All that for a T shirt

 I am now running 1 day behind in blogging not bad but we are on day 4.  So maybe catch up today. 

We started the day with a coach tour around Dublin. A great guide in Adele.  Lots of information regarding the architecture and preservation.   Turns out where our hotel sits is considered one of the more wealthy areas just on the outskirts of the city center. The area is  very pretty in that there are lots of old trees and it is very green. Into the city a lot of preservation was accomplished by the Guinness family clout.  They also spent money and created low income housing which they are still subsidizing today.  Definitely money in beer.  They city tour lasted about 90 minutes then there was an option to stay in city or go on an excursion to Glendalough.  We had been before to this monastic site from the 6 century so opted to stay in town and  check out a few of missed things

The most exciting part is the bus will pick up at this same location or we can find our way back.  This is the exact bus stop thst we used yesterday so there was sn easy alternative if we were late. 

First stop was the National Library. We always enjoyed libraries especially older ones to see the onside architecture and collections. Unfortunately we could not see the reading rooms unless we had a pass but there was a Yeats exhibit so the visit was definitely not lost. 

Next stop over to St. Patrick’s cathedral which is an Anglican Church   Of note Jonathan Swift is buried there as he was the first Dean of the church. Then we went next door to a private library owned by Mr. Marsh. It is a small library that catered to Swft, Beckett, and Stoker as a reading library. Gulliver’s Travels will have been written 300 years ago in October so the library had a special exhibit. 

Next stop Guinness Brewery. There is no need for a tour. I just wanted to go in and look for a souvenir.   So we head on over. A little less than a mile. Well Dan’s hips have been bothering him and after 12000 steps the day before without the walking sticks we brought them along  Unfortunately they are the collapsible ones that we hadn’t used in several years and no way could we figure them out so they stayed innthe backpack maybe tonight we can look up directions   After the hike. Following the telephone map we arrive. They asked for our tickets and I very nicely explained no tickets we had done the tour in the past and just wanted to shop.  It was a no go.  So back into town we go.  We are off to Kennedy’s  bar so i can get a World Famous Irish Coffee.   So a quick stop a Butler’s Chocolate home of the best hot chocolate in the world (thats what is printed on the window). Walk along Grafton street. (High end shopping) stop for my Irish coffee and make it back to the meeting stop and the hotel.  Most of the group are going to the Irish dinner /caberet show. We are staying in hopes of learning how to adjust the walking sticks and pack.  Suitcases out by 7:15 and on the bus at 8:15amb