Dubin
In a way Dublin, or Ireland in general, was an after thought for this trip: our flight would make a stop in Dublin, so why not spend a few days? This we did. And although we only stayed for 3 days and did not have the best weather while there, Ireland still surprised us with its friendly people, hearty food (and beer!), and a glimpse of the wild coast at Howth.
(Click on each image to see the high-resolution version)
We arrived in the afternoon from Porto and stayed at a lodge in Lower Gardiner Street, just north of the River Liffey. This is the scene of the area on our first night.
O'Shea's
In Dublin we mostly acted like the typical tourists -- the next day (our only full day there), we walked over to some of the wellknown places. The first prominent structure we encountered was The Spire, in the middle of O'Connell Street. Unfortunately this day was rather dreary and the sky was overcast.
The Spire
Then we walked to Trinity College, Ireland's premier institute. With mostly heavy clouds in the sky, I tried to snap a few pictures when it was at least partially clear.
Trinity College
Trinity College
The library at Trinity College is a top tourist attraction, the Long Room in particular was very popular.
The Long Room at Trinity College Library
Of course we had to also visit St. Patrick's Cathedral. The sky just cleared momentarily for me to take a few pictures.
St. Patrick's Cathedral
Churches and cathedrals are everywhere in Europe and we have visited a few. However, I must say that St. Patrick's is one of the most elegant. Most churches are laid with bricks on the floor, but even the tiles inside St. Patrick's have beatuful patterns.
St. Patrick's Cathedral
St. Patrick's Cathedral
Tiles
The stained glasses too were magnificent.
Stained Glass
Stained Glass
Stained Glass
Stained Glass
Then, like all tourists do, we visited the Guinness Storehouse.
Guinness Brewery
Of course, it is very commercialized and not just a little cheesy -- this barrel shaped structure is one example.
Guinness Storehouse
Needless to say, there are beer-themed exhibits throughout the storehouse.
Beer barrels at the Guinness Storehouse
Other commercial exhibits abound.
Fish
Ostrich
The Gravity Bar at the top offers a wonderful view of the city and surrounding areas.
View from the Gravity Bar
View from the Gravity Bar
On the way back we stopped at the Dublin Castle when it started raining. For a brief moment the sun came out and a rainbow appeared. So it is not all bad when it rains -- certainly you won't get a rainbow if it does not rain.
Rainbow
In the rain we went to the Temple Bar District where all the bars are pubs are. We ended this day in drizzle.
Quay's Bar
The Temple Bar
