A monument for Parnell
The Dublin Spire
The General Post office is actually a really pretty building
O'Connell Monument
I had dinner at Murray's and stayed for the live music.
The weather was surprisingly nice the next few days. I first went and visited Trinity College. I got a tour of the college and then was able to go in and see the Book of Kells and the old library, which is beautiful. Reflecting back on my trip, this was probably one of my favorite parts of Dublin. The library was beautiful and the Book of Kells was amazing; sadly I couldn't take any pictures of the book or of the exhibit about the book.
Trinity College Library
The detail in the wood work is amazing
I didn't want to leave the library!
Trinity College
Campanile (bell tower) of Trinity College
The Ha'penny Bridge going over the River Liffey
I spent a lot of time walking around St. Steven's Green
Sitting in the grass looking up at the beautiful sky
sitting in St Steven's Green
Molly Malone statue
A beautiful sunset walking back to my hotel after dinner
Friday, May 13
Another beautiful day in Ireland! I got up early and had a tour of the Wicklow Mountains and Glendalough. The tour started around 9am and we got back around 6pm.
We first stopped at Sandycove where we got to visit the James Joyce Tower
Beautiful views of Dublin and the Dublin Bay from the James Joyce Tower
James Joyce Tower
Our next stop was at the Avoca Shop which is where they hand weave wool products. They also have a little café inside where we stopped for a breakfast/coffee break.
Inside the Avoca store was this tree with tea cups hanging from the branches. I thought it was really cool.
Back on the road driving to the Wicklow Mountains. It's not easy getting nice pictures from a moving bus.
More views from the bus of beautiful Ireland
Our next stop was at a little lake I think in Sally Gap. Somewhere in the Wicklow Mountains
There are sheep everywhere in Ireland. We stopped the bus because some sheep were walking in the road.
Our next stop was at the "P.S. I love you" Bridge. Meaning this bridge was made famous from the movie "P.S. I love you", which is a really cute movie but it makes me cry every time so I don't watch it a lot.
Views from the "p.s. I love you" bridge
Next stop: Lough Tay (aka Guinness Lake. Can you guess why it's called that? :)
It was absolutely beautiful
The great thing about being in a tour group is that someone will take your picture for you!
Passing fields of sheep and tower ruins in Ireland
Our last stop: Glendalough
At Glendalough is a 6th century monastic site. This was the entry to the monastery.
Glendalough
The watch tower has been standing since the 6th century! It is one old tower!
St. Kevin's Cross. St. Kevin was the one who started the monastery here.
Of course there are sheep here too! They are so cute!
Glendalough
Beautiful greenery
Walk up to the Upper Lake at Glendalough
The Upper Lake
It was absolutely beautiful. I couldn't get over how nice the weather was for us!
We spent a probably an hour or so at Glendalough but I could have spent all day there just enjoying the sunshine and scenery.
Another sunny day in Dublin! I first went to the Dublin Writer's Museum, which was full of a lot of information about many writers including James Joyce and Oscar Wilde. The museum wasn't very big but I could spend hours there with how much was in the museum.
The Dublin Writer's Museum
The museum itself was a beautiful building.
Then I went to the Garden of Remembrance and sat there for a while since it was so nice outside.
The Garden of Remembrance
After lunch, I went to the James Joyce Center to go on one of their walking tours, but I had time before the tour started, so I walked around the museum.
inside the James Joyce Center
I thought this mural at the James Joyce Center was really cool, incorporating all of this works.
Walking around Dublin on the James Joyce Walking Tour. The guide was very well versed in Joyce's works and his life.
After the tour, I went to Christ Church Cathedral
Inside Christ Church Cathedral
The Cathedral is connected to what is now a museum about Dublin's history, but I didn't go into the museum because it was getting later in the afternoon and most museums close at 5pm or 6pm.
Sunday, May 15
Last night I decided to sign up for a tour to go to Malahide Castle. Again it was another beautiful day for a tour, but the tour itself was a little disappointing. The tour of the castle was really nice, but then we were supposed to get a tour of the coast and we just were on the bus driving by the coast. We did stop in Howth, with is a coastal town for a little while to get lunch, but I walked down to see the sea and the island Ireland's Eye.
Malahide Castle is a beautiful 12th century castle
Malahide Castle
Next to the castle was this abbey, but they didn't talk about it on the tour since the tour was just of the inside of the castle.
The gardens around the castle were really pretty to walk through
Enjoying the flowers
Driving along the coast
The driver just stopped the bus once for us to take pictures. I wish we could have gotten out and walked around, but it was only a half-day tour.
When we stopped for lunch, I walked around a little and saw some pretty views.
Ireland's Eye
It was around 2pm when we got back into Dublin, so I went and got lunch because I was hungry. Then I sat in St. Steven's Green for the rest of the afternoon because I'm on vacation by myself, and I don't have to do anything if I don't want to.
Monday, May 16
Today was an early morning for an all day tour to the Cliffs of Moher and Galway City. When we left Dublin, it was sunny, and then as we drove along it became really foggy, and then the sun came out again when we stopped for breakfast and bathroom break before getting to the Cliffs. The sun stayed out the rest of the day.
Driving through beautiful Ireland up to the Cliffs of Moher
Three representations of the Viking ships
Trying to be a little artsy at the Cliffs of Moher
A beautiful day for walking around the Cliffs of Moher
This is what you see when you turn around at the Cliffs of Moher. So pretty!
O'Brien's Tower. He made the cliffs accessible to visitors
Views from the top of the tower
walking along the cliffs
Now I'm on the other side of O'Brien's Tower.
I walked back past the tower and in the other direction. There is just so much to see and every area has beautiful views.
Living on the edge
Beautiful blue ocean
I really liked walking around the cliffs.
Back on the road we passed a lot of old towers and ruins.
Then we stopped at the Burren, which is rock formed during the Ice Age. They say this is what it is like to walk on the surface of the moon!
Such a different landscape from all the green we had been seeing
The Burren has over 600 species of flora!
More beautiful scenery from the bus. Now we are driving up to Galway City.
Dunguaire Castle
The tour guide gave us a brief walking tour of Galway when we got there.
Lynch's Castle. There was a whole long story about the window at the end there, but I won't go into it.
the other side of Lynch's Castle
Spanish Arch
I sat along the River Corrib and ate fish and chips before getting on the bus to head back to Dublin.
We got back to Dublin around 8pm and we had left at 7am, so it was really an all day thing
Tuesday, May 17
Today was a little rainy but I went to the National Museum of Ireland, so it didn't bother me.
National Museum of Ireland
Inside was full of artifacts from all over Ireland throughout history. One of the most interesting parts (and disgusting) was the bog bodies. The bogland preserved several bodies, keeping the skin and hair but not the bones. It was really weird and gross, especially since the exhibit lead to the café in the museum (but I didn't eat there). This isn't exactly what you want to see before eating:
One of the bog bodies.
The National Museum of Ireland
The famous harp that is on everything here in Dublin
A pretty little glass vase
What is a history museum without a section of ceramics?! haha
After the museum, I got lunch and sat in St. Steven's Green. It is just such a nice park I couldn't help but keep coming back.
Then I went to the Little Museum of Dublin and saw all of the history packed into this little museum.
I had set up to get drinks with a Dubliner through the museum, but my Dubliner never showed up! The lady at the desk felt really bad, but there was nothing more that she could do, so I left.
I went back to St. Steven's Green (this was an entrance I hadn't seen before! Clearly I didn't walk far enough in the park to see this big arch.)
And I brought hot chocolate from Butler's that was amazing!
I walked around the park some more and saw some pretty flowering trees.
Wednesday, May 18
I walked to Saint Patrick's Cathedral first today since I hadn't seen it yet. It was very crowded with tourists, but still a beautiful cathedral.
Saint Patrick's Cathedral
The Cathedral was built here because it is the sight of St. Patrick's well. I don't remember the story behind the well, but it was important to them.
St. Patrick's Cathedral
I sat in the park next to the cathedral for a while because the sun came out for a while.
Then the clouds came back and I went to visit Dublin Castle
There's not much of the medieval castle left, but it was nice to see.
Then I walked over to the Chester Beatty Library and you could still see the castle from there (but it's not that far).
I couldn't take pictures inside the library, but it was full of beautiful, old books that Chester Beatty collected.
And there was a rooftop garden, but it was raining a little, so I didn't sit up there.
Thursday, May 19
Thursday was my last day in Dublin and it rained all morning, so I went to the Guinness Storehouse.
Guinness Storehouse
It was interesting walking around and learning how the beer is made
There was a little part about how the barrels were made.
It's a Guinness!
There was also a section of the history of advertising Guinness
At the top of the building is the Gravity Bar where you can see the city in 360 degree views.
And you get a free pint of Guinness!
Then in the afternoon, the sun came out and I went to Kilmainham's Gaol (pronounced jail), but I didn't know that I had to reserve a tour before I got there, so I didn't really get to see it.
Kilmainham's Gaol
So instead, I came to Phoenix Park, which is the biggest city park in the world. Central Park in NY can fit in Phoenix Park two times! It's crazy how big it is! Obviously I didn't see much of it.
Walking around Phoenix Park
There are lots of fields for different sports in the park
Friday morning, I took the bus to the airport and got there earlier than I needed to, but it was ok. I had a great time in Ireland, and I can't believe how lucky I was with the weather! As you can see, it really didn't rain much while I was there. I flew back to La Rochelle on Friday and saw all of my friends before they returned to the States. Now I'm waiting for my family to come visit on Saturday!!
