Ireland: Dublin

6.2.09 - We wake up this morning to another gorgeous day of sunshine and mild weather in Dublin. We’ve been told often what unusual weather this is. It is apparently rainy or overcast in Dublin, and Ireland in general, most of the time. We’ve had beautiful weather every day of our trip, with just a touch of rain the day we were in Thornbury.

We enjoy a relaxed morning in our room at the Shelbourne Hotel and depart a little after 11:00 a.m. for some sightseeing. We walk along St. Stephen’s Green past Dawson Street and Kildare, then turn north on Grafton Street. We stop by Brown Thomas department store to window shop. Brown Thomas carries clothing by many well known designers as well as home furnishings. It’s interesting to see. Our next stop is Trinity College to see the Book of Kells. This ancient book was created around 800 A.D. by monks in Iona and contains the Bible embellished with finely detailed art. The pages are vellum, created from calf skin. The inks and paints were created from various minerals and plants. It is quite something to see. There are just four pages available to see at any one time along with four pages from similar books of that era.

From Trinity College, we shop a little at House of Ireland, enjoy something to drink at Insominac Coffee Shop, then walk several blocks to Dublin Castle. We take a forty-five minute guided tour though this unexpectedly grand building. Our guide is excellent and brings the stories and history of the castle to life in her telling and obvious pride in her country.

After a late lunch in the castle café, it is now 4:15 p.m. We still want to see St. Patrick’s Cathedral, so we must fly to get there. We walk quickly and arrive at 4:40 p.m. The castle is supposed to be open until 5:15, but we are told when we arrive that it closes at 5:00 p.m. today. We are out of Euros for the admission, so I run to the grocery store across the street, get cash, and we sneak in for the last few minutes. It is quite a place. St. Patrick is said to have baptized from a well in this area. In 1901, the well was discovered in an excavation along with a stone marking the site.

After shutting down St. Patrick’s, we realize the shops will be closing soon and Teresa has one more stop she would like to make. We are fans of Butler’s Irish Chocolate. There is a Butler’s Chocolate Café on Grafton near our hotel. The streets are anything but a grid, so there is no direct route there. The GPS I brought along helps guide our walk there and we arrive before closing. With a stock of chocolate in hand, we grab some food to eat for breakfast tomorrow and a magazine for the flight, then make our way back toward our hotel.

Later, we enjoy dinner at Bentley’s Oyster Bar and Seafood. It was recommended in a couple of different places and is just a few doors down from the Shelbourne. Our server, a lady from the Czech Republic, brings us the best foccacia bread I’ve had along with fresh butter ranking with the best as well. Next up, fresh Carlingford and Galway oysters are served with a half lemon, a red vinegar with diced shallots to drizzle on the oysters, and Tabasco sauce. The oysters are wonderful. The Carlingford are briny and the Galway, our favorite of the two, are mild and sweet. Next is a half grilled lobster with a side of basil and tomatoes for me, spinach with shallots for Teresa. Delicious. A couple at the next table introduce themselves to us. They are from New Jersey and saw us at the Book of Kells viewing today. They are sweet and give us their congratulations on our anniversary.

When we return to the Shelbourne, we stop at the hotel’s Lord Mayor’s Lounge for a tea on our way up to the room. It’s a peaceful relaxing time in this nearly 200 year old tea room. Our server pours me tea from a white china pot with silver trim through a strainer to catch the loose leaves. I top it with a bit of milk and sweetener and enjoy some freshly made butter cookies with currants. Teresa and spend some time soaking in the moment, relaxing, and talking about our favorite moments during the trip.

*Photos for this post coming soon!