Thursday, May 28, 2009

We left early to make the two hour drive to Dublin which is in the Republic of Ireland (Euros instead of Pounds).  The weather said that it was supposed to be close to 70 degrees today, but in the morning at our first stop at the High Crosses in an old cemetery it was really really really cold.  The high crosses were beautiful as well as really old surrounded by ancient gravestones. They were used to tell Bible stories to the people.  There are also ruins of a chapel in the graveyard.  After the high crosses we headed into downtown Dublin.  Our first stop was a walk through a huge park, and since it was really nice out by this time I think all of Dublin was eating lunch in the park.  On the other side of the park was Trinity College, which is the oldest university in Ireland.  Located in the college is the Book of Kells, which is the New Testament transcribed by Celtic monks a really long time ago.  We spent a lot of time in the museum which talked about how the monks make the Book of Kells and the pictures and coloring that they used.  Once out of there we actually got to see two parts of the book and it was anti-climatic as you could only see one page of the book under glass while like 15 other people crowded around you trying to see as well.  Anyways, up the stairs from the book, we found ourselves in a beautiful library full of first editions.  Floor to ceiling were old books that people can actually check out if they have a membership to the library.  For the next 2 hours we had free time, which we spent trying to find somewhere to exchange our money and then walking in and out of shops.  There is one main drag that looks like a strip mall, with expensive shops.  We drank soda in a cafe later in the afternoon to rest our feet.  We also spent some time watching street performers who were out an about, although they were nothing that I have not see before.  For dinner we ate at a bar called The Hairy Lemon.  It was a very Irish pub.  What is nice about the waiters in Ireland is that they work as waiters as a career, not a side job to get them through college, so the service is impeccable.  I had fish and chips- yum!  There were so many people eating ice cream cones throughout Dublin, that on the way home I was like, Mindi can we stop for ice cream please! And we did!  I had honneycomb ice cream since that is a flavor that we can't get in the U.S.