Day 2: New Years' Eve- Evening in Dublin

After leaving Dublin City Hall, with all of one picture of the ceiling, Kristy and I headed to Mansion House. After asking for directions to get there with some daylight, we headed off. Mansion House is the home of the Lord Mayor of Dublin. More importantly to our trip, it was the location where the adoption of the Declaration of Independence in 1919 and the signing of the Treaty in 1921 took place. Michael Collins' efforts allowed the first event and negotiated for the latter event, which began the Civil War that took his life. While Collins was Minister of Finance, the Mansion House was also the sight of his office. The building was closed, however, so we took pictures around the building.

After visiting Mansion House, we began walking towards Saint Stephen's Green. It too was closed, but we took pictures at the gate. While people watching and deciding our next plan of action, Kristy noticed that the nearby horse was wrapped in a blanket. She took many pictures, some of which turned out. While she was taking a picture, a woman getting out a taxi a few feet from us dropped her cell phone and it shattered. She did not swear or say anything, but she did giggle a little to herself. This was the second person we saw drop their cell phone and not get upset about it. Perhaps the Irish have found the secret to happiness?!?

We decided to walk up Grafton Street and look around. As we approached the pedestrian street, Kristy noticed another picturesque scene: a nun in Butler's Chocolate Cafe, standing in front of the window choosing a chocolate box. So Kristy, oh so subtly, took out her camera and snapped pictures continuously hoping that one would turn out. The nun never noticed, but I think the gentleman leaning against the wall next to the window felt uncomfortable about possibly being stalked.

As we walked up Grafton Street, we were surrounded by thousands of people- mostly younger people, but a few families and even a few older couples strolled up and down the street. As we walked by Brown Thomas, which appeared to be a high-end retailer, we noticed that the doorman was in white tie attire including a top hat and tails. We did not get a picture of him for fear he may notice.

Next, our leisurely stroll through Dublin Town took us back to Trinity College. We took some pictures before heading out to walk along the river front. We strolled around the River Liffey on both sides and around the Ha'penny Bridge; we saw a flock of swans that made an excellent scene. Continuing along the riverfront, we walked to the Custom House. It is a beautiful building that is the seat of much of Dublin's government. Historically, it was burned to the ground during the War of Independence.

Kristy and I next headed back towards Christ Church to see if anyone was congregating, as we had discovered that many people spend their New Years' Eves there to hear the ringing of the bells. However, nobody was around. So, Kristy and I had dinner at the Bull & Castle across the street from the church. Kristy tried mulled wine for the first time and was taken aback when it arrived warm. Nonetheless, she enjoyed it and the meal as well. The restaurant was fully reserved beginning an hour after our arrival, so we left and set out to find somewhere else to discuss our game plan for the night.

We strolled around and ended up back in the Mansion House area. As we walked along an alley, we stumbled upon Leon, a French Cafe. It was warm and inviting looking so we walked in. We ordered a pastry and a cappuccino and sat down in chairs around a small table near the front door. The cafe was superbly European as none of the chairs or tables matched, everything was sufficiently worn and comfortable and people sat around and talked without any hustle or bustle. Our food arrived and both the pastry and the cappuccino were delicious. We slowly ate and drank, savoring the moment and reading the newspaper. Eventually, the other party left and the staff began to close up the cafe. We departed back into the cold, still without a solid plan for the rest of the night.

As we strolled along, it got noticeably colder. I looked at my watch and it was only about 8:30- three and a half hours before midnight. We discussed our options and decided to go back to the hotel, and at least warm up as still nobody had congregated by Christ Church. So, we hopped on the tram and decided that whether or not we ventured back into the city for midnight, we would start the New Year together and reflect on the amazing year that was passing.

After we got back to the hotel, and reflected upon our long day, the chilly weather and prospect of having to get up at 7:00 for our Wicklow Tour, we decided to have a low key celebration with the goodies that we had purchased from SuperValu the day before. Thus concluding a long, long day in Dublin.