My traveling companion and I arrived in Dublin early on the morning of the 16th. Our tour guide had already warned us there probably wouldn’t be any early check-ins. She was right! We could, however, drop off our luggage. Whew! That was a relief. It was at about that time we discovered neither of us was really very good at reading those goofy maps concierges hand you and say, “Oh, it’s easy to get from A to B!” But, let’s back up a bit…
Oops…
I think the orthopedic department at our local hospital has cursed us! During our flight from Chicago to Dublin, the young woman in the window seat needed to use the facilities. As I moved into the aisle (why don’t airplane seats fold up like theater seats anyway), I twisted my good knee. I was in agony from that point on. When we landed in Dublin, it was all I could do to hobble off the plane and through the airport. I already know I have arthritis behind the kneecap of my left leg, and I’d just done who knows what to my right knee. But, determined I was. Once in Dublin, I went into a store and bought a knee support which helped me to at least walk albeit slowly.
The Irish people…
Our first introduction to the people of the Republic of Ireland (which is not a part of the United Kingdom) was our taxi driver, Mark. He was an absolute delight! He regaled us with stories about his sons, how easy it is to navigate Dublin, and how wonderful the education system is. Mark also informed us you can start up a conversation easily with any Dubliner (and maybe anyone Irish) just by asking which crisps (potato chips) they prefer! Just so you know…the choices are Kings or Tayto. Our man was a Tayto fella.
A little more…
With the exception of the fella at the front desk of the first hotel, we found the Irish people to be just amazingly jovial. They genuinely seemed happy to see anyone and would welcome you with huge smiles. Both my friend and I commented on this…people looked at you and smiled unlike other big cities in which I’ve been. That also applied in the countryside.
Our first day…
We purposely flew in a day early to acclimate ourselves and avoid jet lag. I think we were fairly successful at that. We did sleep right through breakfast, though. On the first day, we ventured out without a true plan. We just wanted to get the lay of the land. Both the woman (we switched from the guy) at the front desk and the taxi driver had told us we needed to cross the river and follow O’Connell Street. That was where we would find all these free museums. Well, we got sidetracked by one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen.
The portal…
We honestly happened upon this portal by accident. I think it was in real time, but who knows. These were live streaming video screens. Unfortunately, the one in Dublin was deactivated a few days ago. It seems some people just don’t know how to behave! You can read more here. The other screen was in New York City close to the Flatiron Building. People on both sides could hold up signs provided by the cities. One guy in NYC was trying to get people to mimic his moves from “The Karate Kid.” Nobody was buying that. While we were watching, this cute little girl in NYC happened to walk past, not noticing the portal at first. Before long, though, she was back and held up every single sign they had! She was a delight, and everyone in Dublin was giggling. You can actually find the Portal on YouTube, too.
The Easter Rising…
I’ll admit I wasn’t at all familiar with the history of the United Kingdom and Ireland. It kinda amazes me that a large empire like the UK wanted a little island like Ireland, but there you are! In 1916, seven men from the Military Council of the Irish Republican Brotherhood decided it was time to let the British know the Irish wanted their independence from the United Kingdom. The uprising, called the Easter Rising, began at the General Post Office (the GPO) on Easter Monday, April 24th. If you’d like, you can read more here, but I’ll give you the barest of outlines. The Military Council was trying to drum up enough support, both politically and militarily, to lead to Irish independence. During the uprising, at least 485 people were killed, including 260 civilians. The youngest was less than five years old as I recall. The uprising was not successful, and British rule continued.
The GPO…
We decided to tour the GPO which is an imposing building that sustained heavy damage during the Easter Rising. Part of it is still a post office, but the museum is a bit interactive, a bit confusing, and very informative. I had never heard of this rebellion, but it underscored for me the desire of the Irish people to be independent of the British empire. I am sure there is so much more to this than I know or can even fathom, for that matter.
The Spire…
Right outside the GPO is this spire. We had to go past it to get to the museum so we didn’t really understand what it was. At one time, the Nelson Pillar was situated in this area. Admiral Horatio Nelson was a British admiral, and his monument had been in Dublin for more than a century. It came to be seen as a symbol of British imperialism and colonialism and was destroyed in 1966. According to many we talked to, the Spire was supposed to be in place to celebrate the new Millennium, but it wasn’t finished until 2003! It’s an interesting site (read more here).
More wandering…
We continued to just wander for a bit longer then returned to the hotel to find our room available…more rudeness from the guy. But, our room was nice. We had opted for two beds, and we got two beds…one was a queen size, the other a twin! That was the usual for most of the hotels in which we stayed during our time. I believe we ate in the bar that night as we were losing energy fast at that point.
Day two…
We had another entire day to wander around Dublin. We were determined to make it to some museums and set out once again to find the river which would lead us to the museums as well as Trinity College. At one point, I noticed a man with a map in one hand and his phone with Google maps in the other. I recognized a fellow traveler who had no idea where he was. I boldly asked where he was headed, and he said…Trinity College! Nearby, his wife and three kids were waiting as we asked if we could just follow them. That earned us more than one glare from his wife. This poor guy, who was quite tall, kept turning around, waiting for us to catch up. I thought it was sweet, but I’m betting he got an earful from his wife! I mean…we could have been pickpockets instead of innocent more experienced (read that as older) ladies! The funny thing was Trinity College…was right across the street!
Museums…
We made our way through the courtyard (at least that’s what it looked like to me) and found the Museum of Archaeology which was free. As we made our way through this gorgeous building, I kept wondering why I wasn’t seeing beautiful examples of cornices and intricately carved gargoyles. Then, I realized it was archaeology not architecture! I told you I was tired, didn’t I? After making our way around the first floor, we decided to make our way to the art museum which was nearby. We actually never made it into the actual museum because we got sidetracked by the gift shop! My friend picked up a couple of gifts, and I bought a beautiful brooch. We needed to be back at the hotel in order to meet with our tour director and the others so we headed that direction. Of course, we discovered we only needed to go down one street, and there was our hotel! isn’t that always the way of things?
First evening…
When we were first planning this trip, we had thought to do it all ourselves. We quickly realized a tour was probably the best thing for us. We went with Trafalgar Travel and found it to be quite good. Our travel director, Emma, was top notch. We met her in the lobby of the hotel and headed to the bus. There was a total of 43 people on this trip which seemed the perfect number. We drove around Dublin for a bit (Phoenix Park is amazing) and ended up at the Nancy Hands Pub. I had to climb several stairs to where we would eat. I quickly learned going up was so much easier on my knee than going down! We sat with several other people and discovered two of the couples had connections to a city near us! We had a delicious meal that ended with three bites of dessert. Honestly, that was the perfect amount. A bite or two of three different desserts was all we needed after a charcuterie board, vegetable beef soup starter (mine was more beef than vegetable) and an entree (I think I had fish and chips).
Ice breaker…
Normally, I detest ice breakers, but Emma had such a fun one that I may use it myself some time! She handed us each a luggage tag (after dinner) and said we needed to find the person to whom it belonged. It took me a bit to find my person (hi, Janice), but I sat, rather despondently, waiting to be discovered by the person with mine. Soon, a young man named Kevin approached me with my tag. He and his siblings were the youngest on the trip. They were there with their parents. Soon after, we left the pub for a little bit more sightseeing before turning in for the night. Oh, I forgot…why is the Nancy Hands Pub called that? Well, apparently, there was this thing called Holy Hour (which was actually two hours) when you were supposed to be engaged in prayer. Nancy had this idea of cutting a hole in the wall and handing beer out through it…thus Nancy Hands Pub! Quite a bright woman, eh?
Glendalough Monastic Site…
This was our official Day Two of the tour. A local expert drove us around the city and pointed out other places of interest. One of the things we’d noticed was all the AC/DC tee shirts. Seems they were in town for a concert! We had opted to visit the Glendalough Monastic Site and Visitor Centre, the remains of a sixth century monastery founded by St. Kevin. It seems Kevin wanted to get away from it all and live a life of prayer and contemplation. That was not to be as others soon followed him, and a monastery grew up around the area. You can read more about the area here and about St. Kevin here. It was truly a beautiful place.
A little more…
The building you see below was the chapel. Notice the headstones on the ground? At some point in time, whoever was in charge of this area decided the chapel needed a little sprucing up. They used blown over headstones to “pave” the floor of the chapel. I did notice no one actually walked on them. I saw newer graves in the area, too. I’m quite sure we could have spent hours there, but we only had about 90 minutes. When we left, traffic was backed way up to enter the area. Oh, I should also mention…the road to Glendalough was narrow and winding, but our bus driver handled it with aplomb. That’s another thing I noticed. Horns are used very rarely and are usually a friendly “Hi” kind of toot rather than what you’d hear in the States.
Wrap it up, Marsha!
That wraps up the first two (or maybe three) days of my sojourn to the Republic of Ireland. It truly is a magical land. I don’t have the words to describe just how magnificent the country is. While we spent lots of time in Dublin, we didn’t even begin to touch upon the many places and things to do! So, can we talk? Do you find cemeteries, ancient or not, fascinating? Are you a fan of AC/DC? Would I have seen you there in your vintage tee and a pair of horns (not quite sure what that was about)? Are you good at reading those strange city maps you can find at the concierge desk? Please leave me a comment or two, and we can talk. I promise to respond as soon as possible.
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It’s so good to read about your trip Marsha, what an adventure it must have been for you! Looking forward to more – I hope there’s more coming!!
Oh, there’s lots more coming, Debbie! You’ll probably wish I’d stop and soon!
Thanks, Debbie!
What a magnificent country. And yes I love cemeteries, we often visit them in England, and I’m a fan of AC/DC. Love to read your travel adventures. But with who did you travel??? Hey, and it’s in the name! Lol.
Thanks, Nancy! I traveled with a woman from church. We barely knew each other but discovered we have so much in common and are good friends now. Ireland is just plain magical. I’m so glad I went even though it was hard leaving Mike at home. It’s so strange to look at dates on tombstones in the UK and other countries and realize they are older than the US is. We are just babies over here (in more ways than one).
Beautiful place and amazing pictures dear…thanks for sharing 🙂
Fine Art and You
Thanks, Jyoti! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks for taking us with you! I really love that portal!!!
Thanks, Mie! That portal was really neat. It’s a shame it had to be deactivated because some people just can’t behave.
I absolutely remember sitting in our middle school gym watching slideshows of trips (and my grandparents who traveled a lot often hosted a dinner at their house followed by a very long slideshow of their travels just for the family). Somehow I found those so boring but NOW I just love reading blog vacation recaps and seeing everyone’s photos. I am pretty good at reading maps but often find I just need a landmark or two to orient myself first. I’m sorry to read about your knee though; that is not a fun way to start your trip.
Thanks, Joanne! I know what you mean about watching someone else’s slides…boring! But, somehow, on blogs, they hold such appeal. I wonder why that is. I am not known for my map reading skills but I’m a great navigator when using Google maps! In a pinch, I can pull out the old atlas and find an alternate route, but our atlas is decades old now! Yeah, the knee thing was a real bummer because it’s my good leg! I have arthritis behind the kneecap of my left leg and, of course, twisted the right knee. It’s gradually getting better.
Cannot wait to read more about your trip! I do find cemeteries really interesting. There are several Confederate cemeteries around here and it is truly fascinating to read the headstone.
http://www.chezmireillefashiontravelmom.com
Thanks, Mireille! There’s a lot more to come, especially since Mike can’t take photos very well right now. I have always loved cemeteries, but these were so very old. There were headstones (the few we could make out) that were already old before the US became a nation!
That is a cute ice breaker, but it’s such a bummer about your knee. I’m glad you thought to get the brace.
We tried going out on our own in Barcelona at first, but we always do better on a tour.
That portal is so cool,
XOOX
Jodie
Thanks, Jodie! I really did enjoy the ice breaker because it got us up and moving as well as talking to others. If I hadn’t gotten that brace, I probably would have ended up sitting on the bus a lot because we only stayed at a couple of hotels for two nights. And, yes, I love tours rather than relying on myself. I do know London well enough now that I can navigate it without a tour. But, then you don’t get the stories which are somewhere between the truth and fiction, right?
I just love Dublin and the Irish people. They are normally very friendly and welcoming. The streets can be hard to navigate since none of them are straight though! Glendalough is so pretty! I’m so sorry to hear about your knee!
Thanks, Laura! To top it off, I had put the wrong time in my calendar for my ortho appointment so I missed it! I have to wait two more weeks. It’s not as bad now, but there’s definitely something wrong with it.
I loved the people of Ireland! They are such smilers! I also noticed you can be on the same street and not turn or anything, and all of a sudden it’s a different name completely! But, it truly is a magical land!
Tanks for taking us along on your trip to Ireland Marsha. So glad you enjoyed your trip and the tour was a good one.
What a shame about your pesky knee issue just at the very start of your trip.
I always enjoy a travelogue so look forward to more.
I have quite a good sense of direction and have learnt to map read over time , my husband may disagree with this though.
Thank you, Jill! There will be many more posts about my trip. While my knee definitely slowed me down (I’m actually a quite fast walker), I was determined to see all I could. I have a good sense of direction as far as being able to determine N, S, E, and W, but those goofy maps they give you at the concierge just don’t work for me!
Loved your post, it felt like you were personally showing me around! Hope the knee improves a bit. I’m not an ACDC fan. I do find cemeteries fascinating. I’m no good with maps. Even Google directions are a stretch when it says “walk north east….” ??
Thank you, Gail! It was such a lovely trip…I’m hoping people don’t get bored as I shall use it for content while Mike heals. I love cemeteries, too. I’m OK with Google maps when driving, but walking is a completely different matter, isn’t it?
What a fabulous trip this was! I am so sorry about your knee. I knew nothing about this portal so thanks for the link explaining it. Thanks for sharing all these wonderful images.
https://www.kathrineeldridge.com
Thank you, Kathrine! It was so funny to see that little girl. When I showed my oldest granddaughter the photo, she immediately knew what it was and why it had been deactivated. I thought it was an amazing way for two distinct cultures to experience a bit of the other’s.
Marsha, I am loving reading about your trip and can’t wait to read more. I’m sorry about your knee but it sounds like you didn’t let it stop you. We enjoyed Dublin and I wouldn’t mind going back.
I’m with you about ice breakers, I usually try to avoid them but Emma’s was quite clever! Our last two trips were with tour groups and I really liked them but I’m thinking next time we travel I might like to do our own thing. Either way, travel is such a gift, isn’t it? I am so happy you took this trip!
xo,
Kellyann
Thank you, Kellyann! There will be many more posts because I’ve just touched the tip of the iceberg! I really did like Dublin and would love to go back. I just need to talk to you about your tours. I know you took Globus, and I’m wondering if it was like ours was. But, yes, I know I am so very lucky to be able to travel at all.
Oh Marsha, it sounds like a magical trip! Except for twisting your knee, of course. I hope it is feeling better by now. I love exploring old cemeteries, the older the better. Ireland is a place that I have always wanted to visit. I am so glad that you got to check this off of your bucket list!
Shelbee
Thank you, my friend! It’s feeling better but, like a goof, I mixed up my appointment time and missed my appointment with the doctor. Ireland is just magical…that’s the best word to describe it.
Ireland is on my bucket list, and I loved reading about your trip! I’m sorry you hurt your knee on the way over. The portal sounds really cool. Love seeing all of your photos!
Jill – Doused in Pink
Thanks, Jill! I think you will love it if you make it over. There is so much history and beauty.
Wonderful idea to arrive a day early to acclimate and recover from jet lag. I am so sorry you were somewhat hobbled, at least at first, on your trip. Hope the leg brace helped and you were soon back to normal and able to walk comfortably without it.
Ireland is on the top of my list of places I still need to get to. Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales (that one for PC). Hoping maybe we can plan something for a year or so from now. Sounds like you traveled with a group or met up with a tour group once you arrived in country. Paul likes to off-road it and go it alone which can be fine but sometimes we have hiccups in our plans that cause us to miss things.
Can’t wait to see more photos and read more of the details of your trip. Glad you went, glad you made it home safely.
Well, I wish I could say my knee was soon right as rain, but it’s still quite painful. And, like the doofus I am, I mixed up my appointment with the orthopedic doc and have to wait another two weeks. At least, I can walk better than I first did. But, I was determined to keep up with the group. Yes, we did take a tour. No way was I driving those narrow little roads on the wrong side of the car on the wrong side of the road. I know you get a better and more in depth view of things, but you also miss out on interesting little tidbits. And, hey, there’s something to be said for someone putting your luggage on the bus and having it delivered directly to your room every day! There will definitely be more posts about the trip! I had a wonderful time which could only have been better if Mike had been my traveling companion.
Thanks, Leslie!
Sorry about the rude guy at the desk but the rest of the trip sounds very nice! I loved reading about it and seeing all the great photos!
I love that story about the driver and the crisps (potato chips!).
Yes, England has wanted all of Ireland for a long time and it is why there are issues in Northern Ireland as well, sadly. England likes to act innocent but they have taken over a lot of places over the years and in not so nice ways, sadly.
Thanks, Lisa! I just giggled at the idea of being able to strike up a conversation over potato chips. But, I honestly think you could strike up a conversation about anything with the Irish! They are so delightful. I think this is one of those once in a lifetime trips, and I was so lucky to take it. I’m trying to give people grace and think they’re having a bad day, but this guy was rude not once but twice in the same day.
The Northern Ireland thing was really something. I will be writing a post about it later.
Thanks, Lisa!
I would love to visit Ireland and Scotland and England one day! Oh my gosh, your knee! What a way to begin! That portal in Dublin so cool! I loved watching videos on Instagram that people posted from their interactions with it. It seems like something out of Harry Potter to me.
I love history (that was my degree) and visiting ruins and churches and graveyards and .. just everything. Back when I was reading Morgan Llewllyn constantly, I read her book about the Easter Rising, but I don’t remember all that much about it. Just the basics. And I do like AC/DC. I think the horns are from Angus Young wearing them on stage but I am not sure.
It sounds like this was an amazing trip! I can’t wait to read more!!
Thanks, Erin! I was truly fortunate to be able to go on this trip. I know many people can’t do that kind of thing. The portal really was neat…I mean, who thinks of these kinda things!
I was fascinated by the Easter Rising as well as both accounts (the Republic of Ireland as well as Norther Ireland) of the Troubles. I remember seeing the bombings on the news all the time so I was almost surprised to find myself in Belfast. I really do need to read more about both sides as well as the peace accords.
OK…well, I guess the horns make sense then. It was funny to see people of all ages rocking their AC/DC shirts…some were probably vintage!