Due to our cancelled/delayed flights to Dublin, we didn’t have much time in the city.  Our plan was to arrive at night, have 1 day to wander/explore, go on a trip to Northern Ireland the next day, and then leave on the day after.  What we ended up with was about 1 day less.

We arrived in the late afternoon, so we couldn’t go to any places that closed at 5pm, which actually knocked out a lot of the stuff we wanted to do.  Sadly, we’d not come to Dublin to get rip-roaring drunk (which can be done at almost any time).

We found out hotel pretty easily.  The George Frederick Handel Hotel is located in the Temple Bar area, but it’s far enough away that you don’t have to worry about drunken hollering all night.  All you have to worry about are the church bells from Christ Church Cathedral.

It sucked that they charged us for the night we weren’t able to stay there, but the hotel was really nice, the people who worked there were nice (and some had beautiful accents).  Other than the church bells – which tolled every hour – it was great.  We didn’t eat any of the food items that were in the room, though, just in case they charged us for it.

Since Kristen and I now had less time in Dublin, the proximity of our hotel was fantastic.  After we checked in and dropped off our luggage, we went for a walk along the River Liffey.

It was cloudy and windy, but not a bad time for a walk.

We half-crossed a bridge, choosing to stay on side we were on until O’Connell Street.  I noticed that the bridge had locks all over it.  I’m noticing more and more how many bridges have locks hanging all over the place.  I wonder if this is the new version of writing your initials in a heart with “TLF” (true love forever). 

[Also I could get really cynical right about now, but I’m chosing not to.  I’m an adult, after all, and if people want to hang locks that will eventually be cut down by city employees, that’s their business.]

We made it to O’Connell Street, where it was wicked crowded and walked towards the Spire.  And then it started to pour down rain. 

We found shelter in a souvenir store and passed some time looking at all the stuff while it rained outside.  Instead of buying a souvenir raincoat or hat or umbrella, we just braved the rain.  Thankfully it started to taper off after a short while, before stopping all together.

We were both feeling a bit hungry, so we headed back to the Temple Bar area for a pint and a bit of food.  [I will expand on this next week.]

The irony is that we had an early morning the next day (we were road-tripping to Northern Ireland!), so we weren’t going to stay out late.  Yes, we were in Temple Bar but we were going to bed at a reasonable hour.   

I wouldn’t have minded going to the Guinness Brewery or Kilmainham Gaol again, but alas that was not in the cards this time.