Europe 2016 - Nothing Went as Planned

The evening of the previous day I went down to the kitchen where I knew the WiFi worked the best and there was a plug-in to charge my phone. I was on a mission to find a day trip to see more of Ireland. Before leaving home I had only reserved one day trip as I couldn't decided on which other ones I wanted to take. I would later find this to be a blessing.

I looked and looked, but all of the ones that I was interested in and that were in my price range were booked. I wasn't finding a single one. And I was getting very frustrated. I was cursing myself (luckily just in my head) for putting this off. What was I going to do with another day in Dublin? I had packed everything in the last two days so I wouldn't miss out and now I had another day to wander around. But I'm a planner, so I had to make a plan. That's when I decided that I would take the money that I was going to spend on the day trip and go to the one museum that I hadn't been to but was interested in. Kilmainham Gaol - the old prison.

*Side story - While I was in the kitchen a fellow traveler (who was actually from Ireland) started up a conversation. He wanted to know about the politicians that were running for president. This was the last thing I wanted to talk about. I was trying to escape some of the politics as that was all that was on the news back home. This man though didn't have an opinion and just wanted to know how it all worked. It even went onto other general differences between our countries. He was shocked that we were able to get drivers' licenses at such a young age. This wouldn't be the last time politics would come up in conversation, but this was definitely more about learning than stating opinions.

My first hostel. 

A farmer's market in front of the Castle. How appropriate!

I left the hostel early in the morning and took my luggage to my second hostel. Then I was off to the prison. It was going to be a long walk, but I had nothing but time.

Statue in front of Christ Church Cathedral

Dublina and Christ Church Cathedral (and the arch I love so much)

City Wall

As I was walking  I came across the above wall. It is one of the city walls from medieval Dublin (possibly 12th century). There are only 2 sections left in the city. This would have been about where one of the city gates was.

Arthur's Pub - It has been a pub for over 200 years.

I found it funny that all over Dublin, but especially right near the Guinness District there would be Budweiser signs. And I don't know what the Off Licence means.

This is where Arthur Guinness and his family (he had 21 kids) lived. 

I've never seen a church with a glass steeple.

View of Dublin

Loved the decorations

After walking all the to Kilmainham Gaol I was feeling better about the day. That was until I saw that all tours were sold out for the day. That must be a pretty awesome museum if all the tours were sold out. And once again, I was beating myself up for not planning ahead. After touring the gift shop and having a little snack I decided it was a beautiful day, so I should go across the street and sit in the park for a while.

Kilmainham Gaol from across the street

Entrance to the Park which leads to the Irish Museum of Modern Art. It used to be one of the city gates. It wasn't originally located here, but they needed to move it for development reasons, so they moved it here.

Entering the park

I soon realize that the park is fenced off for a festival that night. On to plan D. Head back to where I started and prepare for the next day. Finding the bus station and buying my ticket to Belfast.

Statue in the Park

The art museum

The courtyard. This building is the Royal Hospital Kilmainham. It was built in the 17th century and was a home to retired soldiers for over 250 years.

Front entrance to the museum

As I was leaving the grounds I noticed this sign on the fence. I have a feeling it was going to be a crazy festival that night. 

I found this quaint little waterway on my way back to the Temple Bar District. As I stopped to take a picture of it I heard "No, Hey, Wait!" Thinking I wasn't supposed to take the picture, I moved my phone slightly and took it just of the river as I couldn't resist. After I lowered my phone and saw the old gentleman sitting on his porch, smoothing down his hair with a big grin on his face. He then replaced his hat and smiled as I took a second picture.

The man is sitting right in front of the door. I know I should have zoomed in more for this picture, but I still wanted the picture of the waterway with the house.

On the way to the bus stop I decided I would try a different tourist item. One of the river boat cruises. Once again I was thwarted. All of the tours were full. I continued on to the bus station. I thought I could remember where it was from two years prior. This was not quite the case. I would end up wandering around for a few hours. I even asked a person or two, but got confused in their directions. I finally found the station, got my ticket and was glad that I went looking for the bus stop a day before I had to leave.

But what to do now? I had watched P.S. I Love You before leaving on the trip. One of the locations in that movie is Whelans. That would be an interesting place to check out. It would be a pleasant walk, as it was once again a sunny day.

This is the fancy shopping district of Dublin, Grafton Street

This store even had doormen that wear top hats. Too pricey for me, but fun to look at.

Entrance to St. Stephen's Green

I got lucky and found myself in St. Stephen's Green. This park has a deep history in the uprising/revolution. And it is absolutely beautiful. I was definitely not the only person that took advantage of the nice weather.  

I had been pretty upset about the whole day. It felt like a wasted day. It took sitting on a bench and having a moment with God for me to realize that it wasn't a wasted day and that this trip would be different for me. I made a conscious decision to take time to just wander anytime I could. Just to find my inner peace. After walking the entire park and people watching, I continued on.

My pictures of Whelan's didn't come out great. It is the building with the red stripe. I'll be honest, it looked like a place where a single woman wouldn't feel completely comfortable by herself. Or maybe that's just how I felt. Basically I chickened out and decided to find supper somewhere else.

A bunch of shops in a really pretty building

Of course I had to stop here and get my collector's pin.

Back at Temple Bar District

I did end up treating myself to a 'fancy' meal. A little Irish Stew and Irish Bread. It was DELICIOUS! I tried to eat as much as I could. The bread was so good couldn't leave it behind as was the lamb meat in the stew. When I told the waitress I was done, she saw the half full bowl and asked if everything was OK. I said "It's wonderful, I just wish I had a bigger stomach." She laughed and smiled and said "Never wish that."

The Shack Restaurant, where I got the Irish Stew

Had to take another picture of this iconic bar.

Hostel #2

Quick hostel review: If you are wanting to stay in the Temple Bar District, this is a great location. It was on the edge of the district, so not as much noise. They also have a pizza shop, so you get a discount on the pizza. There wasn't much of a community room and I don't know if it had a kitchen. The room was pretty small. It was a 6 person room. It was all clean though.

The view from my bed. I actually liked listening to the noise of the city, but my roommates didn't. It wasn't long before they shut the window and the shades.

 I ended up walking over 24,000 steps. That's around 11 miles. They next day would start early and I looked forward to seeing a dear friend again.