48 Hours in Dublin

I am currently in Dublin for the 10th General MAAWG (Messaging Anti-Abuse Working Group) Meeting. I got here on Sunday morning in the pouring rain which made going out to find my way around interesting. Apparently waterproof clothing is only waterproof for as long as it can sustain keeping out the water and assumes that you are making reasonable attempts to get out of the rain. I walked for about 5-6 miles on Sunday only to be completely soaked through all of my clothes by the end. Good times!

Since the conference didn't start until today (Tuesday) I took Monday as an opportunity to do some sightseeing. I took a 4.5 hour bus and walking tour of the south coast of Ireland which included a self-guided tour of a place called Powerscourt Gardens. This place was absolutely gorgeous and was a great opportunity to take some unforgettable pictures. There was a Japanese Garden, huge grassy knolls with fountains and trees with blooming flowers all over them. Truly spectacular! Also, posted all over the place though were signs to "Keep off of the grass" which were apparently translated by some folks with kids as "YOU keep off of the grass. It's ok for me and my kids." Mind you there were only a few kids who I saw using the grassy areas as a huge playground, but the parents weren't doing anything to get them off of the grass either. The whole 4.5 hour tour which included the price of admission to the Gardens was only 25 Euros (between $33-35 USD). Very much worth it!

Speaking of the grass, I want some of the grass here for my front lawn! For as much as it rains here, the grass is mostly short and very fine. If it rained this much at my house, I'd be outside everytime it stopped raining to cut the grass just to keep the yard from becoming a jungle.

Monday night was a dinner hosted by the folks at Cloudmark. We took a bus to a place called Johnny Fox's which was about an hour ride from the hotel. Great dinner and even better company and discussion with lots of singing (if I can call it that) on the bus on the way back followed by a couple hour nightcap in the hotel bar. Wednesday night Symantec is hosting a tour of the Guinness brewery.

When people say that Ireland is so green that it can hurt your eyes, it's true. Not only is EVERYTHING green, it is a BRIGHT green. A beautiful bright green. It really is a beautiful place and a great place to visit. I'd be more than happy to share some pictures with whoever would be interested.

The MAAWG conference starts today. Since it is a member's only meeting there might not be much that I am actually allowed to say about what is discussed, but if there are any good tidbits that I can safely share, I will do so.

Cheers!