Three Nights in Dublin, Ireland – TUE, 09 AUG 2022 – FRI, 12 AUG 2022

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TUE, 09 AUG 2022 – It was late afternoon/early evening when we made our return to Dublin on the last day of the 10-Day Ultimate Ireland Small Group Tour by Overland Ireland - Small Group Tours. I was the first tour member to be dropped off at his/her/their hotel. Check-in went smoothly and after a short freshen up, I headed for Oscars Café Bar, a few feet from the hotel, for supper. Linguini and chicken in white sauce (not very Irish) with an Island’s Edge Irish Stout (very Irish) hit the spot.

In that Island’s Edge Irish Stout regard, I had spotted Guinness Storehouse and Jameson Distillery on Google Maps (both within walking distance), but my investigation revealed a minimum tour fee of 25 Euros (up to as much as 100 Euros). I have always had a problem with companies that want me to BUY a tee shirt that advertises their product for them, and I, likewise, have a problem paying a fee to tour a company’s facility and, in the process, develop an allegiance to the company and its product. There are lots of wineries and craft breweries that have free tours to PROMOTE their product. I guess these two “big boys” don’t think they need promoting, so I boycotted both tours. Three Nights - Maldron Hotel Smithfield, Dublin, Ireland

WED, 10 AUG 2022 – I had several attractions within walking distance of the hotel, a factor I considered when making my hotel selection some several months ago. Unfortunately, Ireland has been hit with a rare high-pressure system – great for the blue skies but not so much for moderate (walking) temperatures. Originally, I planned to take my own self-guided walking tour on one day and ride the Dublin Hop-On Hop-Off Bus the other day; however, the heat caused me omit a couple of minor attractions and to split the walking tour into two halves. I began Tuesday at the National Leprechaun Museum of Ireland. My expectations were low and relatively accurate. Most of the “tour” is a series of well-told and interesting stories recited in the “secretive darkness” of the leprechaun’s underworld! That being said, the attraction is not educational in the traditional sense but is pure, worthwhile, reasonably-priced entertainment.

George's Street Arcade (a cool name for a shopping centre) and the Molly Malone Statue fell victim to the heat, but I did make my way to The Brazen Head, Dublin's oldest pub. My regular readers might remember that I attempted to visit the oldest pub in Bruges, Belgium but found it closed for holiday so my crosshairs definitely found The Brazen Head. After all, a fella has to eat somewhere! There has been a hostelry on the site of The Brazen Head since 1198 even though the present building was built in 1754 as a coaching inn. The Brazen Head appears in documents as far back as 1653, and an advertisement from the 1750’s reads “Christopher Quinn of The Brazen Head in Bridge Street has fitted said house with neat accommodations and commodious cellars for said business.” The National Dish of Ireland, Irish Stew, is not EXACTLY what one finds at The Brazen Head since it is made with beef, Beef and Guinness Stew, instead of mutton, but it was very tasty – or, as most would say in Ireland, it was lovely. The evening was devoted to relaxation and a little prep for my upcoming 22-day tour of Europe that begins on Saturday.

THU, 11 AUG 2022 – When I started the day, I had three attractions on my list – Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin Castle and the Anti Social Bar, an establishment I spotted on Google Maps that required my investigation. I found the cathedral unspectacular and made my way to the “castle,” which looks more like a palace than a castle. After some pictures from the courtyard, I entered the castle only to find a (volunteer, I assume) lady just inside the door being quite confrontation with some young women about whether or not they had purchased their tickets on-line. I looked around the room during the aforementioned dialogue and decided I’d rather visit a pub. Since the Anti Social Bar didn’t open for about two hours (time that should have been occupied by the castle tour), I backtracked a couple of blocks to The Lord Edward where I found the bartender was a big NFL fan. Soon I was joined at the bar by a couple from Toronto and a Dublinian (just what do you call a person born, raised and living in Dublin). We had a great discussion about most things soup and some things nuts – soup to nuts in case you missed it. Not really needing another ale, I headed back to the hotel.

When I was at Oscars Café Bar on Tuesday, I had spotted mussels on the menu. That night I had a hankerin’ for pasta, but tonight was mussel night. They were mediocre compared to others I have had during the trip but still better than those generally found in Phoenix.

FRI, 12 AUG 2022 – FLY DUBLIN TO LONDON – A busy day awaited me. After breakfast, the best breakfast buffet I’ve seen in 2022, I packed my suitcases and had a taxi summoned. The ride to the Dublin airport was uneventful, and the flight to London was short and uneventful. I got a taxi at London Heathrow and had the driver make a stop at the luggage storage facility, Radical Storage. My phone would not call up the Radical Storage web site to retrieve my claim check. The owner remembered me sorta, asked me for suitcase identification information (like a black suitcase with a yellow nametag and my name) and had me accompany him to the storage room to identify my suitcase. There were 25-30 suitcases (and at five Euros a day a real, genuine moneymaker) and, of course, mine was way in the back. He rearranged and got mine out, checked the name against my passport and I was on my way back to my waiting taxi.

Then it was off to a one-night stay at the 4-star DoubleTree by Hilton London Greenwich. This room was a single, and I understand why. Adequate, I’m sure, for the person transitioning from a prison cell to the world. The taxi driver told me the Cutty Sark is a great place to visit and within walking distance of the hotel. Only a half mile per Google Maps, I made the journey and found a marketplace that was closing for the day, several restaurants and, indeed, the Cutty Sark. I hadn’t had, or even seen an opportunity to have, Tex-Mex or Mexican since leaving America, so I hopped right onto a chicken chimichanga. I did a little people-watching and headed back to the hotel. One Night – DoubleTree by Hilton London Greenwich, London, England, UK

SAT, 13 AUG 2022 – Checkout time was 12 Noon so I lingered trying to get closer to check-in time at the Novotel Hotel – London Greenwich, the tour hotel (also a 4-star facility). I summoned a taxi and learned, surprisingly, that my room was ready. I entered and thought I was in the Taj Mahal. Seriously, a much nicer room for (I’m guessing) slightly more than half the cost.

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Photos

On the Way to Somewhere, or Nowhere, in Dublin, Ireland
The Jameson Distillery Bow St. Is About Three Blocks from the Hotel

National Leprechaun Museum of Ireland – Dublin, Ireland
So You Want to Know About the Pot of Gold at the End of the Rainbow, Do You?

The Brazen Head – Dublin's Oldest Pub – Dublin, Ireland
The Patron of the Beer Garden Is Greeted by Visual Evidence of the Establishment’s Popularity