May 11: For our last dinner in Ireland, we went to the Bray Bay. The food was not good but the beach with a hill provided a great view. We walked along the beach and hiked up the hill, where we were surrounded by the scent of yellow flowers, gorse.
| Dublin, Ireland |
| May 5: We left Boston, MA on Friday evening and flew to Dublin, Ireland with Aer Lingus, an Irish Airline. |
|
|
| May 6: We arrived in Dublin on Saturday morning. After a good breakfast and a nap, we visited the Dublin castle. Entrance to the castle was only allowed through guided tours, but the last tour for that day was about to start when we got there and tickets were sold out. We planned to come back to the castle but did not make it during this trip. Instead of the tour of the castle, we visited the Chester Beatty Library, where we found early religious manuscripts and books. We also enjoyed the garden of the Dublin castle. |
|
|
| We then headed to the Temple Bar area and had dinner at a restaurant, Bruno. Many restaurants in Dublin offer early-bird specials which end by 7 PM. In comparison to Spain where most restaurants do not open until 9 PM, restaurants in Ireland suited us better. For dinner, I had a seafood risotto with a vegetable soup, which I enjoyed a lot. |
|
|
| After the dinner, we walked back to our hotel. We walked through the shopping area of Grafton Street and a park, St. Stephen's Green. |
|
|
| May 7: On Sunday afternoon, we visited the Dublin Writers Museum. It was a tiny museum, but provided a history of Irish literature. I took a picture of the famous portrait of James Joyce. This painting is a replica of the original painting, exhibited in the National Gallery of Ireland. |
|
|
| For dinner, we went to the Canal Bank Cafe, located closed to our hotel. The cafe was busy so we reserved a table. While waiting, we strolled along the canal bank and watched the boats moving from one level of the canal to another. For dinner, I had a fish-and-chips dish and it was worth waiting for. |
|
|
| May 8: On Monday evening, we explore the area around the Trinity College. We especially enjoyed walking in a small park, located east of the college campus. |
|
|
| We walked back to the Temper Bar area and I attended the LoCA committee dinner. |
|
|
| May 9: On Tuesday, we joined a tour to the Malahide Castle, north of Dublin. On our way back, we briefly stopped at a beach at Howth. The scenery was breathtaking. |
|
|
| The conference banquet was held at the Guinness Storehouse and we had a chance to drink Guiness where it was originally made. |
|
|
|
LoCA was held for two days from May 10 to 11 at the IBM facility at
Mulhuddart. May 11: For our last dinner in Ireland, we went to the Bray Bay. The food was not good but the beach with a hill provided a great view. We walked along the beach and hiked up the hill, where we were surrounded by the scent of yellow flowers, gorse. |
|
|