Dublin, Ireland

Summer travels have started, the suns out, our bags have been packed and we are ready to go.  Gone are the days when Bode would sleep the entire day in the carrier, but we sure are enjoying watching him explore the world.  We had "the luck of the Irish" on our side and had some wonderful sunny weather as we explored this beautiful country.  Our first stop was in Dublin, a great city to spend a day (and if you're) big on the booze drinking (unlike us) maybe a few days.   There is so much history in Ireland's capital that it makes for a sightseer's delight!  Here's what we did with a day in Dublin:

We parked close by the banks of the River Liffy near Temple Bar.  Temple Bar is located in the oldest part of Dublin City and was settled in 795 (if not earlier) by the vikings. Today they should have a welcome sign saying "The Las Vegas of Europe", because the party scene is real. Dubliners know how to have a good time we ran into quite a few people showing off their Irish-jig moves and they made their way from pub to pub.  The streets were filled with bachelors in speedos and bachelorettes in tiaras. 

This area it chock full of trendy shops, cafes, theaters, flower baskets, galleries, and of course pubs! I had to get a picture with the man in a very racey wrestling costume.

Bode wasn't fazed by it at all...

Our next stop was to Trinity College, so that we could get Bode's college tour done while we were close by...Kidding, but not really it would be cool to go to school here.  Trinity college was founded in the late 1500's by Queen Elizabeth I and it has long been Ireland's most prestigious college.

I think Bode is ready to meet the admissions committee here!  Class of 2035 here he come, it's time to start that college fund!

The college students lead a 30 minute walking tour around the school, but we explored on our own.  Enjoying the lush green grass, beautiful clear sky and wondering "what is this Irish misty weather people talk about!?!"

Love. Love. Love. the changing color of the leaves!

The highlight of Trinity College was seeing the Book of Kells in the Trinity Old Library.  The Book of Kells is a 1,200-year-old version of the four gospels elaborately inked and meticulously illustrated by dedicated monks.  The books combined Christian symbols and pagan styles making it the finest piece of art from the Dark Ages, although showing that monastic life in this far fringe of Europe was far from dark.  The detail work in the caligraphy was beautiful and so intricate it was quite amazing!

The Hatch boys loved the 15th century library-I did too-but these two are serious book worms, so they felt right at home.  The Trinity Library has the largest collection of manuscripts and printed books in Ireland.

Look at these bookworms in their true natural habitat!

Smart people

This boy, I love! 

The look of not wanting to leave the library is this one....

We were hungry for some good lunch and there are so many places in Dublin to eat, the variety never ending, we found a good burger at Bread & Bones. We really liked the fried chicken burger with coleslaw and the BBQ Burger with the added onion ring... The kimchee fries, although good, weren't anything amazing.

In the afternoon we tried to walk off lunch wandering the streets. It was a beautiful day to walk the bridges! 

We strolled to St. Patricks Cathedral and admired its beauty.  Bode really enjoyed sitting in the park and watching all the kids play.

REDO PHOTO 3/1

If you are in the Wicklow area we have the perfect B&B for you.  Speaking of B&B's this was one of our favorite parts about the hospitality in Ireland, they actually still do B&B's the old fashion way-where they make you breakfast still! Laura at Tinnycross was a gem, she made us feel right at home (Bode even had a pack-n-play) and we enjoyed ourselves.  

The B&B had a wonderful garden, and Laura gave Bode a toy remote control that became his favorite toy throughout the trip.  I can still hear the remote in my head saying "Hello, Bye-bye!" Thanks Laura!

Now these little Irish towns are tiny and with not many places to eat, we had a takeaway pizza from Pizza2000 in Blessington.  It was good, handmade by two Irish ladies, and we enjoyed it in the park!  

We had a wonderful day, and the adventures have only started on this trip!