We started off the morning with an Irish breakfast at the hotel. They had traditional American dishes like eggs, bacon, oatmeal, and hash browns.
Then they offered unique European dishes. I wanted to make sure I tried some of these. The baked beans we interesting to me, not because of the beans themselves, but that they were being offered for breakfast and not lunch/dinner when they normally would be offered in the States.
The beans did not have that BBQ taste. They are in a tomato sauce that was sweet and simple. It did not overpower anything else that I was eating for breakfast. I ended up really enjoying these each morning.
The Black & White Pudding are sausage patties. They have an interesting texture and are really dry compared to traditional breakfast sausage. These were not my favorite, but I am glad that I tried them.
After breakfast we met with our tour guide Ella from Exoticca. She gave us a quick rundown of the daily activities and then we were on our way.
Our first activity was a walking tour of Dublin. I love walking tours because you get to understand and learn your way around a city, while learning about all the history.
Our first stop was at the statue of Countess Constance Markievicz. She was one of the leaders in the Irish Revolution in 1917. She sacrificed her wealth and station for a vision of a better Ireland.
The Steine (or long stone) was a point that the Vikings marked when they inhabited Dublin in the 10th and 11th centuries. This was the original location of the shoreline of the River Liffey during the time of the Vikings.
Trinity College is the oldest university in Ireland. It is home to the Book of Kells. This book is full of rich ornamentation that dates back to 800 AD. This ancient book depicts Celtic and Christian traditions that were captured by Irish monks.
To see the Book of Kells, it requires a separate tour ticket. We did not have time on this trip to experience this but I have it on our list for our next visit to Dublin.
St Ann’s Church located on Dawson Street cannot be missed with the big red doors. It was constructed around 1707. There is amazing gothic architecture. It had really nice dedications to soldiers who served in WWI and WWII.
As we walked down Dawson Street we came to the Mansion House. This is the home to the Lord Mayor of Dublin and has been that way since 1715. It is the oldest free-standing house in Dublin.
Temple Bar is the cultural center of Dublin and is home to an array of colorful pubs. Temple Bar is the name of the area as well as an actual pub. In addition to the pubs, there are also several restaurants and shops.
Two pubs that are a must visit when in Dublin are:
- Temple Bar – always jam packed with people, wonderful live music
- Oliver St. John Gogarty – named after the famous Irish poet and playwright. They offer pints, food, and live music
Christ Church Cathedral has stood at the heart of Dublin for almost 1,000 years. It was originally a Viking church before it became part of the Irish church.
St Audoen’s is the only remaining medieval parish church in Dublin.
Once the walking tour was done, we headed back to the hotel and got onto our tour bus, which would be our mode of transportation for the remainder of the tour. This is when we met Mike, our driver. What a character – and a true Irishman. He had a heavy accent, made funny jokes, and told amazing stories. Most of all he was friendly and helped us throughout the entire trip.
As we headed out of Dublin into the countryside of Ireland, I was amazed by how green it was. I have seen it in pictures, but I always just assumed it was summertime. Here I was at the end of February, beginning of March and it was green all over. It was magical for sure.
Enjoy!
T
