Thursday, July 31, 2008

Woke up at 4:45, got ready and packed up, woke up Addie 5:20 and said goodbye to Mayowa at 5:30. She's been so easy to live with this month and we've really enjoyed getting to know her. Taxi here at 5:40, to bus station at 5:50. Here's Addie guarding all our luggage...Bus due to arrive at 6:05 but was late, and didn't get there until 6:20. We still made it to Stansted in pretty good time, and Addie got a nap in as well. We found the left luggage site at Stansted and left 3 bags there, then checked in for our flight to Dublin with Ryanair. We were early and had to wait to go to the counter, but were able to board early because of Addie. The music they play on Ryanair sounds like a circus - really weird! But it's cheap! They even charge you for drinks - nothing is complementary! Addie slept on the flight as well. We arrived in Dublin at 10:50 - beautiful green fields but a rainy, dark and cold day. To customs, luggage, found aircoach to hotel which took 30 minutes and 15 euros. (Ireland uses euros). Our hotel, Ariel House, is fabulous! http://www.ariel-house.net/?r=3628011&gclid=CMLFqa-Q9JQCFQ5NQwod_0hqrQ Decent price for the most expensive city in Europe, a little southwest of town but we're able to walk to the center of town in about an hour.

This is the view from the alcove windows...

Settled into the hotel and then around 1:30 or so, we headed out to SPAR to get sandwiches and unsuccessfully diapers. Then took DART (Dublin Area Rapid Transit)... 

...up two stations to just east of town center and walked the rest of the way to the Guiness Store, on the western side of town center. We preferred this to the tram so that we could see more of Dublin, such as the Fire Station Tower 1907...

...Steyne Stone 1986...

...House of Lords/Parliament/Bank of Ireland 1729...

...Trinity College West Fron 1751...

...Campanile in Trinity Grounds...

...Christchurch Cathedral 1030...

...St. Audden's 12th century building...

...and the old wall, 

and then Guiness. 

David getting a lesson in serving up a Guiness.

The 360 bar at the top was cool to enjoy a free pint and a bird's eye view of the city. 

Finished there around 5:30 and decided to try to get to St. Patrick's before closing at 7. 

On the way saw what we think is a old Huguenot church ruins.

 

St. Patrick's was closed for an event, but at least we saw it. Built 1192. 

Then back to Christchurch,

 

on to St. Audoen's Gate 1275, 

the site where Handel's Messiah was first performed 1742,

 

and then to Temple Bar for dinner. 

It's a pedestrian area, quite a few blocks of quaint stores, pubs, etc. and tons of people. We found a pub that was ok for Addie and had live music - So NEAT!

 

I think the name was Oliver St. John's Goherty or something like that. Then we walked all the way home, passing Molly Malone statue...

 

and walked through Grafton Street (another pedestrian area) to the hotel by way of Marrion Square, where we realized Addie no longer had her paci. So we were a little nervous about getting her to sleep but thankfully she was tired enough she went to bed pretty easy with David while I soaked my back and legs in a nice hot bath in our posh hotel room!