LAST DAY IN DUBLIN / GUINNESS

First off our time in Dublin was to short and we did not get out into the country side, which makes for a reason to return. 

We were up nice and early and gathered ourselves together for the day. We started with an attempt to order not as much food for breakfast, this threw the kitchen into a tither. We still got more than asked for and it was great, a modified Full Irish. 

We walked across the Liffey to the LUAS stop and caught the tram to the area near the Guinness Storehouse. This is a very interesting tour and the tasting is grand. Lots of folks there mostly from the States. The most interesting thing I learned is about the yeast used in Guinness is original and secret. They keep a store locked away should something happen to their current stock. They brew 365 day a year,  and there are 30 million bubbles in every pint. It is fun to learn how to properly pour a pint of Guinness. The barley is roasted to 323 degrees Centigrade to give Guinness it’s color and great taste. 

What many may not realize is the Guinness family was rather generous to the city of Dublin in the creation of many many great green spaces. Not only is Guinness Good For You, but Guinness was good for Dublin. 

From the Guinness storehouse we made our way to St. Patricks Cathedral, simply a beautiful place in many many ways. Worth a visit for sure. 

We then progressed to the Temple Bar Area and found the The Foggy Dew Pub, which had been recommended by a fellow Copper.  Here we had a pint of yes, Guinness, and a ham cheese tomato and onion toastie. 

We then made our way back to the Ferryman Townhouse to start the packing and getting ready for a very early start tomorrow.  

This trip was so much more than expected, I would really like to return to hike the coast of Wales, explore more of Dublin and the coasts of Ireland. 

Hopefully we can get some rest tonight as we have that mighty long airplane ride ahead of us. 

A DAY AT THE DUBLIN ZOO.

We are up and at um, laundry not quite dry so dig out some clothes for the day and head to breakfast. 

The breakfast room is an upstairs bar, rather nice and a full Irish breakfast is served comprised of eggs, bacon (good Bacon), sausages, pudding, toast and beans, all rather well done. 

We are thinking about going to the Dublin Zoo today and it looks to be a couple mile walk or maybe some public transportation.

It was a nice healthy walk to the Dublin Zoo maybe a good 2 plus miles, but that is good for us to work off the Full Irish Breakfast. 

When walking along the River Liffey, one comes to the Famine Memorial. These stark figures depict the ravages of the Great Hunger of 1845-1851. The haunted look tells of a journey both hazardous and unwelcome. The artist is Rowan Gillespie who erected these in1997. 

We arrived at the Zoo at about 1100 and stayed till about 1500. The forecast is for afternoon rain so we planned our return to the hotel via a tram system called LAUS red line tram.   

The Dublin Zoo is very well done and there are some nice exhibits. I did take a lot of photos. Just a thought for anyone planning a wildlife photo trip would be to visit a zoo to hone your skills. I keep forgetting to up my shutter speed on fast moving critters. 

Wellington Monument 

Lions are so kewl

Red Panda 

As we left the zoo, we crossed the street to The Tea Rooms, where we had a toasted sandwiches for lunch.  We then made our way to the LAUS stop and purchased tickets, and soon jumped on board. This is a good way to cross the city and we will use it tomorrow to get to the Guinness Warehouse. 

While in some ways, not all that of an exciting day for most, we do enjoy visiting different city zoos. Zoos can be depressing at times as I wish the animals could be free in their natural habitats. Then I think of the educational opportunities that can be offered and the appreciation one can gain for just seeing these animals. Then there are the breeding programs for the near extinct critters, nothing wrong with there. 

We got back to the Ferryman just as the rain started to fall. Lucky timing on our part. Getting these entries caught up and will head down stairs for a pint, but first, another walkabout was in order. We spent an hour walking in the rain, exploring the neighborhood.  Then down to the pub for a pint and then sandwiches in the room for dinner.