Col and I got back from Ireland on Thursday night and things have pretty much boiled down to a madhouse of catching up since then, so I’m not going to write too much about what we visited and ate, as much as offer a synopsis accompanied by links…. so here it is:
For the second day of our trip – day one was spent napping and driving around the countryside – we visited Trinity College, the Book of Kells, and the Museum of Archaeology (apparently the medieval Irish spent a great deal of their time either burying their gold in bogs or getting themselves buried in them.) The first place we ate was Munchies which is a favorite of Col’s for coffee, sandwiches, and snacks. They can be expensive but they’re worth it – I recommend the breakfast sausage and egg sandwich with tomato relish (yum!) They also do wonderful lattes and are a cosy haven from the misty, gray bustle of the street. We ended the day with a tour of the National Gallery and some take out fish and chips.
On day three we explored Collin’s Barracks (now the museum of decorative arts and history) and then trudged up to the Guinness storehouse for a tour and a pint. Following a long walk back to Grafton Street (but alas, too tired to shop) we headed home to tidy up and then back out for dinner with Col’s brother Peter and his fiance Irene, plus Rob, whose father was apparently Father Ted (who knew?) to a great little French place called Chez Max where I proceeded to gorge myself on quail and skate wings with brown butter and almonds and creme brulee… sigh….
On Sunday we drove down to Glendalough and stopped on the way back up at Avoca Handweavers for some tea and cake. Later that night we drove into Greystones and had a glass of wine at The Hungry Monk, which, along with a near-perfect Pinot grigio, has about the nicest date atmosphere you could ask for.
We drove down through Co. Kilkenny on Monday en route to Jerpoint Abbey (beautiful and very interesting site) but were slightly surprised by the general calm, considering the fact that Kilkenny had won all-Ireland hurling the day before (at least there were banners everywhere). That night, Patricia’s chicken pie (see recipe page) made it to it’s 3rd continent, with excellent results! (n.b. hearts of palm are nowhere to be found in Ireland but artichoke works in a pinch).
On Tuesday we supped with the whole family at Mao on Peter’s recommendation. The appetizers were nice and light and my Korean Fire Beef about did me in, but it was a great little place, as well as much cheaper than the majority of places around Dublin.
Wednesday was spent shopping and having one last wander around the city. Here are two more places you absolutely have to try in Dublin: Bewley’s Oriental Cafe, a relic of proper Victorian cafes with balconies and velvet seat cushions (http://bewleyscafe.com/) and Butler’s chocolates (http://www.butlerschocolates.com/) for, well, obvious reasons…
I also found a great coat at Zara for fairly cheap (yay!). Visit flickr for the pictures of everything mentioned above and then some!
Gobbling Market 