Last weekend, on another very early rainy morning, my friends and I set out for a weekend in Ireland. This time, there was no promise of warm sun, but we held our heads high and carried on. The promise of good bear, and lots of it, as our motivator... and perhaps the hopes of seeing a leprechaun.
In Dublin, the only thing open before 11:00 AM on a saturday is a pub. Go figure. So, being hungry and up for an adventure, we ducked into O'Shea's and ordered a full Irish breakfast each. I ate the whole thing. Please, don't tell me what either of the 'puddings' are. Yes, I'm a glutton, but don't worry, I paid for my sins later with terrible heartburn and a slight taste of sausage in my mouth all day.
On our 3 hour walking tour of Dublin, we saw many interesting sights. My favorite was Irish justice: she is not blind, may not save violence for a last resort, looks down on her people judgmentally and her scales aren't always even!
The only part of the Dublin Castle that actually looks like a castle. This was part of the original castle built in the 13th century as the major hub of British rule in Ireland. Today it is still used largely for government affairs.
The back of the castle.... no comment
Christ Church Cathedral - a church that dates back to the Viking period in Dublin. My favorite part about it though was the story that goes with it. While I didn't go inside, in the crypt there are the mummified remains of a cat and a rat - the original Tom and Jerry. The rat, searching for safe haven from the cat who was chasing him, decided to run up one of the organ pipes, and the cat followed. Unfortunately, the both got stuck, and there they stayed until someone discovered them when trying to fix the organ many years later!
Trinity College in Dublin.
Of course, no trip to Dublin would be complete with out a visit to the Guinness Storehouse.
At the Guinness Gravity Bar
The next day, some of us decided to take a bus tour through Wicklow County. This is Guinness Lake named both for its dark color...
... and because the guy who owns all this property (see his house - that tiny what spec on the right side of the photo) is a member of the Guinness family.
Our next stop on the tour was Glendalough.
At Glendalough, there used to be a monastery. Now it is just a little town with some beautiful hiking trails.
Finally, we went to the Avoca Handweavers shop.
Then, it was back to Dublin and back to London. A lovely weekend getaway.
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