Apparently they had one of their four sunny days in Dublin today! The weather was absolutely grand!!!
Our day began with a witty guided tour of Trinity College, built in the 1400s by Elizabeth I so her subjects wouldn't have to mix with the French and other nationalities to gain an education. The College is also known as the University of Dublin and houses the famous Book of Kells. The Book is a reproduction of the four gospels and is believed to have been produced in the late 800s by the monks of Iona. It is lavishly decorated with Celtic patterns and hand written on vellum (calf skin). After being stolen by the Vikings and narrowly escaping fire and invasion throughout the centuries it is now safely housed in the Library at Trinity.
Trinity College
The HOHO bus then took us to the Guiness Storehouse where we had SEVEN floors of Guiness history and information to gather. This is ranked as the number 1 tourist attraction in Ireland! The floors take you through the process of making the brew, the advertising, coopering (making the wooden barrels), transport, cooking with the product and finally... the tasting! On the seventh floor the Gravity Bar provides you with a complimentary pint and a 360 degree view of the city of Dublin - not a bad spot for a bar!!
Jo-Anne's first Guiness!
After a failed attempt yesterday, when we wrongly assumed that St Patrick's would be the Catholic Cathedral, we tracked down St Mary's Pro-Cathedral. We are not sure what a pro cathedral is but we found it! The building is quite different to others we have visited, and there have been a few! It was dedicated in 1825 on the site of the ancient monastic foundations which would have been shut down by Henry VIII at the time of the Reformation.
St Mary's Pro-Cathedral - the Catholic one!!!
After a bit of a wander, a bit of a shop and a bit of a rest we thought we would head out for dinner. It was then that the area of Temple Bar got us - hence your daily blog being a wee bit late! There is live music everywhere! You can go from one rendition of 'Whisky in the Jar' to another and another and another as you walk down the street! Unfortunately our cash ran out so there was no more Jameson's for us!
The Oliver St John Gogarty
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Oh soooo jealous you are in Ireland. Just loving all your photos and stories girly wirlies! The English country side is INCREDIBLY pretty isn't it? The lush, rolling hills and cottages are breathtaking. Not long until home sweet home girls. You will be happy to know that while you have been away Bondy, a new coffee shop has opened up just for you AND I think it will be open Sundays!!! Reports are due tomoz so everyone is soooo looking forward to the long weekend. Getting VERY cold here now, so enjoy the sun while you can.
ReplyDeleteHave a guiness or two for Simon cos' I hate the stuff!!! Love to you both. xxxx Lin
You still didn't tell us if you liked the Guinness Jo Anne. After you have had a couple for Simon could you have a pint or two for me, enjoy. cheers FOA. P.S Andrew, where are you? Become concerned when we don't hear from you!
ReplyDeletedont kiss the blarney stone - the locals piss on it! and you two definitely do not need the gift of the gab!
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