Upon arrival in Dublin, we de-planed as we did in Toronto - right onto the tarmack. Dublin greeted us with a cool rainy misty, which soon cleared up into a spectacular day. We ambled over to the terminal, walking over a mile, according to my Fitbit. Customs and Immigration did little to delay us, but it took quite some time to get our single checked bag (I took a bag small enough to carry on). Once we collected our things, I attempted to purchase a SIM card, to give me a local phone number and cellular data. Unfortunately, I have to get to data services registered on my phone, but I will keep at it until I get it!
Outside the terminal, Ramona asked a few questions and got us tickets for a bus that would take us into Dublin's city center, near the flat we'd rented for a few days. Once we got to our bus, we were able to catch up with our third traveling partner, Laura Lombardi! Laura left before us and would be joining us for our Dublin portion, before returning home. Laura, too, was having trouble getting her data service working here, but I know she'll keep at it until she gets it!
The bus got us rather quickly into Dublin, the volume of traffic at midday was pretty high. We needed to meet up with our host to get our key and drop our belongings, as we were several hours ahead of our check-in. We had to exit the bus and take a cab the rest of the way, as we were only getting further behind on the bus.
Once we got dropped off, we discovered we were at the right address, but the wrong side of the street. Yes, friends, we found that the same numbers existed on both sides of the road! Fortunately, we'd used Google Street View last month to look at the street and discover where the flat was. Fortunately, we recognized some of the same features from our reconnaissance, which helped us find the right place.
Our host greeted us warmly and told us of a few things coming up in the neighborhood that we might enjoy. She also took our luggage and gave us our key. No longer burdened by our bags, we began to meander around the neighborhood.
The street remained pretty busy, even at midday, which took me a bit by surprise. Our host pointed out a few cafes and pubs on the street to try, so we headed up the street to try out a breakfast place. Mona had a nice meal of eggs and sausage, and I had a trio of pancakes. Not too shabby! After our meal, we began to wander the streets, taking in the various stores, noting that Dublin has a LOT of groceries. In fact, we counted a grocery on each block in the neighborhood we're staying, and several larger grocers within a few minutes' walk.
We meandered to the Jameson Whiskey Experience and took a quick look at the colorful signs and seemingly endless displays of whiskey. Not sticking around for the tour, we wandered a little further, seeing neat bike rentals - something we might take advantage of in a day or so. Upon returning to our flat, Ramona took a nap and I researched my cellular data issue. Laura contacted us and let us know she was would be arriving soon.
Once Laura arrived, our afternoon consisted of a bus trip to a nearby fish-and-chips place, Leo Burdocks. This famous whole-in-the-wall joint is known for its large portions and authentic fare. We picked up our food at the counter and proceeded to walk to Christ Church Cathedral. Sitting on the stairs near a grassy area, we enjoyed our dinner, then proceeded into the nearby Temple Bar area. Several popular venues make up this area, which we found teeming with locals and tourists. After staging a few quick pictures, we headed for the bus stop and home.
In the interim, Laura and I both solved our data issues, making navigation significantly easier! All we needed was a stop at the store for water and we could call it a (successful) day, and get ready for the next day's adventures!
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