I’ve had a very urbane kind of day in Dublin so far. A lunch meeting at the Merrion, a visit to the Natural History Museum, sitting on a bench and reading the paper in Merrion Square and then hot chocolate and some work at a coffee shop.
My worlds did collide when I walked into the coffee shop. Off to one side, there was a floor-to-ceiling rack of Tim Hortons doughnuts! I had no idea they were exporting these things, and to Europe, no less. I recall Ireland being fairly free of doughnuts, as they’d embraced all of the (finer, frankly) European pastry delights. Still, there they were, chocolate and maple glazed and all the rest.
On a related point, Dublin has finally started introducing wifi to cafes and restaurants. I had a BTOpenZone monthly usage card, which is what my hotel uses. For 60 euros, I get unlimited usage in the hotel and at a purported 170 other locations around the country. Given the typically exorbitant rates for Internet access at hotels, I thought 8.50 euros a day (I’m staying for seven nights) was quite reasonable. Coincidentally, Roland doesn’t dig BTOpenzone’s prices (20 pence a minute, or 12 pounds an hour) at Heathrow. As I’ve previously remarked, I hate everything about Heathrow. Happily, this trip only featured a 1.5-hour layover.
DarrenBarefoot.com 
“I hate everything about Heathrow” would be an excellent name for a band. It would be pop/punk with a bit of ska.
I once had to spend 7 HOURS at Heathrow. If I never see that airport again, it will be too soon.
I hate heathrow too! I had a 5 hour layover once and there are NO LAPTOP HOOKUPS ?? Never mind internet.. not even a desk and a plug. At a huge international airport like that?! Unbelievable.
Actually, there are a couple plugins under the tvs so, after waiting for someone else to finsih, I hooked up there facing 30 people as they watched tv. heh 🙂
pfft, 7 hours, I was there for 15 hours last July coming back from New Zealand. I had to wait overnight because the last Aer Lingus flight left too early so I had around 15 hours of a cold metal seat in Terminal 1, this wasn’t even the bit where you’ve checked in it’s the bit before you go through security. Awful, just awful, worst 15 hours of my life!
As I’m stuck going between Canada and UK much too often for my taste, I do my best to choose flights that land at Gatwick rather than Heathrow. At that point, the in-laws do the meet & greet, picking us up at the gate.
Now if only it was possible to fly to Stansted from Ottawa or Montreal, that’d be me visiting home on a monthly basis!
I love smaller airports, they’re less stressful and less dirty.