Tim Hortons in Dublin?
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.
-j. 
