Ireland

[Holly]

This is great!! I have a big "0" birthday next year and I was thinking about going to Ireland to celebrate it as part of my 'year of travel' (that's what I've dubbed this big birthday year). Morocco is a close second runner up, though...not sure which will win in terms of my big trip.

[jmoz]

If you're a ridiculous walker (as I am), Badger's recommendations make for an excellent (but full) day. I thought I'd report back as a way of saying thanks for such fantastic recommendations.

I stayed near the train station (convenient since I arrived by train from Cork, and there's a bus from the train station out to the airport.) My walking route was mostly along the River Liffey, and I saw: Dublin Castle, Trinity College (Book of Kells was cool, but the Old Library was truly fantastic), St. Stephens Green, Christ Church, Grafton Street, Temple Bar, Old Jameson Distillery (and Four Courts Complex along the way), Guinness Storeroom, fish and chips at Leo Burdocks, more time in Temple Bar, and a walk back to the hotel with a detour to the entrance to Phoenix Park. All in all, ~25 km, so perhaps a bit much for a single day if you're not as ridiculous as I am, but a great way to see (part of) Dublin. Honestly, the walking between places was at least as nice as most of the destinations. Thanks again, Badger!

[Badger]

You walked to St. James's Gate from Dublin 2? That's a good six post codes away! I was kind of imagining one would take the bus...

I'm glad the walk was good, though! I always walk a ton in Dublin and I totally agree with your pronouncement.

[jmoz]

You walked to St. James's Gate from Dublin 2? That's a good six post codes away! I was kind of imagining one would take the bus...

I'm glad the walk was good, though! I always walk a ton in Dublin and I totally agree with your pronouncement.

If I walked directly, it was maybe a 20 minute walk. I like public transportation in theory, but I like walking better. I was only carrying my LCB, and it wasn't especially full. I did get my wife some yarn a block off Grafton Street, which helps; it's a light, low density souvenir, which discourages other purchases. The Fitbit is also good for this sort of thing.... I like getting 30K steps in a day. :-)

[Badger]

That's true. Dublin isn't a particularly large city (after all, Leopold Bloom did the whole thing in about 18 hours with many, many digressions). I'm just impressed you did that given all the other walking. And then had fish and chips. Oof.

[jmoz]

Yes, I couldn't eat most of the chips. I swear there were enough for 4 people to be satisfied.