Thursday, May 24, 2018, was my favorite day in Dublin! This is because of one of the places we went–Dublinia! It is a museum dedicated to the Viking and Medieval history of Ireland, and those are my favorite periods of history!!
Breakfast and Trinity College
We started the day with breakfast at The Lombard, on the way to Trinity College. I had the “small” Irish breakfast (it was NOT small) and Seth had Eggs Benedict. Everything was delicious and filled us up for our adventures!
After breakfast we continued our walk to Trinity College with hopes of seeing the Book of Kells. We had thought it was included in our Dublin Pass since it is a big attraction there, but it was not. Between having to pay extra and the very long line, we decided to skip this attraction in favor of other things. I am very glad we did, since we would not have had time to do everything that we ended up doing!
Grafton Street and St. Stephen’s Green
Upon leaving Trinity College, we strolled through the Grafton Street area. There were nice shops, a few great pubs and a coffee shop with a lovely downstairs area with couches and tables that would be perfect for studying! Our journey brought us to St. Stephen’s Green, a most delightful park that I could easily spend all day in! I especially loved the ponds and the ducks. We even saw some swans! I love swans! There was a very protective male duck swimming beside his female and quacking all the other ducks away. It was so cute!
Great Driver and Dublinia
We picked up the Hop On Hop Off Bus at the park and were blessed with an awesome driver–Declan was entertaining, informative, and sang beautifully! We were lucky enough to get him again later in the day, too! He was one of the highlights of our day!
Our next stop was the highlight of my stay in Dublin–Dublinia. I am fascinated by Viking and Medieval history, so this interactive museum was right up my alley! I’ve been reading a series of books on this era that are loosely based on fact, so seeing those people come to life and the reality behind the fiction made it even more meaningful for me! I definitely geeked out during our visit to Dublinia. You can learn more about this attraction here.
Lunch at the Copper Alley Bistro
We ate lunch at a pub nearby, Copper Alley Bistro. I had a traditional Bangers and Mash, which was delicious, and Seth had the “House Special Burger” that he thoroughly enjoyed. We split a bottle of Malbec, my favorite type of red wine!
Jameson Distillery
After lunch we hopped on the bus again and went to the Jameson Distillery where Darren taught us all about the history of the brand. He also instructed us in the process of making whiskey, and the difference between various types of whiskeys. The word “whiskey” actually comes from the Gaelic word for water–uisce. We also tasted and compared Jameson with Scotch (Johnnie Walker) and Bourbon (Jack Daniels). The Jameson was definitely MUCH smoother! IF I were to drink whiskey, it would be my preferred type! We each got a free drink (mine was a Jameson and lemonade) , and Seth bought a bottle to go! On the way back, we again had Declan for our driver–what a treat!
Dinner at Our Hotel Bar
After a brief trip back to the hotel to recharge ourselves and our devices, we again tried to go the the Ferryman, but it was (again) too crowded! We ended up having dinner at the hotel bar. We had drinks and burgers and enjoyed a relaxed dinner before retiring to the room for a well-earned rest!
Well, my friends, until next time!