Wednesday, June 10th

We decided that this would be a fine day for A) shopping and B) drinking. Luckily, opportunities for both were abundant in Dublin. We headed to Grafton Street, Dublin's shopping mecca. I noticed that there was quite a bit of 9 carat gold jewelry for sale that isn't available in the US, so when I found a contemporary Claddagh ring with a green agate that appealed to me, I snagged it. It was, of course, raining off and on (mostly on), so we ducked into a second-floor botique called "The Decent Cigar". It was a nice, cozy shop, filled with premium cigars and accessories, and we enjoyed some wine and cheese with the proprietors, after purchasing a few good stogies. When the rain let up, we walked down to St. Stephens Green, a beautiful park that was donated to the City of Dublin by the Guinness Corporation. It was beautiful with its lakes, fountains , and monuments to various Irish patriots. Uncrowded and peaceful, it was an oasis in the middle of the city.

Next, we hit Merrian Square, which boasts the " doors of Dublin" rowhouses, each with a colorfully painted door surrounded by intricate glasswork. Each was unique and typical of Georgian architecture.

In the late afternoon, we found the "Howl at the Moon" pub, and stopped in for a pint. The first game of the World Cup was scheduled to start at 5pm and around 4:30, office workers began pouring in, sporting suits and ties. The first game of the World Cup would be Scotland and Brazil, with Brazil favored, but with no support for the Brazilians was forthcoming from this crowd. Brazil won 2-1, and Bill lost a bet to a local, while thoroughly enjoying several pints of the "freshest Guinness in the world". I partook of my first real Black Russian since I'd left the States. (For all you Black Russian fans out there, you should know that the American and the British/Irish versions of that cocktail are very different. The two versions share a couple ingredients (vodka and Kahlua), but the Irish version usually substituted Tia Maria for the Kahlua, while adding Guinness and Coca-Cola.)

We cabbed it back near the hotel, and ate an early dinner at the only Mongolian Barbecue in Ireland. The food was very tasty, and the hour early enough (6pm) to avoid the 8-9pm stampede.

Thursday, June 11th

First on the agenda today was Trinity College , so we walked there, took some pictures, and toured the Library. The Library included the Long Room which contained the Book of Kells and the Book of Armagh (also known as "St. Patrick's Confession").

From there, we took a long walk to the Guinness Hopstore at St. James Gate, strolling along the River Liffey, stopping for tea and sandwiches at a pub along the way. Unfortunately, tours of the brewery are no longer offered since it's all computerized now, and there's nothing to see. So we took the short tour of the Hopstore facilities, and enjoyed a couple free pints of "mother's milk" in the bar, after stocking up on souvenirs in the Hopstore.

Leaving, we took a cab to Cleary's, the largest department store in Ireland. (Cabs are fairly inexpensive in Dublin.) Actually, Bill took up residence in a nearby pub while I shopped for crystal and porcelain.

Soon it was cocktail hour, so we headed over to the Clarence Hotel, which is owned by a consortium of investors, including Bono and the Edge of the Irish band, U2. The Clarence offers a cool, casual, art deco ambience that is especially evident in the Octagon Bar, where we whiled away the better part of the evening. Luck was with us, and we managed to get a table at 9pm in the hotel's restaurant called the Tea Room. Dinner was wonderful. I had the duck confit with kale and au gratin potatoes, with a delectable demi-glaze, and Bill had roasted scallops, which he declared to be the best he'd ever had. Bill enjoyed a new Irish whiskey called Midleton for dessert, and I had coffee. The waiter came by to offer a selection from the restaurant's well-stocked humidor, so Bill availed himself of a Dunhill that complimented the Midleton nicely. Ended up spending a ton 'o Irish pounds (aka "punts"), it was worth every penny. As we exited the Clarence, Bill told the doorman, tongue firmly in cheek, to give Bono his best regards. The doorman said he'd be sure to let him know when they next met. Hoo-wah!

Friday, June 12th

We made reservations at a Bed and Breakfast in Salthill, near Galway called the Cashelmara Lodge. So we had breakfast and got on the road to begin the 150-mile drive directly west across Ireland. When we arrived, we met the proprietress, Christine Fahey, who had recently spent a couple years in Los Altos, just over the hill from our hometown. In the beautiful guest living area, we chatted about the Bay area, and met all three Fahey children. Since we were the only guests, she offered us the "honeymoon suite" with its sweeping view of Galway Bay, modern facilities and nicely kept cherry furniture. Very nice for less than 40 pounds per night.

Since we only brought enough clothes for about ten days, it was once again time to do laundry, so we dropped ours off at full service launderette. At Christina's recommendation, we drove about ten minutes to a restaurant called Donnellys in Barna for dinner. It was, it turned out, justifiably renowned for the fresh seafood. The salmon, scallops and monkfish were fresh and perfectly cooked, accompanied by a variety of light sauces. The jacketed (baked) potatoes were huge and creamy - much tastier than their US counterparts. These monsters didn't need any sour cream - they were perfect as they were.

Saturday, June 13th

We awoke to a nearly-sunny day, and after driving into Salthill to pick up our laundry, we drove the few miles along the water to Galway. We stopped to take some pictures of the Galway seafront with its multi-colored boats and groups of white swans, and breathed in the sea air. Galway is a lovely town with its historic waterfront and lively atmosphere. Around 1pm, we stumbled across a street fair where we found a delightful variety of local crafts and foodstuffs. We bought some freshly barbecued homemade sausage and cheese, as well as fresh-baked onion/cheese rolls, and retired to the nearest pub to get a pint to complete our lunch. Delicious! . Shopping was very good, and I ended up buying a bodhran with a traditional Celtic design made by Malachy Kearns of Connemara (aka "Malachy Bodhran").

Later that evening, we spent a few hours at O'Connell's Pub in Salthill, listening to "trad" (traditional Irish) music.

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