Before we reached Dublin, we visited Glendalough, a monastic site in Co. Wicklow.  We had lunch and walked around the numerous trails. Although there were many different trails around the mountains, we were limited on where we could venture due to time constraints.

Glendalough offered many great photo opportunities though often people would walk into your shot. I really enjoy shooting scenic photos and this was a little frustrating to me but I had to switch gears because for the rest of the trip we were going to be in more populated areas.

As soon as we made our way to Dublin, I noticed there was a major landmark that we could use to find our way back to our hostel at night -- the River Liffey along which our Abby Hostel was located. The hostels took a little while to get used to. I was very clean and had its own shower and bathroom but our room had only enough floor space for two people to stand up. Still this was no problem: Rob, Sean, and myself enjoyed all the old fashion male bonding. Prior to our departure for Dublin, Discover Sligo’s Keith McNair cautioned us about how massive and busy the city can get at night, especially on the weekends. This was no understatement; during the day it was crowded but at night Dublin came alive with thousands of people up all hours of the night. Our first day in Dublin was full of anticipation; the change from scenic landscapes and small rural towns, to a capital city was very exciting for all of us. We set out early in the morning with a quick tour of Dublin, visiting Trinity College and the Book of Kells.

The Book of Kells Exhibit was a truly amazing: videos and pictures explained all of the hard work and detail it took to make this famous manuscript. Created by Celtic monks in AD 800, the book has survived from the Middle Ages. Displayed under a glass case, the Book of Kells' pages are turned one at a time to prevent deterioration.

During our free time there was an abundance of things to see and do. If you were planning on buying gifts for family members, Dublin is the place to do it. Although everything is very expensive, Dublin is full of upscale clothing shops, food courts, internet cafés, and one of my favorites, street entertainers. This was a great place to just walk around and take in all the scenery of this thriving city. Although this was a change from the more rural areas, the change offered a look at the thriving cities Ireland had to offer.

On the morning of the 25th we set of on a hop-on hop-off bus tour. The bus had many stops throughout Dublin, and I would suggest taking the tour loop one time to get a feel for the city's layout and to listen to the informative audio recordings. We learned later that some buses offer an audio recording while others have a guide explaining locations. This was a good experience if you can take it all in, and you don’t mind traveling in groups of other tourists. I enjoyed sitting on the top of the bus and taking pictures all around the city as we made our stops.

The only problem was that we had experienced a private tour of Ireland prior to our stay in Dublin, so Dublin busses felt more like a tourist trap. For example, the Guinness brewery was nothing more than a building made for tourist. All of the information is either presented in video format or read off of a poster; nothing in the building was actually being used for brewing. Although this was interesting, I really enjoyed the private tours where we got to spend with the McNair's. After taking the bus tour around the city one time we got off at the last stop and used a city map to walk around the city and see all of the stops. I felt like we got to see more and avoided some of the touristy stops, but the downside is your not taking in as much in-depth information, mostly just general facts. Although time would not allow you to stop at all of them, I would suggest planning out your stops beforehand; this way you can stop at the important locations and still get a chance to see what you want.

May 26th, our third full day in Dublin was dedicated to James Joyce. We set of early in the morning on foot to all of our Joyce stops. As we walked to the James Joyce Centre, we made small stops along the way discussing the different statues and locations in Dublin. Right outside Dublin Post Office is a statue of Jim Larkin. Also known as Big Jim, he stands reminding us of his work as a Irish trade union leader and social activist. Larkin is also the founder of the Irish Transport and General Workers' Union, the Irish Labor Party, and later the Workers' Union of Ireland.

The James Joyce centre of Dublin had a lot of information to offer, throughout the centre there were different rooms all set up in unique ways to present the information. Located in a restored Georgian house, the Centre contains items relating to Joyce and loads of information. One informative tool that stood out to me was a touch screen monitor that allowed you to locate, view, and learn about all the different aspects of Ulysses. Dedicated to the understanding of James Joyce's life and works, The James Joyce Centre in Dublin offered a very detailed look into who Joyce was.



After our stop at the James Joyce Centre we made our way to the Garden of Remembrance. The Garden of Remembrance opened in 1966 and it holds "the Children of Lir" statue symbolizing rebirth and resurrection. In 1976 a contest was held to find a poem which could express the appreciation and inspiration of this struggle for freedom. The contest winner, poem "We Saw a Vision" written by Dublin born author Liam Mac Uistin, is displayed in Irish, French, and English on the stone wall of the monument


After a few exciting days in Dublin we were getting excited to switch gears and begin the Italy portion of our trip.