Well….. We should have been in Ireland a week ago but with the craziness of this world that all changed.        I have struggled with how to share travel blogs with you during this time but decided to give you a glimpse into our vacation that is indefinitely on hold.  I created a walking tour for our family on Day 1 to get us immersed in everything that Dublin has to offer.  We will hit some highlights and venture off into some hidden quiet spaces to escape.  Let’s get started.

After arriving at Dublin airport from JFK we would have taken a taxi to our hotel.  This quaint boutique hotel is located in a quiet neighborhood near a park and within walking distance to many sites. The Iveagh Garden Hotel is great option if you want a elegant hotel but with a small homey feel.

https://www.iveaghgardenhotel.ie/index.html

After checking into the hotel we start our journey around Dublin.

Our 1st Stop is St. Patrick’s Cathedral;    https://www.stpatrickscathedral.ie/

Saint Patrick’s Cathedral (Irish: Ard-Eaglais Naomh Pádraig) in Dublin, Ireland, founded in 1191, is the National Cathedral of the Church of Ireland. With its 43-metre (141 ft) spire, St. Patrick’s is the tallest church (other than diocesan cathedrals) in Ireland and the largest.^[1] Christ Church Cathedral, also a Church of Ireland cathedral in Dublin, is designated as the local cathedral of the diocese of Dublin and Glendalough.^{[2]  “Wikipedia”}

After some prayer, quiet contemplation and exploring we walk north behind St. Patrick’s and enjoy a  stroll through St. Patrick’s Park on our way to Christ Church Cathedral, with a stop off at a highly recommended bakery.

2nd Stop

Catherine’s Bakery is just a few blocks from Christ Church  and has had great reviews.

The scones look amazing and you can do “take away” for breakfast and lunch, so you can continue with the walking tour after picking up some good eats. Check out the site on Instagram, FB and their direct website.  https://catherinescafe.ie/

https://www.instagram.com/catherinescafebakery/?hl=en

We plan to make sure to stop here when we do get to travel again.  We want to help privately owned places like this stay around a long time after this hard season we are in is over.

3trd Stop – With coffee and scone in hand we visit Christ Church Cathedral  (finish the coffee and scone prior to entering). https://christchurchcathedral.ie/

4th Stop We head north again and meander into the Temple Bar area.  This is from what I have read the most active part of Dublin with Bars, Restaurants, Shops and Tourist Activities. From the photos I’ve seen this looks like a wonderful place to people watch and take multiple photographs.

Exploring Dublin https://dublinwhatsthecraic.files.wordpress.com

Continuing our walk we head along the River Liffey and walk across the famous Ha’penny Bridge to get a different perspective of the city. If you want a really different experience I hear taking a kyack trip on the river is a wonderful adventure. https://citykayaking.com/

5th Stop is the highlight of our trip. All roads lead to the Book of Kells and Trinity College.  You can purchase a group ticket for both sites which are next to each other on the Trinity College campus area.  https://www.tcd.ie/visitors/book-of-kells/tickets-information/

6th Stop  – For dinner I researched a great pub which has dinner time live music and has an extensive menu. The Old Storehouse looks like a great venue for good grub and traditional music.https://theoldstorehouse.ie/

The Old Storehouse

After a full stomach and a long day, it’s time to head back to the hotel to rest and great ready for another great day tommorrow. Can’t wait to visit when all this is over………