This morning we walked to the Dublin Hop on Hop off bus. The bus company had changed names and routes since we signed up for it a month ago, but we figured it out quickly. Our first bus driver was a very funny tour guide, but most of the buses offered (and the ones we rode later) only had pre-recorded tour information. We prefer the live guides! The guide had typically three descriptions for each subject, monument, or building pointed out along the way. While laughing at the second description, the third just cracked Jack up every time. And all descriptions were in rhyming fashion. That seems to be common. Jack asked one of the guides a question on the way off the bus at one time. It’s clear they do a lot of research for their tours.
As one would expect, Ireland is a rather religious country. Dublin alone with only around 550,000 residents in the city proper has 651 churches. Dublin also has 850 pubs.......
We took the bus about halfway around the city and got off at the Jameson Distillery. Because it was early, we only had to wait 20 minutes to join the next guided tour which was great with high-tech graphics and displays. We learned about the growth of the Jameson brand and the science behind the drink. We also taste-tested and compared Scottish, American, and Jameson whiskeys. Jack preferred the American, Kathy thought it was all yucky but she tried them all. At the end we each got a free drink in their very nice bar area.
We hopped on the bus again to the city center for lunch since our next tour was going to again involve alcohol. At Bankers pub we had traditional (and good) Irish food. Jack’s burger had Clonakilty pudding on it which the waiter said we should look up later but he recommended it (it’s blood sausage and it was good).
Then it was back on the bus to the Guinness Storehouse which was a self-guided museum-type attraction. Our Dublin pass got us in quickly past the crowds in line, but the whole place was very crowded (and we had followed our book’s recommendation on when to avoid crowds). Some of the exhibits were good but the “tasting” room seemed silly because it just taught you how to “taste” a small glass of Guinness. At the end of the tour you get a tall glass of Guinness. You are supposed to enjoy it in the Gravity Bar, a top floor room with scenic views that were probably great but we couldn’t see much with the standing room only crowds. We found a bench on another level to finish our drinks (Kathy does like Guinness).
We got back on the bus and took it to the River Liffey and walked east along the river to the Famine Memorial in memory of those who suffered or had to emigrate after the potato famine. Then it was back to the hotel for dinner in the busiest hotel bar we have ever visited, and packed up for our overnight trip to Galway tomorrow.
As always, more photos are in the gallery.
