Ramble
Quest - Dublin and Around.
Once again I have a rough introduction to a country, getting sick on the plane to the point where I almost pass out in the aisle. I arrive with cold, rain-in-your-face wind and hate the Avalon Hostel where I'm staying. Overall, Dublin is an extraordinarily unimpressive European capital. But of course, everything improves, and I start to like the place. The two branches of the National Museum are small, but have a few choice pieces and are in interesting buildings. The National Gallery does a great job with what they have. The Charles Beatty Library is a real treasure, one of the best small museums around, with excellent presentation of their collection.
I hike out to Prospect Cemetary: crowded, spooky, with wonderful carvings and Celtic croses. This place is a must for cemetary buffs. The nearby botanic gardens have a quiet beauty, more of a well planted park than a botanic garden but bursting with green on a grey day and flowing with pleasant streams.
When Peggy and Steve hit town we visit the cathedrals and take an excellent tour of the historic Kilmainham jail. It's much more enjoyable visiting some of the great old pubs with their company.
We rent a car and battle the horrendous Dublin traffic to escape town, basing ourselves near Blessington, by the lovely Wicklow Mountains. They have a posh resort with off-season prices and I take a freezing hostel nearby, but definitely shower at their place. Peggy says we have a relative buried in Glendalough Cemetery. We can't find him but the place is great, as is walking around the nearby lakes and forest. We drive up to the Sally Gap
("Horse Caravans Turn Back!") stopping often to take in a view or poke through ruins. We have a marvelous time touring the impressive gardens at the Powerscourt Estate.
On another day we mosey down to Waterford, stopping often along the way. We take a tour of the Waterford Crystal Factory. Although I can't imagine why anyone would want any of the things produced here, watching them make the crap is pretty interesting. .
Our last destination together is the amazing Neolithic Passage Tombs at Newgrange. The incredibly ancient (around 3200 B.C.!) Newgrange tomb is ingeniously constructed so that the light filters in only on the sunrise of the winter solstice (Peggy's B-Day, BTW). Quite awe-inspiring and certainly a highlight of this area.
Peggy and Steve bring a camera, so there are photos.