We did a lot of walking our first morning in Dublin, as we made the 25-minute trek from our lodge hotel to Trinity College in the city center. The student-run tour of Trinity College was both informative and entertaining. Following the tour, we saw pages from the Book of Kells, an historic illuminated Latin manuscript of the four Gospels of the New Testament.
Amanda on the Trinity College campus.
Following the morning at the college, we spent a few minutes in touristy Grafton Street shops – then settled on Pizza Hut for lunch. The most notable difference between the Dublin Pizza Hut and those we frequent in the states was the price, as the buffet cost 10 Euros, or about $14.00.
Amanda eats sweet corn and pork pizza.
The day also featured a stop for a strawberry smoothie at Nude, a trendy eatery owned by U2 frontman Bono’s brother, followed by a tour of Dublin Castle. Our day was capped by a fun night of Irish entertainment in the Arlington Hotel. A pretty good three-course meal was accompanied by traditional Irish music and Irish dancing.
We had an opportunity to sleep in a bit our second full day in Dublin; at 11:30, we participated in an informative 2-hour walking tour that highlighted key sites in the 1916 Irish Revolution. The tour finished at the General Post Office, which served as the headquarters of the rebellion leaders.
The General Post Office in Dublin.
We took a tour of the Kilmainham Gaol, follwed by one final visit to Roly’s Bistro, which easily was our favorite Irish restaurant. The night was capped with a Coldplay concert in Phoenix Park. While access to the venue (a 2+ mile walk from the bus dropoff point) and venue itself (a crowded outdoor park) were a bit of a detraction, the music was enjoyable. You can count on the band for an entertaining show.
Our view of the Coldplay concert in Phoenix Park.
We’re flying out around 10:30 Dublin time on Tuesday. Thanks for reading our blog!