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Published: October 10th 2022
Leaving Dublin after my first 4 day stay . Lovely city , easy to get around and lots to see and do . I checked out of my b n b and found my way to the hotel with little problem . As always I was to early to check in so chose to visit Dublin Castle . Such an amazing history all the way back to the Vikings , Part of the tour showed us the footings they had built when the first fort came into existence. They were only unearth in the recent past . The scale of the original castle was really large . Kind of hard to get my head around as the whole notion is so foreign to our history . The fact that it has existed in various conditions for more than 800 years 0is amazing . The state rooms are truly magnificent . And they are 300+ years old .. The British certainly did have a desire for grandure . The gardens must have been fantastic in their day . Now is the end of the season so only the hardy are still growing . I did have a great lunch of salads eating in the courtyard of the Beaty Gallery . It was the first greens I had eaten in a few days.
I returned to the hotel ,met my room-mate for the next 9 days and joined the rest of the group for an orientation. We are 12 .3 couples (one on their honeymoon) 4 single women and a pair of women friends . .5 Canadians , 4 from the US , 2 Germans and a Brit . Our guide ii s also British .We all went out to a Pub for supper and a pint and it seems we are quite compatible .
Sunday was relatively free so given the rains I chose to make it a church day . I attended the mass at St Patrick in order to hear the choir . I was amazed at how formal and solemn it was . The choir performance was wonderful and certainly worth hearing but I was an observer not a participant in the service . After church I wandered in the Sunday market in the adjoining park but rain didnt make that pleasant so I headed down the hill to Christchurch Cathedral . It is the oldest church in Dublin and I liked it . Not as grand as Patrick but very appealing to me . It didn't have that rigid divisions between the altar and celebrants and the parishioners. The tile floor was interesting and although repetition was there it had many different designs . This was true at Pattrick as well .
I was a bit chilled so I again found a bowl of soup before joining the group for a tasting at the Tilling whiskey Distillery.. It is relatively new to the industry although the family had been in the business until the 1970s . The New Yorkers in the group say it is a very popular brand in their community. I had never heard of it . I enjoyed the taste but think I prefer Jamisons .
Supper last night ,at a vegetarian restaurant where I had a mushroom moussaka, was followed by a Pub where I tried a third red beer. .I like them better than Guiness. We later moved to another pub that had live music . It was great ! A youn woman playing a fiddle had the fastest moving fingers I have ever seen . The fellow with her playing the guitar was no slouch either . Good fun.
I am currently on our bus that has WiFi heading to Kilarney .
Hope all is well . Thanks for the notes and comments.
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Suzanne
non-member comment
Have a good trip
Happy to hear that all is going well. I recognize your curiosity and sense of observation. Have a nice trip. P.S. thank you for the wishes on my birthday.