We've returned to Ireland, where it all began, almost exactly 7 years later. (Yes I know the pictures are broken; I'll fix it some day.) Oh, how the times have changed.
But this time, it's slightly different. Sabrina is attending a conference for the first few days, at Trinity College, and we also have the whole Terrizzi clan along for the ride.
We flew out of Newark around 10 PM, last night. With the flight duration and the 5-hour time change, we got in around 10 AM local time. After sorting out the rental car (one of these, I think), off to the hotel we (tried to) go.
Remembering how "fun" it was to try to find the hotel last time, I had cleverly planned ahead and bought some Ireland map data for my Garmin GPS. It couldn't find the address for the hotel, though, nor could it find satellites immediately, so we struck out mostly blind towards Dublin. The airport had been super-helpful, again, in pointing out that one customarily drives on the left here.
... Except that we got on R132 headed north, instead of south, by accident. My passengers hadn't quite yet gotten reacquainted with the concept of navigating with a paper map, so it took a few miles to sort this out. That, and driving stick, with the stick on the left, while sitting on the right and driving on the left. And all of us on very little sleep. We eventually found the hotel, after some extended driving-in-circles.
The Central Hotel is perfectly situated within walking distance of everything, which is important, since I don't want to drive in the city any more than necessary.
We spent the remainder of today walking around, eating, and trying to stay awake. A 36-hour day has some difficult moments, but it's the fastest way to adjust to the time change.
We crossed a pedestrian bridge over the Liffey River, walked along the water, crossed back, and then briefly toured around the outside of Christ Church Cathedral, St. Patrick's Cathedral, and Dublin Castle.
Around 5ish PM, we regrouped at the hotel and tried to pick a place for dinner. After much deliberation and wandering, we found an acceptable pub with a quiet upstairs dining room. We finished just as the World Cup final was starting, and then headed back to the hotel for the night. I had a 2-or-3-hour nap, while everyone else actually went to sleep. Or tried to.
There's a "late bar" (club) in the adjacent building that has had a loud band playing all night. The place closes at 1 AM, but that just means they stop letting people in. It's open until 2:30 AM every other night of the week. We're in the last room at the end of the hall, so we have an exterior wall that must touch the next building. If they have bands every night of the week, we're going to need a new room, or a new hotel.
Tomorrow, Sabrina goes to the conference at Trinity, we pick up Lauren from the airport, and possibly tour the inside of Dublin castle. Maybe hit the Guinness Storehouse, too.
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