Dublin & Canaries Xmas Cruise - 17/12/2014 - Dublin Page

Saturday 20th December 2014

Woken at about 7 by Boudicca turning into a massage machine. I always wonder how it is that 28,000 tons of iron can shake like that. We had free shuttle tickets but there was a rush expected, so they had a boarding pass system, which worked very well, as we went straight out to a bus, of which, there seemed plenty. It stopped in Kildare Street, as before & we walked to St. Stephen’s Green but the Xmas Market did not open until 12, so we walked up Grafton Street (Dublin’s “Regent Street”). We turned left to Dublin Castle, which was on my bucket list, as coach tours cannot get in easily.

It was a clear, sunny day for most of the time but there was a wind, so it felt very cold. We walked down to the river & across to the Caffe Mocca, which we had.

Then, to O’Connell Street, over the bridge & down to the Xmas Market, now open. We could see the point of a 12:00 start, as it was mostly food. Meanwhile, many more people had appeared.

Halfpenny Bridge	O'Connel's Statue	The Post Office
Customs House	Bank of Ireland	Bank of Ireland
Trinity College	Interesting building	In the Xmas Market
In the Xmas Market	The Xmas Market	Bram Stoker's House

From the market, we went back to the bus & ship for a light lunch. I went back on the shuttle, through horrendous traffic, as I wanted to explore the pedestrianised old town, which is not that picturesque but one would think that James Joyce's "Ulysses" had actually happened.

The “Temple Bar” pub seems to have given its name to the whole area but, presumably, there was a Temple Bar here somewhere.

The Temple Bar pub

The Temple Bar pub round the corner

The traffic was a little lighter on the way back but the driver picked a subtle route. Back on the ship, we had tea & I started editing photos. Dinner was Xmas Dinner, although Avis had the sea bass. After, we read in the Neptune Lounge until the very excellent comedian Bob Taylor came on with a few new gags & played & sang Beatles, as one would to largely Liverpudlians.

Overnight, we sailed back to Liverpool.

We got our new bus passes at 10 & walked against the gale, to the Tate Gallery. The Andy Warhol special show was predictable & the German woman was rubbish but they do have a few good paintings, including Cezannes & a long 1948 Jackson Pollock.