Ireland 7 - Dublin 1
On Day 7 we left Killarney in the very early morning and crossed the island of Ireland from west to east. The city of Dublin was the final destination of our trip. J kept driving without a stop and we arrived in Dublin at a time when it would still be reasonable to have breakfast. Thank you J!
We tried Bread 41, an organic bakery near Trinity College Dublin. It was super crowded! The long waiting line to order stretched outside the store. We were patient enough to join the line and managed to take away a couple of pastries.
We walked up to Merrion Square Park, one of the city's large Georgian squares, and found a bench to have the pastries at last. Bread 41 didn't offer classic scones, so I chose a Bostock, a sliced brioche with almond paste and raspberry jam filling. It was pretty good. I don't recall what J got. A sausage roll, I guess? I do remember he said something nice about what he had.
Grafton Street is a renowned shopping street in Dublin. There was a store of Marks and Spencer, which brought back memories of our life in Harrogate, England.
Temple Bar, a riverside neighborhood is famous for its high density of bars and pubs. We didn't come to the area during night, so I had no idea how loud and crowded it could be. Well, I wouldn't need to know...
The River Liffey runs through the center of Dublin, dividing the city's North and South sides. We mainly stayed in its South side.
At far west of Temple Bar was Christ Church Cathedral, one of two medieval cathedrals in Dublin. The earliest manuscript indicates the cathedral was established in its present location around 1030. It's the diocesan cathedral of the Church of Ireland Dioceses of Dublin and Glendalough. The buildings of the cathedral are today in mix of Romanesque and Gothic styles with Victorian elements due to the extensive restorations in the late 19th century. We didn't see inside because we kept enjoying a city walk.
St Patrick's Cathedral is the city's other cathedral. The 13th century cathedral was built on the site of an ancient well, which was supposed to have been used by Saint Patrick himself. It's the National Cathedral of the Church of Ireland and the largest cathedral in the country. We didn't see inside either. Instead we had a nice rest in St Patrick’s Park, located just next to the cathedral, just like many other people.
We had lunch at Floritz, "a restaurant for the adventurous, in a house built by an adventurer." In the 18th century, he, a son of a tenant farmer, left Ireland and traveled India and the Far East, and many other countries. After returning to 22 St. Stephen’s Green, he built the townhouse in 1790, which today houses the restaurant. Once we entered the dining room, my eye was immediately drawn to the vivid exotic botanical-inspired wallpaper. According to Floriz, they are "an invitation to travel far, far away without leaving this handsome dining-room."
Based on those background and concept, their menu offers a contemporary, Asian-inspired menu. J had a Miso, Leek & Potato Soup soup with Wakame seaweed. I tasted it a bit. Miso was certainly used in it.
We ordered two kinds of Baos to share. One was Lamb Confit with spring onion and crispy shallot. The other was Mushroom (Hen of the Woods, also known as Maitake) with pickled Shimeji, puffed wild rice and whey sauce. Both were boldly flavored, a bit salty and spicy but very tasty!
We resumed our city tour. Dublin was definitely much larger than towns and villages we visited on the trip yet compact and walkable.
We stopped by Butlers Chocolates, a chocolate manufacture founded in Dublin in 1932. They operate several stores in Dublin. I didn't know the brand and I was simply curious about their products. I tried a piece of dark chocolate. Well, it was ok, not great in my honest opinion. Butlers Chocolates is supposed to be "Ireland's premier family-owned firm dedicated to the craft of exceptional chocolate-making." I thought we should give them another chance. We bought three mini chocolate bars to try at home.
Many cars, buses, and people were bustling around in the capital of Ireland. That reminded me that not only millions of cattle and sheep but also a good number of people exists in Ireland.
To be continued...
