Day 1: Jetlagged in Dublin

After a long overnight flight from Toronto we arrived at Dublin airport at 5:30 local time, which my body told me was 12:30 AM.  Flying is a necessary evil you have to endure to get to where you want to be.

Dwight, Marilyn, Liz & Jim setting out on the adventure

Our chariot arrives to fetch us

After a cab ride through the almost deserted streets we arrived at the meeting location for our apartment rental just before dawn at 7:00.  Ivan gave us the tour and explained the features like WiFI, satellite TV and anf the funky hot water heater.  Everything he said was filtered through 4 jet lagged brains.  I think he picked up on this and pointed out the printed package with all the instructions and left.   We were in bed and asleep before 7:30!

Our teeny kitchen

A view of the living room and balcony

Around noon we awoke refeshed and decided to tour Dublin on foot.  Our apartment is near Parnell Square on the north side of the river Liffey.  We had breakfast, or rather lunch, at the Old Music Shop cafe and headed south toward the river.  Dublin is great city to explore on foot.  The architecture is very much like London but the buidlings and streets are much cleaner and the people much friendlier.

Marilyn & Liz posing next to James Joyce

O'Connell Street in Dublin

River Liffey

After crossing the river we visited Trinity College with all the "freshers" that were in the main square signing up for the the campus clubs and organizations.  We checked out the book store outside the Book of Kells but decided to pass on the 10 euro each admission.

Trinity College "Freshers" signing up

Outside Trinity College Old Library

Marilyn is tempted in the Book Store

Cool sculpture on campus

Leaving Trinity College we walked up and down the Grafton Street pedestrian mall.  The day was warm with more fog than cloud hiding the sun.  The mall has an interesting mix of tourist shops, hig end shops, buskers and street performers.  Jim and I decided an Americano coffee from McD's would re-energize us while Liz and Marilyn shopped.

Grafton Street

Interesting arcade at the end of Grafton Street

At the south end of the street was St Stephen's Green.  Great cities of the world have awesome urban parks that serve as an oasis.  Once you were 100m into this park, the city vanished and was replaced by cool walkways under large trees, ponds with ducks and a heron, fountains and large wooden benches to rest.  Jim and I shared a bench with a nice young Dublin secondary school student.  He told us about the city and his dreams of getting enough points to get into Trinity College to study philosophy aand literacture so he could be become a writer.

The gate of St Stephen Green

Marilyn and Jim being greeters to the park

A stork in the pond

Beautiful flower beds

Fountains in St Stephen Green

Gardens of interesting plants

Leaving the green we noticed our energy level was lagging and started to head back to the apartment. Along the way our thirst forced us into one of the many bars along Aungier Street where we sampled a local Itrish lager and chatted with the bartender and one of his buddies.  We were surprised that the Alberta Oil Sands is enticing Irish construction workers to come over to work.  It was good practice on decifering the thick Irish accent.

Entering the popular Temple Bar district we began looking for a restaurant for dinner.  Marilyn was granted the power to choose and her choice was superb.  Nico's Italian restaurant was a fine dining experience with three course dinner for 25 euros.  The food was delicious and served with silver cutlery on while linen table cloths and accompanied by a painist.

Leaving the restaurant in the dark we saw the nightlife of the area come to life.  We made a mental note to return here later for some drinks, live entertainment and dancing.  After a quick stop at Tesco to buy some breakfast supplies, we arrived back at the apratment by 10:00.  An awesome first day.  Cant wait for tomorrow.