Dublin in a Day

We had thought we would drive to Dublin to spend the day, but when we found out we could hop on a bus and let someone else do the driving, we decided to go for it. It was worth getting up early! Dublin is a big, vibrant city. There are a ton of things to see and do, but we just picked out what we thought we could manage in a day. (We should have had about three!)  Our first visit was to Trinity College where we saw the Book of Kells - fascinating. The Old Library Long Room is mind boggling  - all those floor to ceiling old books.  I can't imagine trying to go to college with all those tourists all over the place.

Our next stop was a visit to St. Patrick's Cathedral. It's beautiful and full of history. A church has stood here since the 5th century.  Jonathan Swift was dean here between 1714 and 1745.

The garden beside the cathedral was gorgeous.

We walked everywhere, and the longest walk was to the Guinness Brewery.  The beer is no longer brewed in the building that houses the museum, but they have a wonderful walk through display that tells you more than you even knew you wanted to hear about how it is crafted. The tour culminates with a stop at the Gravity Bar, which is on the 7th floor of the building and has a terrific view of the city below.  I was never a particularly big fan of Guinness, but that pint sure tasted great. They say Guinness in Ireland is not the same, and I think I agree. It's better!

We had a great time on our visit to Dublin.  We wandered all over,  got lost a couple of times, and just enjoyed soaking in the atmosphere.