While on a two week vacation in Ireland & London, I kept track of what we did and my own thoughts in order to help me remember. Two weeks is a long time! I realized other might benefit from my experience, or at least enjoy my photos. This should not serve as the definitive guide to Ireland, just my own wandering trip. 

Day 2 – Dublin, Ireland

We headed out around 8:30 and walked down to the Bad Ass Café in the Temple Bar area. Jared got his first Irish Fry. There was a lot of meat (sausage and Irish bacon, which is more like slabs of ham,) a very runny egg and some baked beans.  I had an omelet, which I split with Jared in exchange for his runny egg.

 We then walked to Trinity College, and had a tour from a current student. It was great! The tour ended at the Trinity Library, which houses the Book of Kells. The Book of Kells was written some time before A.D. 806 on vellum or calfskin. In the end, it was just a book surrounded by lots of people. A very pretty book, one of “the best examples of Dark Age literature,” but a still just a book. The Long Hall, a long library above the Book of Kells exhibit, was amazing. No photos allowed. It’s the largest library in all of Europe and is beautifully done filled with old books and busts of dead people. We were behind a large tour bus, but I think seeing the Long Hall was worth it.

 Then we walked across the city to the Guinness Storehouse. Their new museum was amazing. Built in the old factory, they redid the entire place 3 or 4 years ago. It was interesting without being boring. Not too much text and nice short videos explaining how they make beer. At the end, we enjoyed our complimentary Guinness on the top of the Storehouse in the Sky Bar which has the best view over looking Dublin.

We walked from there to St. Patrick’s Cathedral. We stopped on the way and had fruit and pretzels in the sun. The cathedral was a disappointment compares to some of the others I have seen. Small and cluttered. I was glad we went, just so I could realize that how amazing the cathedrals in Germany really were.

 We walked from there back to Merion Park and sat in the sun. Napped and read our books. It was amazing, after walking all day it was a treat. Merion Park is the smaller of two parks near our hotel. The guidebook said it was a good place to see “couple snookering on sunny days” so we went and added to the charm.

We changed at our hotel and went over to the Winding Stair Café for dinner. It was lovely. Organic, farm grown, on top of a bookstore. We had an amazing dinner.  We didn’t have a reservation, but they managed to get us in and out in an hour and fifteen minutes, without making it seem rushed.  It was a best meal we have had since coming to Dublin.

 On our way back to the hotel, we split a banana & nutella crepe and stopped in for some craic (fun, good times, pronounced crack) at a pub with a real session going on. The Dubliners, a band located out of a small bar near St. Stephens Green, have been playing together for 40 years! There were all white haired old men, but really put together a good tune.

 We didn’t stay out long as we drive to Ballybunion tomorrow and we have been told it can take anywhere from 4-8 hours.