPG" srcset="https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1666389520/7kwonders/thumbnail_DSCF_8885_815a292b89.jpg 208w,https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1666389520/7kwonders/small_DSCF_8885_815a292b89.jpg 500w,https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1666389520/7kwonders/medium_DSCF_8885_815a292b89.jpg 750w,https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1666389520/7kwonders/large_DSCF_8885_815a292b89.jpg 1000w," sizes="100vw">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; MarissaAnother American - from Seattle - a mercurial actress in chaplinesque attire, and with a ready Gioconda smile, she participates in a unique program called “theatre for education”. By relating about 300,000 years of Dublin history in 29 minutes, she provides a truly unforgettable experience for every visitor of a museum with a fully descriptive, unique name - the Little Museum of Dublin.&nbsp;Unsurprisingly, most facilitators are Irish but at least some of them have strong international connections.<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1666391627/7kwonders/1658580883207_061dc76147.jpg" alt="1658580883207.jpg" srcset="https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1666391627/7kwonders/thumbnail_1658580883207_061dc76147.jpg 156w,https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1666391627/7kwonders/small_1658580883207_061dc76147.jpg 500w,https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1666391627/7kwonders/medium_1658580883207_061dc76147.jpg 750w," sizes="100vw">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;MaryShe has been guiding tourists all over Europe and as far as the Great Wall of China but her main commitment is to the “Irish Stonehenge” - the neolithic tombs in Irish “Ancient East”. The main tomb, Newgrange, is bigger and possibly older than its more famous English counterpart, Stonehenge, and there is an utterly fascinating history behind its creation.&nbsp;<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1666392499/7kwonders/DSCF_9400_2b35edd77d.jpg" alt="DSCF9400.JPG" srcset="https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1666392499/7kwonders/thumbnail_DSCF_9400_2b35edd77d.jpg 208w,https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1666392499/7kwonders/small_DSCF_9400_2b35edd77d.jpg 500w,https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1666392499/7kwonders/medium_DSCF_9400_2b35edd77d.jpg 750w,https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1666392499/7kwonders/large_DSCF_9400_2b35edd77d.jpg 1000w," sizes="100vw">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;JamesA full-time professional tour-guide, he offers 2-3 free walking tours a day, and he relies on personal charisma to befriend his guests, and on his vast and easy knowledge - to engage them. He seems to be equally comfortable talking about German politics, Australian football, Portuguese wines - you name it! - and that makes every guest in the group feel privileged…and even more interested in the main topic of the tour, Ireland.There were many others, of course - and featured wonders over many following weeks will be based on and inspired by their stories. If Ireland comes alive in this blog, it will happen due to their efforts - and that turns those facilitators into a wonder in their own right, because sometimes it takes a wonder to do true justice to another wonder!

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Facilitators

For millennia, humans have had a complex relationships with other living beings collectively known as “animals”. They domesticated some for the sake of convenience, and they hunted others - to give my species the benefit of the doubt, I will presume that was mostly done out of necessity. When necessity became less urgent, curiosity came to the fore - and ever since human beings have had an urge to see animals not just in houses, backyards and zoos but also in their natural habitat. Bird and whale-watching tours, photo safaris and such are by now many people's favourite pastimes but…those activities are somewhat passive for those who prefer an even more immediate, first hand experiences. They can't fly with birds, run with lions or swim with whales - too dangerous! - but they are able to come and stay close to dolphins, arguably, the most exciting species once called “Einsteins of the animal world”“Come and stay close” might be a little bit of an exaggeration as the experience isn't guaranteed, to start with - and it's usually pretty brief even if successful. To give it a try, one usually needs to go on a rowing/kayaking tour (in many areas dolphins are protected, and access to their habitat is restricted) or join a group and hire a licensed instructor. Akaroa, first and foremost renowned for its <a href="/blog/giants-house">Giant's House</a>, covers the former option, while those visiting Eilat can choose to proceed straight from <a href="/blog/wild-east">camels</a> to dolphins.An early morning of a warm, drizzling day, occasional water birds showing up, infrequent splashes as some marine denizen pops up to ascertain there is no immediate danger – and finally the main prize of the tour: dolphins. The encounter, if there is one, is rather brief – and more often than not one would be able to glimpse but a fin or an arched back as they disappear under water. However, strange as it might seem, simply knowing that there is a dolphin literally within touching distance (just too quick to be touched!) fills one with a sense of tranquility that is quite enough to leave the boat with a contented smile on their face.Israeli dolphins are more used to people, and they don't mind doing them an occasional favour by swimming by and wagging their fin. Still, one has to be lucky to come to the Dolphin Reef on a right day at a right time when at least some dolphins are relaxed and in a good mood. More often than not “swimming with” would turn into “watching the dolphins darting by” - not dissimilar to the above-mentioned Akaroa experience. Yet, people keep coming and trying, excited about the very possibility to see those wonderful dancers whose spectacular show is choreographed by Nature itself.P.S. My forthcoming trip to Ireland will most likely allow this blog to go on a short vacation. If all goes to plan, the next entry should appear on October, 22&nbsp;

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Marine Einsteins

Verona would've been a more or less ordinary town but for Juliet - and Juliet herself would've been a perfectly ordinary 13-year-old but for a tragic accident that robbed her of her physical life while securing her an eternal one in the collective memory of the human race. In other words, many wonders are, so-to-say, of humble origins - for instance, several relatively simple ingredients can create a country (as in “A man, a plan, a canal - Panama”, and this one is, in fact a double wonder). Likewise, an inconspicuous and not at all exciting object or structure can become a wonder if it finds itself in the right place at the right time - even a jail.To be precise, a jail alone might not suffice to provide for a wonder. Some accessories prove to be essential - a small wares shop selling weapons, among other goods; a couple of “Wanted” posters (likely, of those who bought some weapons); a gallows (for those of the “wanted” who have actually been found and apprehended); last but not least, a bar - after all, no cowboys movie set would look realistic without one. Of course, typically dusty cowboys settlements aren't necessarily that wonderful or even unusual - unless they are located not far from the Red Sea, and served as an hors oeuvre for a tourist menu. That particular movie set in the town of Eilat in Israel also sets the tone for the “main dish” - an hour-long camel ride.Cowboys are first and foremost just that, riders - and whoever wants to feel home in a cowboy village has to be able to follow suit or, at least willing to try. Many are, even though they might have previously seen even horses - let alone, camels - only through their car window. Encouraged by a light refreshment consisting of a somewhat salty scone and a cup of fresh tea, and inspired by the last rays of the setting sun painting the sky some indescribable combination of the rainbow and beyond, those brave hearts slowly approach their female mounts (the only male on set is too aggressive to be entrusted with newbies, while camel females are mostly indifferent, if not friendly, and rather docile). It takes some time to get used to the new “vehicle” but gradually the riders gain enough confidence to start believing they are in charge of the animal. In reality, the opposite is the case - the camels take the riders exactly where…the instructor wants them to, and they are slow enough to compete with snails and turtles! Of course, it's the tourists' fault - under experienced riders those "old ladies" suddenly turn into galloping racing steeds, and that's quite a show in its own right…&nbsp;&nbsp;

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Wild East

From the Blog