So we landed on the Emerald island on Tuesday to a bit of rain and a chill in the air… just what I expected.  We made our way out to the taxi area, where we found everyone else in the airport had the same idea. Although, the line was excessively long and discouraging by sight, it actually went pretty fast. Standing in queue, Steven comments that he couldn’t find his sunglasses and that he must have lost them somewhere in Glasgow.

“Really?” I commented, looking at him and a pair of sunglasses on top of his head. “Wait a minute, I need a picture of you.”

“Why?” he asks.

“Because you’re having a senior moment … your glasses are on top of your head.”

It’s our turn for a taxi and we’re picked up by an Irishman named Darren McClain, who gives us a quick – Irish-style – break down on the ever changing demographics of his beloved island home.

Darren drops us off at our hotel, the Central Dublin Hotel, a rather grand and old looking hotel. We’re given keys to our third floor chamber, our home for the next three nights and we head on up, making use of the rather small elevator built for three. Upon opening the door, we’re greeted by the doubled-sized bed which was positioned against the door opening. The room was a good size, although its layout was a bit awkward. It had a massive wardrobe right on the other side of the door. A table and two excessively worn chairs further decorated the room. The TV was the smallest I’d ever seen in a hotel room and quite disappointed Steven, even Motel 6’s was larger. There was no air condition again and both the room and the bathroom had windows which were opened. I had to close the one in the bathroom because sitting on the pot provided a nice, direct view into the building across the way. Steven laid down on the bed and remarked it was hard. I sat on it and felt down the side, and discovered springs. Turns out it was a box spring with a pillow top laying on it. Oy vey!

We went out and started exploring right away. We made no plans, other than to walk around the city. The hotel was in a great location, truly central to everything in the city and within walking distance to all touristy sites. Found a great place for dinner and had an almost tradition Irish meal… it had been years since I had lamb, but even so I substituted steak for it.

The next day, we walked and walked and walked… almost seven miles to be exact! We saw Dublin Castle, Christ Church and St. Patrick’s. We found the River Liffey, various stores and a tattoo parlor where I got my second tat this trip. It was just a simple quote, written in French, but one I had been wanting to do for a long time.

Mes rêves sont mon salut … My dreams are my salvation

After the tattoo, we found a park and a place with baguette sandwiches and had a picnic sitting on the grass. I can’t tell you how long it’s been since I’ve sat in a park and just enjoyed the day. There was a good-sized pond with ducks, swans and seagulls and other birds, all flying around waiting on bits of bread from park-goers. There were two little boys, laughing and throwing bits of pieces of bread for the birds, which made them swarm to the ground in the middle of those picnicking, but no one seemed to mind the recreation of scenes from “The Birds.”

We came across the Molly Malone statue and I was trying to get a good picture of it but there was a group of lovely ladies from Spain who were busily taking photos of each other at the statue and oblivious of anyone else. Each time I got ready to snap a pic, they’d move into my view. Three of them sat down again in front of the statue and a different one was snapping pictures of them sitting there, when she turned to me and said something in Spanish. I think they were aware that I was trying to take a picture, and since I didn’t understand what she had asked, I made up my own translation.

“Oh! You want me to take a picture of y’all sitting there?” I said. “Sure! I don’t mind using my own camera!”

And to their surprised I snapped a photo of them and laughed, thanking them for the great shot. Totally surprised them and they all started laughing at the American who now had a picture of them. I don’t think they understood when I said they were going to be famous in my blog, but here they are. I have no idea what their names are, or hell if they were even Spanish, they may have been Italian for all I now. But they were adorable. What they really wanted was for me to take a picture of all of them together with their iPad, which I did, but it was a great moment.

The next day, we decided to take a short sightseeing tour on a Viking Splash bus/boat. Using actual WWII amphibious vehicles, it was a 75-minute land and water tour around Dublin, narrated by a 20-year-old aspiring actor dress in Viking dress named Mark. He was extremely personable, and a very knowledgeable tour guide. He was in fact, hilarious, and had us roaring at groups of people on the street while wearing Viking hats. If you make it to Dublin, I highly recommend this tour!

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We spent the rest of the day continuing our exploration of Dublin, which I found to be much more expensive than Glasgow, but less hilly! I soon discovered the National Museum of Ireland and the National Library, which has genealogy resources, and you all know how I am with my research! Steven made it around the first floor of the museum, but opted to wait for me when I went to the second floor. As we walked down the street after leaving, I came across the Library and it’s WWI exhibit. His face said it all when I mentioned stopping, and luckily for him, there was a pub right across the street, J.P. Mooney’s. Seems like there’s always a pub across from a touristy site, and this one was in the perfect place. So I left the man to his lager and I went to the Library, and even though I had no one to research at the moment, it was wonderful to see the reading room and to discover the resources that are available.

We then went searching for Trinity College and the Book of Kells, an 800 AD illuminated Latin manuscript of the four gospels. Our Viking Splash tour guide laughingly had called it the world’s first coloring book and he was right… it was quite bright. There was a €14 charge to get in and a huge line to which Steven balked at paying but he ended up going in after I mentioned when will he ever see another 9th century bible? The lines were huge and it was mainly a museum exhibit with two parts of the four books on display and everyone continuingly walking around the display cases they were in to see them. I took five minutes, squeezed myself in the middle of the queue to get a quick glimpse and off we went. Not sure if the €28 charge was worth it, but it went to the college and at least I can say I’ve seen it.

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After the Book of Kells exhibit, we found ourselves in Harry Potter’s Hogwarts’s library! Well, actually, it’s the Long Room Library at Trinity College and holds approximately 200,000 copies of the library’s oldest books and the Trinity College Harp, which dates back to the 15th century. Built in the early 1700s, it’s 213 feet long and is surrounded by marbled busts of famous philosophers and writers. An absolute gem!

Steven made it through the day’s culture events like a champ and so we ended the day with a stop at – you guessed it – another pub! This time, a really sweet and very popular pub called O’Neill’s, but I was disappointed that they didn’t carry amaretto, so it was another Coke for me.

Back at the hotel, we packed up and decided to hit the sack early for our 3:45 am wakeup for our 6am flight from Dublin to England. Our plans were to fly into Heathrow airport, take the train down to the main train station in London and take the Chunnel back under the pond to France for a few days before heading to one of the US bases to try for a Space A flight home.

But you know, when you’re on an adventure… plans change.