Friday:
After the Guinness wore off, we strolled along a street near Trinity College (where we stayed for the weekend) and stuffed our faces with burgers + rosemary french fries at GBK, served by the hippest, most Irish waiter with crazy, flippy, red hair. We then got our dorm assignments at the college, which is located at the city center. Our rooms were beautiful and organized in groups of five like big, old, downtown apartments. The major buildings of campus face inward, ensuring a truly collegiate atmosphere. The columns on the chapel, the campanile, and the cobblestone paths that outlined the large, open square at the campus' center made it feel as though we were walking in a Roman forum.
We had barely digested our lunch when we followed our trusty Stevens to dinner at Dobby's, a wine bar tucked away from the Dublin hoopla on a narrow side street. It was there that I had the best lamb of my life - without a doubt. In fact, it may just be the best meat dish I have ever had in my entire life...ever. My near-perfect meal consisted of:
-a chicken and pear salad, topped with cranberries, parmesan cheese, and balsamic dressing
-rump of slaney valley lamb, scanted with cumin and Tuscany olive oil, ratatouille caviar, & gratin dauphinois
-baked lemon tart + raspberry coulis
-La Joya white
Rolling out of the restaurant utterly satisfied, we made our way toward the Temple Bar district of Dublin (named after the famed Temple Bar). Because of the Notre Dame v. Navy game, the bustling city was extra bustling. We tried three pubs and found that the "scene" was, in fact, quite different than that of Oxford. There was live, Irish music (plus some fantastic renditions of Beatles hits and pop songs of the nineties) at every pub and the music oozed onto the streets, much like the people. The pubs were busting at the seams but people did not mind a bit, nor did they mind socializing outside under the moonlight. Just strolling among the bars was entertainment enough. Despite the large crowds and the lively music, the sense of excitement was not necessarily one of urgency, but was surpassingly relaxed and simply jovial. Boy, do those Irish know what they're doing.
Saturday:
We started our day off viewing the Book of Kells and "The Long Room" of the Trinity College Library. The Book of Kells was created by Celtic monks and is a masterpiece of Medieval art. It contains the four gospels written in excellent Latin and insular script, featuring fantastically decorative illustrations. It was so cool seeing this lasting work up close after studying it in art history classes. The craftsmanship and dedication displayed by the monks was tangible and I could feel the respect they gave to their work. However, I enjoyed the Long Room even more. It is a "legal deposit" and is legally entitled to receive a copy of every book published in Ireland and the UK (although, I believe this means many, many books must be stored elsewhere). The space itself was quite regal - especially thanks to the series of busts of legendary scholars - and made me want to dive into studies. And, reading about the development of the library's catalogue system and librarian positions was fascinating.
We had a delicious lunch (butternut squash soup + chocolate cake) at the National Gallery and viewed some of the museum's greatest masterpieces, as the works are consolidated into only a few showrooms while the gallery undergoes construction. The remodeling is scheduled to last a few years and at first came as a disappointment, but then a relief. When you are doing a city in essentially a day, it can be rather daunting making your way through all the major tourist sites, so it was nice to see an abbreviated version of the gallery. Unfortunately for me (since I am neither Irish [I don't think?] nor was I feeling keen on shopping), my girlfriends were determined to shop for some thoroughly Irish souvenirs (I was with a Bailey, an O'Sullivan, and a Mullen...). I did, however, talk them into visiting St. Patrick's Cathedral and eventually wandered around alone for a bit (don't worry, not too far), soaking in my surroundings and purchasing a compilation album of Irish tunes at a Celtic music store.
That evening, Emily, Brenna, and I dined at a Spanish-Italian fusion restaurant and ran into a bunch of ES friends in the Temple Bar area. We tried out more pubs (and revisited our favorite from the night before) and watched local girls take dozens of photographs with the American sailors in uniform. We opted for chatting up locals instead.
Saturday:
We started our day off viewing the Book of Kells and "The Long Room" of the Trinity College Library. The Book of Kells was created by Celtic monks and is a masterpiece of Medieval art. It contains the four gospels written in excellent Latin and insular script, featuring fantastically decorative illustrations. It was so cool seeing this lasting work up close after studying it in art history classes. The craftsmanship and dedication displayed by the monks was tangible and I could feel the respect they gave to their work. However, I enjoyed the Long Room even more. It is a "legal deposit" and is legally entitled to receive a copy of every book published in Ireland and the UK (although, I believe this means many, many books must be stored elsewhere). The space itself was quite regal - especially thanks to the series of busts of legendary scholars - and made me want to dive into studies. And, reading about the development of the library's catalogue system and librarian positions was fascinating.
We had a delicious lunch (butternut squash soup + chocolate cake) at the National Gallery and viewed some of the museum's greatest masterpieces, as the works are consolidated into only a few showrooms while the gallery undergoes construction. The remodeling is scheduled to last a few years and at first came as a disappointment, but then a relief. When you are doing a city in essentially a day, it can be rather daunting making your way through all the major tourist sites, so it was nice to see an abbreviated version of the gallery. Unfortunately for me (since I am neither Irish [I don't think?] nor was I feeling keen on shopping), my girlfriends were determined to shop for some thoroughly Irish souvenirs (I was with a Bailey, an O'Sullivan, and a Mullen...). I did, however, talk them into visiting St. Patrick's Cathedral and eventually wandered around alone for a bit (don't worry, not too far), soaking in my surroundings and purchasing a compilation album of Irish tunes at a Celtic music store.
That evening, Emily, Brenna, and I dined at a Spanish-Italian fusion restaurant and ran into a bunch of ES friends in the Temple Bar area. We tried out more pubs (and revisited our favorite from the night before) and watched local girls take dozens of photographs with the American sailors in uniform. We opted for chatting up locals instead.
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