Dublin, Ireland

Dear Ireland ... We will miss you so.  We've only been back a couple days and can't wait to go back.  There was something eerily fascinating about being in Dublin, the birth city of the author of Dracula, during Halloween weekend.  Touring the city with all the pubs decked out in decorations and people wandering the streets in costumes added to the overall affect.

Kilmainhem Gaol, Book of Kells, the zoo, Christ Church Cathedral, Dublinia (Vikings Museum), and Temple Bar were just a few of the places we saw between Irish meals and pints of Guinness.  The Vikings Museum was a last minute add on of the history of Dublin, but the “Black Pool” and the people who lived there kept us entertained for some time.  They even let you dress as Vikings while in the museum (the whole concept of horned helmets is a myth by the way).  We also attended mass at Christ Church and were invited into the crypts afterwards for tea and coffee with the others at mass and the priests. 

While all the sites were great, what really made the trip were the pubs with Irish food and Irish music.  Trabba, a local band was following us around (Blarney Inn, Temple Bar), one night dressed as the undead and the next as super heroes.  I haven’t gotten a chance to listen to their CD yet, but people should look them up.

While we’re anxious to go visit other places, the separation anxiety that we both already suffer from will soon put us back on the short flight over to the Republic of Ireland.