Finally we are in... Ireland!! A trip to the greenest land on earth..

Short - but intense! - Living in Dublin, among green parks and going to Temple Bar, the hotel was centrally located in Arlington, on the banks of the Liffey, a short distance from O 'Connell Bridge.
The flight, accurate and convenient, it was with Ryan Air.
Dublin is a city to walk to the nearest Georgian Marion Square in St. Patrick Church, the park of St. Stephen's Green in Dublin, not to mention the Guinness Brewery and godereccce evenings in pubs or hanging around listening to a lot of good live music.
There are many places to visit nearby, we have chosen the lovely fishing village of Howth, just twenty minutes by train - the green DART - Dublin's main station. Pastel houses, cliffs and seals that swim undisturbed for the marina!

 

Over the irish clouds

The dream of my life: Ireland. Reading, listening to magical stories, happy and sad film, sweet and hilarious ... all brought me here, so much so that I could not hold back the tears of joyful emotion when our plane began to fly over the Emerald Isle.
Here is really quite green, with a thousand different shades, iridescent, cheerful, bright or dark with soft clouds that run fast in the sky, change, transform themselves constantly giving life from time to time to hungry dragons or romantic maidens, horses galloping, or leprechauns with a pointed hat.
We land on time and in time we use to go out - Dublin Airport is really great! - Our luggage at our disposal.
Outside there is a jovial taxi driver that the bus for the same amount - € 6 per person - we bowl in ten minutes in front of the Arlington Hotel, in Bachelors Walk right on the banks of the Liffey!
The hotel is lovely! Very Irish!
We have two separate rooms - the little children are now 13 years! - And there made merry indeed: in the room we also have a kettle for tea and coffee preheat!
The first round is in the direction of Temple Bar through the O 'Connell Bridge.
We make a visit to Trinity College, just to study a bit 'mechanisms to visit the Old Library with the Book of Kells and we are in a paradise of lush green lawns, red brick buildings, wooden benches, complete with dedication: what dream!
Walker towards Grafton Street pedestrian shopping street, and we come across Molly Malone statue of a fishmonger in 1700 and lived symbol of the proud people of Dublin.
Shops are beautiful, full color and characteristics of things: I choose now to sneak in a bookstore where I find a good book on the history of Ireland and other interesting things, including a beautiful cloth bag decorated with the names of famous writers - there is not even an Italian, but ...-
Continue into the greenest of green St. Stephen's Green we fill the eyes of nicely maintained buildings, dazzling flowers and the famous colorful doors.
The park of St. Stephen and rich luxuriance of plants of all kinds, ponds full of ducks, swans, gulls e. .. pike, immersed in a dreamy light emerald. And 'quite natural to relax and Gurd around with a sense of peace!
Our tours continue along pubs and street musicians, there are around strange hordes of Spanish fans: tonight we are the South African round of the World Cup and play Spain-Portugal. Here in iralnda after exclusion - hotly contested - the home team because of France, all were thrilled to Spain!
You can dine in Temple Bar in Fleet Street to the Thunder Road Cafe where there's an upbeat atmosphere: you watch the game and dinner with fish and chips while enjoying the legendary Guinness! Really delicious!
Spain wins and going crazy around the festivities! At 22 is almost full day here in the North is the latest night! Booyah!
Temple Bar area is a really cute and colorful, not just remember the Quartier Latin à Paris. Walking one realizes that Dublin is a young city and varied: there are boys and girls from all over the world and its atmosphere of fun and sharing ... Of course the real Irish seem a bit 'run low .. .
We return via the Liffey: there are some lovely wooden bridges decorated with multicolored flowers and benches to rest, reflect and watch the world go by!
The bridges of the Liffey I'm not really hurt, especially pedestrian: we walk, lit by romantic lanterns - someone with a lock (?) NO NO HERE! - The Half Penny Bridge. It is called this because once you had to pay a half penny to cross it!

Blanket and pillow on the greener grass

First real Irish breakfast: sausage, mushrooms, tomatoes, potatoes, eggs .... After a moment of hesitation, we have adapted willingly and did a good supply of calories to deal with the adventures that await us.
Outside it's coolness, the temperature is right for our walk, and the sky is always changing with its creamy wisps of clouds that hint of cloves and blue hope in the sun.
Our first goal is the Trinity College: a real dream - to note the oxymoron! - For those who love the world of study and university. Lie down in green pastures on which leggiucchiare, shady avenues for walking, austere buildings and charming, warm red brick buildings to meet and get together.
The Old Library is really nice and also the show that brings the Book of Kells is well done: thanks to my recent English course I can understand almost everything: these are rewards!
The exhibition, through panels, original objects and pictures, frames the historical period-ninth century, explains the life of monks in the Middle Ages, the materials used by scribes for copying books, even the tricks to correct the mistakes!. At the end of the path he's there: the famous Book of Kells, the most ancient book in the world (?), Which is exposed to a different page each month to ensure that a page can be wasted most of the others.
I must say that the book is so very beautiful, the decorations are very rich and brilliant, but it seems to me something already seen how many times, the Vatican Library, libraries in our history - Angelica ... Casanatense - or in the various monasteries here Penalty affected us ... who comes from the Eternal City to succeed hardly surprising!
The Reading Room, which houses an exhibition about the Ireland-India relations, the British colonial times, has a fascinating charm for those who love books like me!
After looting the gift shop, where I buy a small book with romantic songs of Irish writers ... we head towards the part of Georgian Dublin: Marion Square, with beautiful park - where we meet the mother of small children line up sorted ( !) - and the statue of the great Oscar Wilde, who lived right near here. In fact, many famous writers lived in these parts, like Yeats, and the warmth of red brick buildings with their beautiful colorful door adds charm to charm.
We decide to relax a bit 'and opt for a sober - after the gargantuan breakfast in the morning ...- picnic in St. Stephen's Green. Here some pretty girls are supporting a local radio station offering comfortable blankets and pillows to sit on the grass better: life is green!
Looking around we realize that we were not the only ones who have the idea of a picnic: there are a lot of people here who have decided to make their break from work or study. Comes out a little 'and when the sun comes out is really hot!
It starts at the time of the Cathedral - a Protestant - St. Patrick's, named after the patron saint of Ireland that explained the mystery of the Trinity using the shamrock, Shamrock, a symbol of the Green Island.
The church of the XII century, in its majestic gothic walls of gray stone, with some truly magnificent stained glass windows.
At the entrance are greeted by a smiling boy who provides us with information material and invites us to make fun exploring the place. The contribution required for family, is 15 €.
Among the things written in the paper that there have been data entry, it is said that the state does not subsidize in any way the places of worship for which the churches have to finance on its own: it is warmly thanked those who contribute their visits!
The interior looks a little 'dark and dusty, but there is good, especially on small chairs with custom cushions, they are all embroidered and not one alike!
Thus we read our guides, we look around and discover the tomb of Jonathan Swift, buried next to his beloved Stella, along with those of many prominent figures in the history and Irish independence.
We go out there and close to the other Protestant Cathedral Christ Church Cathedral.
Also here are all friendly, eager to understand and be understood: we pay 26 euro with whom we have the opportunity to visit the church and Dublin, a reconstruction of the city through the centuries.
We enter and we immediately notice that the atmosphere here is much clearer than in St. Patrick, but there is the same serenity and immersion in history.
Interesting is the crypt, where there is also the treasury of the Cathedral.
Trivia: There are also a mummified cat and a rat, trapped in the ancient monumental organ during a chase (!)
Dublinia is beautiful! I was very impressed, perhaps because there is a good deal of teaching, so I, as a good teacher, I am comfortable in my natural environment, like a fish in his pond.
This is the reconstruction of the history of Dublin from the early prehistoric settlements, to go to his foundation by - nientepopodimenoche! - The Vikings, the various invasions and transformations, plagues, the everyday ...
It's really well done with clear explanations, pictures, reconstructions, and also share ad hoc interactive casts to be used for personal creations, drawers with food medieval to open, disguises to become true Vikings ...
The top floor is dedicated entirely to the work of archaeologist, with lots of experiments to do!
There is also a nice little bar to relieve a bit 'before continuing his journey: that pleasure!
Dinner is always in Temple Bar where finally taste a dish very Irish: the stew, a stew of ham with cabbage, potatoes and onions VERY GOOD!!
Outside the rain is Irish, thin and continuous. I'm glad it rain: One of the most characteristic things had not yet happened!
People do not pay much attention to us and a few are open umbrella.

Traveling to the seaside…Howth…

Today is our wedding anniversary and we decided to celebrate by sampling the Irish province.
Take the coastal train to Connolly DART Station, after a brief walk through the Doks.
The trains are green Irish - Obviously! - Clean, clear, calm.
In 20 minutes we arrive at our destination, the typical Irish village of fishermen.
I found that was an important point of support for the independence struggle!
In the face of Howth is a small island where many species of birds, including - it says - the puffin.
Sure that the port is there ... SEALS! Too funny! Waiting for the fish that pull tourists on their wharf and then beat the water with fins!
The village is very Irish, with salutes in the streets, pastel-colored houses and colorful doors and all different.
There is also a medieval church with no roof adjoining cemetery!
We stopped to eat at a place that seems to come from another era, the Abbey Taberna: white facade, bright blue doors and windows, dark wood interiors and Celtic music in the background.
It's great to walk here and see the fast change in the weather, the run and turn the clouds, the seagulls, the dip of the cormorant fishing.
A magical atmosphere, but without lepracauni magic.
When the sun comes out is the height of summer, but just a change of wind that reaches the cold North.
I sit near the pier, in my hooded sweatshirt and I am okay to impress in the mind and heart to take him with me forever.
There is a large movement of people: children who wander around with my grandparents, distinguished gentlemen with funny dogs, families of tourists in T-shirts and flip flops.
He feels a strong smell of the sea, occasionally seasoned with a whiff of fish and chips.
We return with our green train, again surrounded by the sea wind and we prepare for our last night Dublin.
We found that the Irish are very fond of Italian style to which we decide to grant us a sweet, accompanied by Italian coffee: unbeatable! For certain things we have no rivals!
It's too nice to stroll and listen to live music: we stop listening to Mutefish, a group of traditional music revisited which immediately catches the CD!
We return once again strolling along the Liffey, crossing the Half Penny Bridge, tired and happy, with just a hint of melancholy.

See you soon!

Il nostro ultimo giorno ci saluta con un sole abbagliante, che ci accompagna mentre sfruttiamo ogni minuto prima del nostro volo pomeridiano per goderci ancora Molly Malone, Grafton Street, St. Stephen’s Green…
Salutiamo Dublino con la voglia di tornarci e di conoscere la vera irlandesità delle contee. See you soon, Ireland!