Day 3 – Seeing Dublin On Our Own!

Our Irish Holiday: Day 1 – Day 2 – Day 3 – Day 4 – Day 5 – Day 6
Day 7 – Day 8 – Day 9 – Day 10 – Day 11 – Day 12 

We have returned to normal. We were up and moving at 5:30 am, so we have adjusted to the new time zone.

We got ready and dressed in our exploring attire. First, we had a light breakfast at the hotel, and then we went off to see Dublin on the Jump-On/Jump-Off bus.  For $40, you can spend all day on the bus, getting on and off at the various sights within the city.  Such a deal!

It was cold so we sat up top in front, enclosed but had a magnificent view.

We do not JUMP! We carefully board and un-board!

Nobody knows where we go, not even us! The only requirement was that we must return to our hotel by 5:00 p.m. to prepare for the dinner show at 6:30 pm .

We saw everything! (Click for a full-sized map)

We walked to the nearest pickup point, #6. Although the online app said it would take 9 minutes, it took us almost 25 minutes.   We did stop and take pictures.

Walk, walk, walk!

The walk took us by the “Grand Canal”. There were barges on the canal with people living inside.

The canal can be used by barges up to 12 feet in the beam.   The canal passes through 36 locks and crosses the River Liffey near Sallins on the Leinster Aqueduct, a stone structure of four arches designed by Richard Evans.   Commercial navigation ceased in 1960, but the main line remains open for recreational use.

Walking down the Grand Canal.

They control the canal level using 36 different locks along its path.

Amazing water control.

We waited for the bus to arrive. It was right on time and also very empty. We sat in the first seat at the top near the windshield. It was scary as the bus weaved in and out of traffic at a top speed of Warp Seven! The smell of burning tires lingered in the air, and the screeching sounds of rubber hitting the road were almost deafening. But we made it.

We were awaiting the bus as Mary studied the signage.

Being upstairs right over the driver’s head was an eerie feeling.   We both stomped on the floor as if to hit the brakes but it didn’t work.   The driver wondered what was going on.  Since they drive these big vehicles daily, the drivers know what they can and cannot do.

We could see everything.  We are about to enter Warp One!

Riding upstairs, we could see the effect of electronics on the city.   The buildings are “old” and completed before even radio came into being.  They placed wires and cables needed in this digital age along the sides of the buildings.   Does the term “rat’s nest” come to mind?

Wires everywhere.

Always clean your fireplaces and chimneys, or you will get gardens sprouting up.   Between the soot and bird droppings, the chimneys had rich soil on top.  Most of the chimneys had weed and flower gardens growing at the top.

Clean your chimneys.

We jumped off at the Guinness Distillery since we had a noon reservation.   We then discovered our tickets were for Jameson Distillery!  It was already busy.

We were ready to go!

Then we looked at the tickets, and they were for tomorrow! We had no tickets for Guinness at all; the tickets we had were for Jameson Whiskey Distillery! Oops!

We told the bus driver about the situation, and he checked. Using this online app, he found nothing open today or tomorrow.

After a few minutes of Mary crying alligator tears and me weeping, he went inside the Guinness building and motioned us inside.

It’s going to be OK, Mary!

He had “pulled” a few strings, and we could buy tickets for tomorrow!  We did and moma’s happy!  He got a good tip!!

We then headed to the Jameson facility and took the tour (we had tickets for Jameson).   It was founded by John Jameson in 1780, and today, the former factory is a monument to Irish whiskey.

It was like Disneyland; we ran through the front entrance like two little kids!

Remember, “There is no bad whiskey. There are only some whiskeys that aren’t as good as others.”

We are entering Jameson sober.

We got a history lesson first and then entered the science room, where we learned about making whiskey.

I was getting the lowdown on making whiskey.

The tasting room was our favorite.   Ask Mary about “the leg man.”  We tasted three types of whiskey, and as usual, we decided on the best one.

Loads of interesting facts.

We looked all over for the medical prescription glasses but alas, we will have to order them from Amazon!

BAck on the bus, we completed the route and returned to #6.  We returned to the hotel from the #6 stop (where we began today’s journey).

At the corner by the bus stop was a bit of the Old West: the California Burrito Bar. We had to go inside and see if it was real! Read about the story behind this establishment. 

WHAT?    Taco-Bell look-alike?

The burritos were great.   We shared one burrito, which was plenty for each of us.

The cooks did a great job, and the burritos were super!

We returned to the hotel at 2:00 pm. and at 4:00 pm, we went to have a drink before catching a cab to the Celtic Nights Show at the Arlington Hotel.

We arrived a tad early and went to the pub next door before the performance.

The bar was part of the hotel, but when the theater doors opened, we had to go outside to enter the basement theater.

Decisions decision.

At 6:30 sharp, the doors opened, and 150 of our closest friends joined us for the two-hour romp through Irish folk music.  I might add that we carried the remaining wine with us—without spilling a single drop!

We had good seats, far enough away not to go deaf but close enough to see the action.

In the basement of the hotel, the atmosphere was perfect.

Jameson was working on us before we got there! We thought of Jeff all during dinner.

Jameson was here in spirit.

I could not resist this photo!

I love this picture.

We ordered bread and immediately thought of Dianne Reidy. We brought the remaining pieces home to the hotel with us.

The Irish bread was fantastic.

Mary did the Irish stew.

Official Irish Stew. BTW, Mary’s is much better!!

I went for the excellent lamb stew.

Dinner will be served.

During the two-hour performance, we consumed a bottle of champagne and then took a taxi to the hotel. The doorman at the bar where we first stopped saw us exit the theater and stopped a taxi for us.

The city was not quiet at 10:30 pm.  The buildings were nicely lit up.  So were we!

We were tired, so we went straight to our rooms and crashed. The lights were off at 11:30 pm; we didn’t even read!