Day 2 - Exploring Dublin

Today was a great day. Since I didn't get to bed until 4:30 this morning (Phillies game), I was glad for the opportunity to sleep in a bit. I left the flat around 10:30 and started my trek around Dublin. My flat is about a ten minute walk straight down Lord Edward/Dame St. to Trinity College. That is where I will be catching the bus most mornings. As I entered under the arch I noticed a woman taking a photo of a man who was with her. I went through the gate, turned around and went back to ask if I could take a picture of the two of them. They were most grateful. As I walked away I smiled as I had channelled a dear friend of mine who does that all the time when seeing tourists with cameras. I walked around campus a bit, took a few pictures, and then decided to check out the Trinity bookstore, as I got some great gifts there last year. I browsed a bit and decided to head on my way without a purchase.

If you hang a left while facing Trinity, you head over to the Liffey (river separating Dublin) where you cross over a bridge wider than it is long to get to O'Connell Street. I didn't get to spend a lot of time on that side of the Liffey last year, so I wanted to check out some places I missed. I got some photos of the historic post office, statue of James Joyce, the Custom House, and just some random shots of things I saw on my travels. I walked up and down Henry Street, which is a pedestrian only street with lots of shops, both large and small. I went to the bus station to get the timetable for all of the busses I will be taking, and asked the woman at customer service what bus would get me to each school. The student teachers are in ten different schools in the suburbs and it's a bit confusing to figure it all out. I also bought a bus pass, so I am all set for Monday morning.

I had lunch at a very busy carvery on the corner of O'Connell and Henry. I had a chicken breast wrapped in Irish bacon, carrots, cabbage greens and mashed potatoes (cabbage and potatoes - so Irish!). There were enough potatoes on my plate to fed a family of four! There were many options to choose from, from a full Irish breakfast to fish and chips, to soup or sandwiches. The place was very busy and I was lucky to find a table. I looked at a map while eating and decided to go down Henry to Marlboro and hang a left to find St. Mary's, a Catholic church that looked very impressive on the map. It was a wonderful old church. I am not Catholic, but have visited many such churches when in Mexico City and a few last year here in Ireland. I lit a candle for a very dear man who is seriously ill in Connecticut. He and his wonderful family have been in my thoughts a great deal. Since he is a former priest, I thought a candle might be a good idea. I hope Protestants are allowed to light candles in the Catholic church! It was 1:45 and I was surprised at how busy it was with the coming and going of many. I sat in the last pew and paused and reflected for a bit, and then went on my way.

I headed back over the Liffey to Nassau Street and then to Grafton. I popped into a number of stores but made few purchases. It started to rain once or twice, but didn't last long. It was actually a sunny day until mid afternoon. It was cool (49 degrees) but a great day to walk and take in Dublin. During an afternoon shower I ducked into Bewley's, a cafe on Grafton Street where I had a cup of tea and a chocolate tart. It was very good. (I took a picture of that too!) By the time I finished the rain had stopped and I could continue my trek.

Around 5pm I ran into four of my students on Grafton. They were looking for a good pub to listen to some music before heading home for a late (8pm) dinner with their host families. They had each found their schools this morning and had some concerns that I have to troubleshoot before Monday. One of my students is a musician. He plays many instruments, including the bagpipes, and had already scoped out a number of pubs that have live music with no cover charge. It sounds like they are adjusting well.

I got home around 6pm. It was a full day. I wore a pedometer and walked 14,852 steps. I was a tad tired when I got home, but felt good walking in the brisk Irish air. I ate some wonderful soup from Dunne's for dinner and am getting ready for our four day trip. I will be picked up at 6:20am (yikes!) by Paddy, an older gentleman to drives a taxi and works for John. He picked me up at the airport last year. He will deliver me to Delaneys where the students will meet for our 7am departure to northern Ireland. I will make another posting of our weekend plans. My biggest concern regarding this trip is wondering if I will have to miss game 6. What are the chance of the Residential Centre in Omagh, Ireland of having Internet service? You can understand my concern.