Ireland Redux Part IV: Dublin Town

The Guinness Storehouse had so far made our first full day in Dublin a success.  Next on my list to do was to visit Trinity College and see the Book of Kells.  An old family friend had moved to Dublin years ago and worked as a counselor at Trinity, and there was hope he would be able to get us into the Old Library for free.  I called him from outside the Storehouse and we made tentative plans to meet during a very short window of time just before the dinner hour, a short enough window that I knew he wouldn't be able to give us a tour, just say hello.  I hung up, thinking how he had really adopted the Irish tongue, and my sister and I started walking.

We had a handy tourist map of the city and made our way towards the Trinity College area.  We had a couple of hours before we were to meet up with our old friend, so we decided to visit the Old Library and then the Temple Bar area.  We walked for about a half hour and by the time we reached the university, the sidewalks were just teeming with people.  It was a busy spot in the city (I think everywhere is likely busy, though), and in the midst of the traffic, the noise, and mankind stood this old stone edifice. 

We went in through the front instead of finding an entrance closer to the Old Library, and I'm glad we did, because as a result we got to see more of the campus than we might have otherwise.  We snapped some photos then followed the sign to the Book of Kells.  I paid our way (Guinness is more my sister's cup of tea; the history and academia is more mine) and bummed that we couldn't take photos in the exhibit, or the Old Library, we entered the display room.

I admit that I don't know a lot about the Book of Kells, or of illuminated manuscripts in general, but they are things to behold.  The colors, the calligraphy, the age of these are remarkable.  There were videos playing in the exhibit, as well, and one documented book-making, which caught my attention.  What was more interesting, however, was the preservation room we passed on the way to the Old Library.  It was open so that visitors could see the work the staff does in repairing and conserving the rare books at the library.  This is what I would love to do, and imagine doing it at Trinity College!

Afterward, we scoured the offerings in the gift shop, I bought a coffee mug with the Old Library on it, and we went outside to see if we could contact our friend to meet up.  Unfortunately, he didn't answer the call and after about a half hour, we left campus.

Temple Bar is considered a trendy neighborhood full of shops and good food.  My sister and I aren't necessarily the trendy type, but we enjoyed a stop at a wine cafe where I had my second Irish coffee of the trip.  Then it was time to start the trek back to our hotel.  

The walk back took a while.  Some parts of the walk weren't exactly brimming with beautiful touristy sights, such as two teenage boys who broke a bottle over an old drunk man's head and blood dripped into his eyes as he stumbled away in an alley we passed.  Even the alleys and neighborhoods we had walked through on the way to Guinness seemed a little unsavory on the walk back in the dusk and light misting rain.  But, we made it back safely and rested before we decided to cross the street to dinner at an Italian restaurant upstairs of a pub, which we visited after dinner.

We returned to the hotel later that night in good stout spirits.  And an hour later, in our PJs, my sister decided she wanted another pint, so at midnight we went downstairs to ask the porter for a Guinness.

Happy that the second day in Ireland was better than the first, we prepared to leave the city the following day.