Last Day in Dublin:
Last night we had a very nice Guinness Stew at Oliver St John Grogarty Pub while listening to some trad music.
This morning we had our last breakfast here at Blooms Hotel. The breakfasts have been very good and we do like this property for many reasons and would definitely stay here again.
We checked in for our flight and got our boarding passes printed then off to do more exploring.
Our route today will be a big circle tour.
Many do not know how hygienic the Vikings were, they bathed on a regular basis and combed their with these intricate combs. Many an Irish lass preferred the Viking men over the local boys was because the Viking Men smelled better.
Stop one is the National Museum of Ireland - Archeology. Upon entering the museum I was overtaken with the beauty of the building. Columns, a dome, tile mosaics, carved doors, marble staircases, and more of which all are works of art. This alone makes ones visit well worth ones time.
The first thing that struck me was the number of archeological sites that have been discovered in Ireland. Then one notes how well the artifacts have been preserved. This preservation was basically due to the peat bogs.
I very much enjoyed the section on Viking history. It really helped organize many of the events into perspective. I still have much more to learn and sort out.
One interesting thing I have learned on this trip is the weapons the Vikings and medieval people carried were self purchased. Many carried bows as they were the cheapest weapon that could be procured.
I thought the section of medieval craft trades was very well done and brought home how the workers were so specialized.
Another interesting point noted was the how integrated the Celtic and Viking art/decorations actually are.
We spent a good two hours there. Well worth a visit when one is in Dublin.
Next stop, actually a stroll through, was St Stephen's Green. Last time we were here, we were waiting for a River Dance performance at the Gaiety Theater. It is a lovely park with ponds for waterfowl to gather. It is a nice place for a picnic lunch should one desire.
I thought the wall paper at the Hairy Lemon pub was kewl
We started to feel a bit peckish and found ourselves walking by a brightly yellow painted pub named The Hairy Lemon. Little did we know this is one of Dublin’s trendiest pubs. Named for a gentleman whose head was shaped like a lemon and who was jaundiced (hence the yellow color). The walls are covered with memorabilia and the staff is welcoming and friendly. Parts of the movie “The Commitments” were filmed in this pub. We had a very nice sandwich and a pint.
Next we walked to St. Patricks Cathedral, through the green, then onward towards Dublinia, past Dublinia, around the corner to The Brazen Head Pub. The Brazen Head is reported to be the oldest pub in Dublin. We were still quite full from lunch we just poked in for a peak.
We then walked along the River Liffey back towards our hotel. Crossing the Ha'penny Bridge.
We made a stop at Keogh’s Cafe to pickup some pastries to have before our early morning departure.
It is time to start packing up and get some rest before we start the early morning long journey home.
It was a great trip, much learned and enjoyed. We had forgotten how much we have enjoyed Dublin and will be adding it to our if we get a good airfare return to list.
