First of all, I'd like to make the point that everyone, if presented with the opportunity, should visit Dublin and Ireland. It's a spectacular country, in which the boundaries between urban and rural are blurred beyond anything I've ever seen. I live in a small town, about 53 000 souls, just outside Dublin and I might as well live in a village for all the "city feeling" you get here. Swords is one of the oldest, if not -the- oldest settlement in Ireland, but I can recount its history later. This post is about Dublin.
So, breakfast cleared away, Boy and I rushed to catch the bus, and with its usually unreliability, the bus was 5 minutes late. Dublin Bus does that. You have to keep an iron hold on the bus app in order to know when the bus will arrive, because the time tables are just something between suggestion and place holder.
We travelled along the same way Boy and I had walkedto get to Malahide Castle less than a week earlier and it was as stunningly beautiful as I remembered.
There are two things you absolutely have to remember when taking the bus in Dublin county. First is to always have the correct fair in coins on you. The bus driver has no way of giving you change and has no access to the money at all, and notes are not accepted.
Second thing is to always thank the driver when you disembark. You will come across as incredibly rude if you don't say "Thanks", "Cheers", or "Thank you" when you get off the bus.
After much bouncing around in the confines of the bus for 40 minutes, we got off at the corner of Talbot St and Gardiner St and went looking for somewhere to eat, since we were too early to check into our hotel. After some walking, we slipped into a small bar called J J Grainger, and heavens know I will always be grateful for that decision. They have -The Best- fish-n-chips I have ever eaten. Haddock smoked to perfection, then rolled in beer batter and deep fried. Boy had a Guinnes and beef stew that make me cry because it tasted just like my Granma's beef stew.
After lunch, we went to the hotel and checked in. Sadly, the hotel did not live up to expectations. There were exposed electrical wires near the floor, the stairs were steep, the bathroom was extremely cramped, and the breakfast was mediocre, but I'm getting ahead of myself. The bed was very comfortable and the room was clean and free from dust. It was a nice looking room. I was just expecting more based on reviews and the price tag.
Then we went looking for the Temple Bar District, and managed to get absolutely, undeniably lost. Getting lost in Dublin is one of the more enjoyable experiences I've had, because I got to see some great architecture, some brilliant murals, and I got to snicker at some fire fighters practicing water rescues in the Liffey.
We were both pretty hungry when we finally found ourselves outside Hard Rock Café Dublin. We got a table and ordered food - steak and mashed potatoes for Boy, and Macaroni, Chicken and Cheese for me. After Grainger, Hard Rock Café was very underwhelming. It was expensive, and while the food was good, it wasn't that good to warrant the price. After a while, a friend of Boy's showed up and we talked until the sun set. I think the waitress wanted us to order more things, but eh.
We followed Boy's friend to the bus stop, passing by the Dublin Spire (sorry, no photos. Phone had died by this point). and the Abbey.Thanks to my coughing, neither Boy, nor I slept very well that night, but it was a lot better than back in the apartment. The hotel room had blinds!
The next morning, we went down to breakfast and were a bit disappointed. The "continental breakfast buffee" consisted of presliced cheese, ham and salami slices, eggs and toast you had to ask for (2 eggs per person and 6 slices of toast to share), yoghurt cups, müsli and Rice Crispies, and coffee, orange juice, and milk. I know I am critical, but the room was supposed to cost €120 per person per night, but thanks to a discount site, we payed €35 per person for that night, breakfast included. I've had a better room and breakfast in London for £7 per person per night.
Day was vastly improved as we checked out and stepped into the warm sunlight and made our way to the National Leprechaun Museum. I highly recommend a visit to the museum. The tour was a bit short, but it was fun, the settings were well crafted, and the guide was smart, funny, and knew her lore. I wanted to see a lot more things, but both Boy and I felt that we'd had enough touristing, and we went looking for the bus stop - and managed to get a bit lost.The whole adventure was concluded with a cup of coffee and a slice of White Chocolate and Raspberry cake at Insomnia in Pavilions, Swords.
DFTBA
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