it's been six months since our summer trip to ireland/scotland/wales with our friends, the weinsteins who i find myself missing along with the beauty we have seen together. i will break down our 2016 summer travels in one liner-ish notes, the parts that stand out more than others...
dublin
the camden court hotel was well situated in the south of dublin; best of all, stefan's favorite caffeine fix happened to be just down the street at network cafe and if you don't drink coffee their scones were gorgeous. our first time there, we were chatted up by a couple of lcoal guys... so friendly. and next door? aungier danger donut shop, so good! and just down the way we had our first irish porridge, which would be eaten at most breakfasts.
grafton street is a high-end shopping district with one of the most expensive retail rates in the world!
lively temple bar district; we encountered a drunk local at 11 am before things are supposed to get pagan!
strolling along the liffey river and across the ha'penny bridge, so named because a toll was in place to cross it soon after it was first built in 1816.
the spire, a giant 120 metre high needle tower surrounded by gorgeous brick buildings seems out of place; it's known by locals as "the erection at the intersection" :)
the powercourt centre, a 1744 georgian townhouse re purposed as a shopping centre selling homewares, frocks, stationery, irish textiles, and much more; a particular favourite was homewares from article. and, at its centre, a wonderful atrium with decorative tiles.
the irish design shop and the industry on drury street are great interior design shops housing beautiful home accessories and textiles; stefan walked out the door with irish wool socks :)
there is alot to love about avoca, a gorgeous shop that started out as a weaving mill in 1723 but now sells clothing, homewares and has a foodhall too; avoca is known for its signature coloured woolen throws woven at one of the oldest mills in ireland, and picked up one of my own.
murphys incredible ice cream made with milk from kerry cows; the dingle sea salt gelato was delish.
spectacularly surprised to wander into the old library at trinity college, our mouths literally dropped; 200,000 books and manuscripts are housed in a huge room with enormous bookcases stacked two storey high and the 65 metre long room is lined with 48 marble busts of writers and philosophers. it's incredible and well worth the wait in line. students requiring a title fill out a docket and the relevant book is brought to the student who must wear gloves.
picnicking in merrion square park just down the way from oscar wilde :)
i could have easily spent hours getting lost, peeking in between streets, to find a door in every colour; merrion square had the best painted doors. bright red doors, turquoise doors, emerald green, electric yellow, royal blue, swoon.
although our time was short, it was enough to feel out the city's overall vibe, a down to earth kinda city, we loved it.
the rain poured out of the sky most of the one day we were in galway :)
the world's best place to busk; celtic music everywhere... and gaelic signage too.
wandering the quaint latin quarter / old city with its cute little medieval streets and storefronts of which we often popped into to escape the rain.
devouring a meat pie at the pie maker; a teeny tiny place that seats about 15 people, tightly squeezed in. the pies were golden, nicely glazed, the pastry crisp and the filling very tasty. stefan said the beer is good... order the howling gale and eat here!
the spanish arch was a bit underwhelming, maybe it was the rain and the cold, but the kiddos enjoyed the swans on the river corrib.
hiding from the rain, for good, in a quaint pub with live irish music... loved it!
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| photo from dede |
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| photo from dede |
tomorrow, travelogue: ireland, part 2, inis mor island and the connemara region.
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