Walking through Dublin

This morning we met up with our group and went on a walking tour of Dublin with a local guide. It was a great chance to roam around with my camera while listening, and take some people pictures. And architecture pictures. Our guide talked about the history of Dublin, especially the more recent history of the late 20th century.

I was fascinated by the old post office building, visible from a couple of blocks away because of its tall columns and Romanesque architecture. I especially love that it's fully decorated, even underneath the overhanging roof.

Our tour took us up O'Connell Street where we crossed the Liffey, then ducked through back alleys and side streets, all the way to Trinity College. There we walked through the Book of Kells exhibit, and explored the old library. I put these photographs in a separate post because I loved the library so much.

After a bit of shopping we said goodbye to our group, and struck out on our own to explore the Temple Bar. This is the only time it rained on our whole trip... thankfully I brought my raincoat today.

These horse-drawn carriages were everywhere in the old part of Dublin. This guy was waiting patiently outside the Guinness Brewery, wearing a quarter sheet against the chill and rain. We 

did the self-guided tour, then learned how to properly pour a Guinness with a creamy head. 

On our walk back along the river, we found Dublin's oldest pub, The Brazen Head. The fish & chips were so good, especially with a cold pint of Murphy's stout.

Then we walked back across town to our hotel, and Dave & I went off on our own to do some geocaching. And just a block from our hotel we discovered a long street lined with Georgian brick row houses, each with a fancy pedimented door. The doors were painted in all colors, black and pale blue and red and yellow and green. Each door and stone surround was just a bit different from the others. I'll come back before we leave Dublin and photograph more of them.