Dublin Fun!
The drive from Athlone to Dublin took just over an hour. Our car return was slightly confusing… we had paid a little extra to pick it up right outside the airport but that meant we needed to drop it off in the same spot. Following the signs to car rental return made sense to me... Though this location was where the vehicle would eventually end up, I couldn’t leave it. So... back to the airport we went. It actually worked out because we found a booth selling three day passes for the city bus/hop on-hop off.
Wanting to stay in St Stephen’s Green area, we booked Travelodge St Stephen’s Green. This budget hotel was nicely located for our needs. The rooms were simple and clean… front desk very personable… and we had great sleep! That’s what counts. All rested, we tracked down the Hop On-Hop Off bus to play tourist around town. First stop… Guinness Factory!
Expertly poured Guinness was served to each guest. Tour guides explained the brewing process, the history and how to correctly drink the beer.
This is the reason we do the Guinness Factory tour every visit… the post tour experience! I love that once the tour is finished, we get to go up the elevator to the seventh floor Gravity Bar. With our free drink coupon in hand, we look for a space to sit so we can enjoy the spectacular 360 degree views!
St Michael’s Tower was stunning! Grass surrounds the historic rock buildings. Statues were uniquely displayed around the grounds, including one that appeared to be lying on a bench...
The Molly Malone statue was intriguing. It was tough to get a photo of her without groping tourists. Everyone who passed, rubbed Molly’s upper body. It is such a popular thing to do that the bronze is worn smooth.
Walking, walking, walking… there is so much to see on both banks of the River Liffey. Flowing through town, we crossed on the Ha’penny Bridge heading to our next destination.
Dublin is full of statues...these two were inside the Temple Bar. I pulled up a stool next to Jame’s Joyce (R). The walls were full of quotes from the novelist, poet and short story writer. What a wild bar… and we visited in the early afternoon!
So much fun! We met our friends from Adare (via Croatia and Peru) for a drink. Once finished, we walked outside and admired the Temple Bar area. Previous visits, we were careful to avoid this area. Actually visiting, we ended up loving the social aspect, the lively atmosphere and the flower lined street.
One of the patrons at Temple Bar, suggested a restaurant down the road. We decided to try it before heading back to our hotel. It was a little hard to find… or rather, we were directionally challenged so we passed by and had to wind around and come back. We enjoyed mussels, a bottle of wine and delicious pizza! Great service! We went to bed with full bellies in preparation for our morning flight to Houston. (Restaurant photo borrowed because mine came out blurry… but it was important to see the brick tunnel-style walls created a great atmosphere)
