Day 3: From Wicklow to Dublin Continued

Note: Prior to Avoca, we passed through a sleepy little town with quaint buildings that was home to Daniel Day-Lewis. I really enjoyed these such asides on our tour as John talked so lovingly about all of the Irish celebrities. It is endearing how loyal many of the Irish people seemed towards Arthur Guinness, U2, Enya, Daniel Day-Lewis and Liam Neeson.

After lunch in Avoca, we were back on the bus for what John called the "Siesta" portion of the trip as we headed back for Dublin. He wasn't kidding either as soon Enya soothingly filled the bus with warmth. I turned to Kristy and she was already asleep, probably still reeling from the lack of sleep the night before. As we continued towards Dublin, John quietly pointed out Enya's Estate in the distance as well as the estates of members of U2 to those of us still awake.

As we approached Dublin, John was back on the loudspeaker waking everyone and pointing out a few landmarks that we had not seen on the way out of town. Soon, Kristy and I were back on O'Connell Street as dusk began to set in. Without solid plans, we discussed our options as we strolled along the River Liffey. As this was our last night in Dublin, we thought about going to a pub to hear traditional Irish music. This ended up not working out because it was only 4:00 PM and after such a long day and traces of jet-lag still in our systems, we would only make it for a few more hours.

However, with our goal to hear Irish music, we went to the Arlington Hotel for a drink. The pub was going to have free Irish music at 8:30, but offered seating for those who bought expensive dinner packages. We balked at the high price and just ordered drinks instead as we further discussed our plans for the evening.

As we sat at our table, the locals at the next table over began to sing Johnny Cash songs and Billy Joel's "Piano Man" loudly for all to hear. They were entertaining and seemed to be having a great time with each other. Kristy and I just listened as we finished our drinks. It was nice to hear familiar songs, especially with the great Irish accents.

Kristy and I left the Arlington Hotel pub and began walking the streets broad and narrow. We ended up by the Bank of Ireland building near Trinity College. We took some pictures of the stately building. The building was originally built as the Parliamentary House, but it was purchased by the Bank in 1803 and has been in continuous use since then.

After walking along for a few more hours and capturing the moments and memories of our last Dublin night, we got hungry. We asked around for a good place after discovering many places that had ended food service already or would not begin food service for a few more hours. Kristy and I ended up at the Porterhouse Brewery. It was loud and boisterous. It seemed to be the hangout for many local young people. It was a bit counter-traditional as it only served its own brews and beers it deemed worthy. Needless to say, it was not fond of too many light American brews.

We got a table at the Porterhouse and ordered our food. As we read about the many worldly beers, one in particular stood out as a must try for Krsity. It was Chimay Red. It is a Trappist beer that is brewed by Trappist Monks. Most of the profits go to the monestary, so even if she did not life it, it was for a good cause. Our food and Kristy's beer came. She took a sip, offered me a sip, and she drank it all by the end of our meal. She explained that it did not taste like any other beer that she had ever tried, but that it was pretty good.

After our meal, we again strolled along the streets of City Centre, taking in each moment. Eventually, we ended up back by the tram pickup near O'Connell Street. We got on the train. As we sat down facing backwards, Kristy noticed a nun sitting across the standing room. She looked at me with sparkling eyes and there was no doubt in my mind what was about to go down... Kristy took out her camera and pretended to show me pictures as she snapped multiple pictures of the nun. The nun never noticed, and Kristy is very fond of the pictures- despite her tactics making me explain the creepiness I would feel if someone took pictures of me without my knowledge.

Back in Tallaght, we went to our hotel room for the last time. We packed a little and went to bed. We made sure to get a wake up call so we would not be late to pick up our car at the airport. We both fell asleep quickly and rested up, because we both knew that the next day would be an adventure...