July 23, 2023 - Dublin

 July 23, 2023 - Sunday - Dublin, Ireland

An hour before landing in Dublin we were served a breakfast of yogurt and granola with assorted fruit. Very nice.

We landed 35 minutes early and had to wait 20 minutes for a gate. By 12:30 we had our luggage and were in the taxi queue. It was raining when our taxi pulled up. The excellent driver insisted that we get in out of the rain while he managed to load our luggage. He was very friendly and very informative. As we made our way to the hotel. He explained that traffic was heavy because the All-Ireland hurling championship was taking this afternoon. The stadium for 84,000 fans would be full. The fans were already arriving and roaming the streets in a celebratory mood. The competing teams were Limerick in green and white and Kilkenny in yellow and black.

Groups with both colors walked together cheering and singing. It is a friendly rivalry, but an important one. Collin explained that this is not a professional sport and that hurling is an ancient Irish game. The players are not paid. They grow up playing for their local schools. If good enough, they progress to the town level and then the county. Limerick has won 3 championships in a row. They are hoping for a fourth. The odds are in their favor.

At one o’clock Collin had our bags in the Trinity City Hotel. His fare with tip amounted to $45. He reminded us to watch the game on TV. Bonnie, our travel consultant at Cruises International, had told us that a private pick up at the airport ranged from $145 to $165. She recommended a taxi. Good call, Bonnie.

Our room on the 4th floor is lovely. We look across the street at the grounds of Trinity College. The amenities were perfect. And it was quiet. Sean and Shelly would not be arriving until about 8:00. We decided to take a nap.

They were using SAS vouchers from their canceled flights due to Covid last year. SAS has no direct flights to Dublin from Washington Dulles Airport so they flew to Copenhagen where they had a 10-hour layover before flying to Dublin. They left 6 hours before us and arrived 7 hours after us. While in Copenhagen they took the train into the city center. They used combo tickets to ride the HOHO for a city tour. It rained the whole time they were on the bus. but they enjoyed the sites and narrative. Then they boarded a boat for the canal tour as the sun came out. At one point on the canal, Shelly said to Sean “This is the puzzle.” The view of the buildings along the bank was the same as a puzzle they had completed a while back. How neat!

They got to the hotel at about 8:00. At 8:30 we were on our way to Fleet Street, the Temple Bar area. We were looking for live music, Guinness, and food. At our first stop, the ground floor was full of fans still celebrating the hurling match. It was elbow to elbow and loud enough to require earplugs. We went upstairs where food was served. We ordered our beverages and started to review the menu. In addition to many good-sounding dishes, it included a list of 14 allergens that might be included in one way or another. This made it clear that Shelly would not be able to eat here. We finished our Guinness at leisure as we listened to the music thundering below. It was a good preparation for our continuing search for food.

We walked the street checking other pubs and found the perfect spot, Old Mill Dublin. Shelly had traditional Irish stew. Alice had fish and chips. Sean and I had beef and Guinness stew. We all agreed that what we had was tasty and satisfying. I had a Guinness and the others had Tullamore Dew Irish whisky. The atmosphere was great with music drifting up the stairs from the crowded bar. The service was very friendly and excellent. What a good time we had.

The walk back to the hotel found the streets less crowded. Tomorrow is a work day and folks were making their way home. In the hotel at 11:00 we decided to meet in the lobby at 10:00 in the morning. Our check-in time at Azamara was 2:00 so we requested a 1:00 check-out and ordered a taxi for 1:30. We said goodnight and made our way to our rooms ready to sleep.