We slept in today, trying to replenish our sleep banks from the sleepless flight to Dublin. We had breakfast at a nice little cafe down the street from our hotel. Bev and I both had porridge. Can't say that I've ever had porridge before, but it was good. It's basically oatmeal. It was served with organic honey, and we also had some "brown bread" that was also good. Our orders included a cup of "gourmet coffee." It was potent, but very good. Per my usual habit of asking for a refill of coffee, I did so this time. I soon realized that I would be paying for this second cup, which was okay. But when the server arrived with the second cup I asked him if it was espresso. He said, "Yes, it's a double espresso with a little hot water mixed with it. It will give you a good start for the day." So now I was starting my day with 4 shots of espresso!
We bought tickets for the "Hop On/Hop Off" bus tour of Dublin and set out. We stopped at the Kilmaighneann Gaol, a jail that was open for about 200 years or more. We toured the jail, which housed not only criminals but political prisoners during the uprisings in Ireland until the prison closed in 1924. Adjacent to the jail was a really interesting museum that followed the chronology of the struggles between the British and the Irish up to the time the prison closed.
We then grabbed a light lunch and got "hopped" back on the bus and took it to the National Museum at Collins Barracks. There we could study more of the history of the British-Irish struggles to present day. All in all, a very interesting day!
We then walked back to the Temple Bar area of Dublin to absorb more of the goings on. We stopped into Quay's Temple Bar. We ordered up a Guinness and Bev took the only stool that was open at the bar. We started a light-hearted conversation with the guy next to me. His name is Martin and he works for the Merchant Marines in Denmark, but lives in Dublin. Great guy! We ended up having fun and lively discussions about "the Troubles" in Ireland, the current state of political relations in Ireland between the Brits and the Irish, and the scandals facing the Pope and the Catholic Church. Meeting Martin and talking to him over several Guinesses was one more of those "adventures" that comes with traveling!
On our walk back to the hotel, we ran across the Boulevard Cafe. The pasta menu looked appealing, so we decided to give it a try. It was a fabulous stop! The food and service were great. There was one or two (we never figured out which) 30th birthday parties going on, so the place was hopping. But the service was still good, the partiers were dining more than drinking, and it was just a vibrant atmosphere.
We got back to our room, exhilarated at the interesting and fun, but full day! Just to give you an idea of that, in my haste to brush my teeth and get to bed, I didn't realize that the "toothpaste" in my mouth was bitter for a reason; it was actually Bev's Hydrocortisone cream. Nasty! Don't try that at home!
Tomorrow is Good Friday. We're told that a lot of places will be closed, so we'll be heading North to County Louth for the Easter weekend. This is the county birthplace of my great, great grandfather, Peter Casey, who emigrated from Ireland during the potato famine. I doubt if we'll find much sign of Peter when we get there, but at least I can say I was at his town of birth, Dunleer.
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