DUBLIN, IRELAND: Guest Post by Marianne Wallace

Dublin, Ireland.  Farrington's Pub in Temple Bar area

My friend and fellow children's book writer/illustrator Marianne Wallace and her husband Gary, a botanist, went to Ireland recently, visiting Dublin and hiking in Burren National Park in County Clare. Here are some of her reports from their trip. Marianne's most recent book is River Life: A Journey from Headwaters to the Sea (Butler Books, 2013).  You can find out more about Marianne and all her books at her website.

April 25
We arrived in Dublin this morning and had our first pints (well...my Murphys was a half pint) with a leek and potato soup lunch today at Tonner's Pub a few blocks from Trinity College in Dublin City Centre. Our B&B room is the size of a postage stamp with a shared bathroom for six rooms on the floor. But the salon areas are nice (that's where I'm sitting now) and it's only a 15 minute walk to Trinity College. It's now twilight at 9 PM - days are longer this far north. Was raining at the airport but dry the rest of the day and sunny in the afternoon. Mid 40s to mid 50s so not too bad.

April 26
Woke up to amazing blue skies. Thought the air would be appropriately warm but it stayed mostly in the high 40s, low 50s, windy with scattered clouds. A great day for walking, though.

Science Gallery Cafe

As Gary worked in the Trinity College herbarium, I enjoyed a morning cup of tea and a book at the Science Gallery Cafe, my favorite little spot in Dublin. I'm not a plastic chair/white Formica table kind of person but this place has a wall of windows for people-watching and is used by Trinity students and instructors so I feel smarter just sitting there. And although I usually just get the tea, the pastries and sandwiches are terrific (as is most food in Ireland).

Then I walked about six miles window shopping, going to a pub lunch with Gary, getting theater tickets (for tomorrow), searching out three fabric stores, hunting for an art supply store (in an alley next to a auto repair shop - took me awhile to find that one) and looking for a tiny bottle of perfume to cover the sweaty smell of all that walking in case I ever get warm enough in this weather to actually sweat.

Flower seller, Grafton Street

Walking to dinner (another mile at least), Gary and I passed this roadside flower seller (actually, they are in the middle of the road but the only vehicles that show up are for deliveries before the shops open). I remember them from last year. Always lots of beautiful flower bunches. Lastly, we stopped to see the Sphere in Sphere outside the Trinity College library.

(April 29 - May 8 at the Burren. See post for next week.)
 

Dublin. Ha'penny Bridge over the River Liffey

May 9
Our last full day in Ireland began with a bus ride into Dublin City Centre from our hotel near the airport with the world's friendliest bus drivers. These Dublin Bus guys can drive the bus through crazy traffic, hand out bus passes and answer your questions all at the same time. They are always courteous and even joke with you on occasion. I love 'em.

In the City Centre, you often see these lined-up blue bikes. You apparently buy a membership that allows you to unlock and pick up a bike from one assembly location then ride it to another bike assembly spot and leave it there.

And finally, our last pub stop and last pint (and a half pint for me). We watched the afternoon rain pour down from the warmth of the pub with mixed feelings. It's been a great trip but we're ready to leave this year's cold, rainy, windy Irish spring for the warmth and sun of home. SoCal, see you tomorrow.