Spring Break 2011, Part Two

After leaving Malindi and traveling back to Nairobi, I caught a plane and left Africa for the first time since my arrival back in November.  My destination?  Dublin, Ireland! 

Dublin is a beautiful and friendly city to visit.  It is large enough to do some great shopping, but compact enough to get around easily on foot.  Here's a few Irish tidbits that I learned....

Dublin is home to the original Guiness factory.  Apparently, Guiness is good for

you and makes you strong?!

• The entire population of Ireland is less than the city of Nairobi.
• Dublin is the largest city in Ireland and is the capital city of the republic of Ireland.
• Dublin was orginally settled by the Vikings and means "black pool."
• Dublin has a vast number of churches; it's number of churches is outnumbered only by its number of pubs - my tour guide told me that this is because "Dublin has its priorities straight."
• Dublin has more land devoted to parks than any other city in Europe.  Below are some pictures from St. Stephen's Green, a lovely park in the heart of the city....

Tulips in St. Stephen's Green

 

Spring flowers in St. Stephen's Green

During some of my walks and bus tours of the city, I got to enjoy some of the great old buildings. 

 Example of the classic Georgian architechture...

Dublin Castle 

The Lord Mayor's House

There are many, many historical sites to tour in Dublin, however, the places that were the most fun for me centered around shopping and food.  After all it WAS vacation!

Grafton Street! This is the most popular place in Dublin to shop.  It is a pedestrian- only, cobblestone street that is lined with nice stores and a four story mall (above).  Street performers line the streets and there are coffee and candy shops for the quick energy boost.  This is where I joyfully found my mecca: the Clinique and Aveda counters... sigh....



 The BEST tea and pastry shop in Dublin/ the world!  Fresh tarts, scones, muffins and other baked goods are a hallmark of the family-owned Queen of Tarts.

Fresh scone and tea....major yum.... 

 Another Dublin favorite...Leo Burdock's.  This is a walk-up (no seating) fresh fish place that offers awesome fish and chips.  The food is great and the portions are huge!

Fresh cod and fries from Leo Burdocks wrapped in the traditional brown paper.  Topped with vinegar and salt...eaten in the courtyard of nearby Christ Church...followed by an afternoon of shopping on Grafton Street...I miss you Dublin!

All in all, Dublin was a great place to vacation, with plenty to see and do within the city.  By the end of the week, although I was perfecting my Irish accent, I had to do one VERY American thing.....

Oh yes...lunch at the airport mcDonald's, complete with a special Easter McFlurry,

flavored with pieces of Cadbury Egg!