Last day in Dublin

This post should bring an end to our adventure which took us across the Atlantic with stops in Edinburgh and Dublin before heading home. Our travel from Scotland to Ireland was uneventful and we arrived in Dublin around 3:00 on Saturday afternoon. We are staying at the Ashling Hotel that was very near the train station. Luckily our room was ready, so we dropped our stuff off and headed downtown to find some trouble. We took the tram and arrived downtown by 4:00. We strolled down Temple Bar and stopped in at The Quays bar and enjoyed a couple of properly poured pints of Guinness.

There was a band playing and the place was hopping at 5:00 in the afternoon. Everyone was having a good time and it reminded me of Nashville, but with an Irish accent.

A couple of Guinness and we were ready for supper. We found the Brazen Head Pub that claimed to be the oldest bar in Ireland.

Apperently it has only been at the current location since the 1600's, so the claim seems a little dubious. However, the food was delicious and the vibe was excellent.

It was an early night, as they all are these days, and we got ready for our next adventure. Angie has been planning a trip to Kildare since we booked the cruise. Her goal has been to find a Barbour wax jacket and there is an outlet mall with a Barbour store in Kildare. We jumped on a train right outside our Hotel and took the 40 minute ride to the town. The town is beautiful as we took a 20 minute walk to the mall. We passed an Abbey that was built in the 1200's and a graveyard right beside it. Very serene sight.

We got to the mall and Angie was in heaven as we walked around the stores. The good news is she found a jacket and she will be glad to show everyone when we get back home.

We returned from shopping and had a 3:30 appointment for a tour of the Guinness Storehouse. It was a 20 minute walk from our hotel and was very interesting. The best part was everyone got a pint at the end of the tour. And as a bonus it was served at the Gravity Bar on the top of the building with the best views of Dublin.

I'm not sure that either Angie or I have become addicted to the Guinness, but definitely have an appreciation after having some at it's home. Fun Fact: We were told not to sip it while imbibing, but to take a healthy mouthful. Of course, that may be a trick to get you to drink more. Today was our day to get on the Big Bus and tour around the city and see the highlights. It was a beautiful ride and the best part was getting off and getting a tour of the St. Patrick's Cathedral. It was said to be built on the land where St. Patrick perfomed miracles and baptised many devotees. We did an audio tour and learned many things about it. Here are some pictures of the cathedral and the park outside.

Right down the street is the Christ Church Cathedral that was built a little earlier in the 1100's.

After the bus tour, we were back at the hotel before a little rest before our last dinner at Nancy Hands Pub just down the street. We both had the Beef and Guinness Stew that was delicious.

Before returning to the hotel, we walked the other way to another wonderful park called Phoenix Park. As it was a lovely afternoon, there were quite a few people milling about about. Here is Angie beside some Palm trees. Not what you might expect in Dublin.

The last impressive sight in the park is the Wellington Memorial.

Angie's best: No rain in 19 days. Angie's worst: Nothing Mike's Best: Enjoying a Guinness in the Gravity Bar Mike's Worst: Trip is almost over. It has been a great trip for Angie and I as we celebrated our milestone birthdays. My 65th and Angie's 30th. I hope you have enjoyed the blog as much as I have had bringing it to you, (Probably not) and we look forward to seeing you all soon!