Churches, Statues, rivers of Guinness and... U2!! Trip to Ireland

To celebrate the birthday of Lele and our 1st anniversary together, I decided to give him (... and give me ...) 4 days in the beautiful DUBLIN birthplace of his favorite band ... U2!

 

Departure and arrival in Dublin

We leave Friday afternoon at a time of Bergamo and after un'astenuante hour and a half tail on the Milan ring road, we arrive at the airport of Orio al Serio. After queues between check-in and baggage check to 21.30 we take off to DUBLIN where we landed at 22.45 local time!
Arriving in DUBLIN retrieve baggage e. .. another queue for the taxi !!... 20 minutes and we are in the hotel.
I booked at Adams Trinity Hotel ... ideal for those who want to stay in the center ... in 1 minute walk we were at Temple Bar!

Along the roads of Dublin

Wake up at 8.30 ... we expect the first day to discover DUBLIN!
First stop at Christ Church Cathedral is the largest church in DUBLIN, in the heart of medieval built of gray stone is a mix of styles ranging from Romanesque to Gothic. In his underground you can visit the crypt which is the oldest structure in the city and hosts the exhibition of the Treasury. The only sore point, which will be repeated for other churches, is the entrance fee!
Leaving the church and walk to the center crossing the river Liffey, which cuts the city in 2!
We realize immediately that here every pretext is good to erect a statue ... everywhere you turn you find a representation of some famous people of the past or even of simple people like the two ladies sitting on the bench with shopping bags!
Starts searching for places of worship for the U2 fans: the store from which it was named Bono, the recording studios where is the famous wall where fans can leave a mark of their passage.
Next stop: Trinity College ... Unfortunately it starts to rain seriously, but this does not prevent us to make a turn in the main universities of Ireland which houses the most precious treasure in the city: the Book Kells, an illuminated manuscript dating ok 800 AD considered one of the oldest books in the world.
Leaving from Trinity College decides to grant a little 'time to enjoy a pint of Guinness in one of the many pubs that populate the city!
The day passes quickly and after a quick dinner that remains is to take a stroll in Temple Bar, stopping in a busy pub to watch the Scotland-Italy game!

Glendalough and Avoca

Before leaving I was interested in the possibility of un'ascursione outside DUBLIN for a taste of the Irish countryside! So at 9.45 we start with a bus from central DUBLIN at the turn of Glendelough a former monastery that now manages to maintain a magical atmosphere, is one of the most important sites in the country and became famous as the retreat of hermits. In the monastery remained in the ruins of a round tower of the tenth century, the Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul, St. Kevin's Church, a masterpiece of stone, and the cemetery still in use where alternate slabs of stone and massive crosses Celtic.
Near the monastery we were able to enjoy a breathtaking view enriched by beautiful autumn colors ... ri monastery is in fact a valley next to two lakes.
Left the monastery behind and walk to AVOCA a tiny village in County WICKLOW where it was filmed a famous British TV series Ballykissangel, AVOCA to have lunch and visited the famous workshop of Handweaver, considered the oldest textile mill in Ireland. .. Too bad it was raining heavily and we could not go into the streets of the country.
Get on the bus and head to DUBLIN, where on our arrival, after another round in the center, we can do is have dinner and return to the hotel also saw the rain falling incessantly.

KILLINEY... Searching for BONO's home!!

Wake up, breakfast to go, and ran to predict the train to KILLINEY to search the house of BONO!
The pretext of going to visit the home of BONO also allows us to take a look at the south coast of DUBLIN .. after 20 minutes by train arrives in KILLINEY ... the sea the wind is blowing heavily and the rain does not facilitate the slope of the hill where, from sources indiscreet, we knew the entrance to the villa ... BONO and here we are in fact after 10 minutes before having to delete several times on the sites of U2 fans! It also opens the gate to let in a car, but even the shadow of the singer: o (
Some pictures of ritual and we venture into an alley next to the walls of the villa, which leads us directly on the beach!
The wind is blowing strong, the sea a bit 'rough and gray clouds in the sky give the sight a picturesque landscape and typical irish!
Having 'played' a bit on the beach we decided to go back to DUBLIN ...
Afternoon for shopping and visiting the St. Stephen's Green park ... very reminiscent of those in London ... even here, in fact ducks, geese and other waterfowl splashing about in ponds. The park is also full of statues (strano. ..) and monuments, including one dedicated to Sir. And one to James Arthur Giunness Joys.
Through Marrion Square we encounter the famous statue of Oscar Wilde.
In the evening the city lights of soul ... Christmas seems to door!

The last day!!

Last day in DUBLIN, but having the aircraft in the late afternoon we can still enjoy all morning around the city ... to discover the places still unexplored.

First stop the DUBLIN Castle ... eighteenth-century structure built on a foundation Norman and Viking. Anglo-Norman fortress of the thirteenth century only the Record Tower survives, while the most beautiful part of the castle is located in the basement and consists of a portion of the walls and the moat unfortunately not accessible.
Next to the castle is the Chester Beatty Library, museum displaying the wonderful collection of Sir Alfred Chester Beatty ... New York mining magnate, traveler and collector who bequeathed to Ireland all his valuables.
After leaving the DUBLIN Castle, we head for St. Patrick's Cathedral ... which stands on one of the earliest Christian sites in the city.
Admiring the interior of the Church can not but affect the variety of objects, statues, effigies and flags that are walking the aisles her ...
Behind the church you can admire a beautiful cemetery, which stands by the beautiful crosses.
Away from the cathedral we meet in St. Audoen's Church that we can only admire the outside because it is closed.
The vacation is drawing to an end and we can do is eat, do some last purchase and reflect on the fact that Ireland is a safe country to discover and rediscover ....!!!