Churches, statues, rivers of Guinness and ... U2!!

Departure and arrival in Dublin

We leave Friday afternoon for Bergamo and after an exhausting hour and a half of traffic on the Milan ring road, we manage to reach Orio al Serio airport. After more lines between check-in and baggage control, at 9:30 pm we manage to take off heading for Dublin, where we land at 10:45 pm local time!! Once in Dublin we collect our luggage and...another line for the TAXI!!... 20 minutes and we're at the hotel. I booked at the Adams Trinity Hotel...ideal for those who want to stay right in the city center... in 1 minute on foot we were at Temple Bar!!

Through the streets of Dublin

Wake up at 8:30...the first day of discovering Dublin awaits us!! First stop Christ Church Cathedral: it's the most imposing church in Dublin, in the heart of the medieval area; made of gray stone, it's a mix of styles ranging from Romanesque to Gothic. In its underground areas you can visit the crypt, which is the oldest structure in the city and houses the Treasury exhibition. The only sore point, which would repeat itself for other churches, is that admission is paid!! After leaving the church we head toward the center, crossing the River Liffey which cuts the city in 2! We immediately realize that here every pretext is good for erecting a statue...

wherever you turn you find a representation of some famous figure from the past or even ordinary people like the two ladies sitting on the bench with their shopping bags!! We begin the search for places of worship for U2 fans: from the shop from which BONO took his name, to the recording studios where there's the famous wall where fans can leave a mark of their passage. Next stop: Trinity College... unfortunately it starts raining seriously, but this doesn't stop us from taking a tour of Ireland's main university, which houses the city's most precious treasure: the Book of Kells, an illuminated manuscript dating back to 800 AD, considered one of the oldest books in the world.

After leaving Trinity College we decide to give ourselves a bit of time to enjoy a pint of Guinness in one of the many pubs that populate the city!! The day goes by quickly and after a quick dinner all that's left is to take a stroll in Temple Bar, stopping to watch the Scotland-Italy match in a crowded pub!!

Glendalough and Avoca

Before leaving I had looked into the possibility of taking an excursion outside Dublin for a taste of the Irish countryside!! And so at 9:45 we leave by bus from the center of Dublin for Glendalough, an ancient monastery that even today manages to maintain a magical atmosphere; it's one of the country's most important sites and became famous as a place of retreat for hermits. In the monastery there remain the ruins of a 10th-century round tower, the Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul, St. Kevin's Church, a masterpiece of stone, and the still-in-use cemetery where stone slabs and imposing Celtic crosses alternate. Near the monastery we were able to enjoy a breathtaking panorama enriched by splendid autumn colors... the monastery is in fact located in a valley next to two lakes.

Leaving the monastery behind us, we head toward Avoca, a charming town in County Wicklow where a famous English TV series, Ballykissangel, was filmed; in Avoca we had lunch and visited the famous Handweaver craft shop, considered the oldest textile establishment in Ireland... too bad it was raining a lot and we couldn't wander through the town's alleys. We get back on the bus to head to Dublin where, upon our arrival, after another tour of the center, all that's left is to have dinner and return to the hotel, also given the rain that was falling incessantly.

KILLINEY... Looking for BONO's house!!

Wake up, takeaway breakfast, and off in a rush to catch the train to Killiney to look for BONO's house!! The pretext of going to visit BONO's house also allows us to take a look at the south coast of Dublin.. after 20 minutes by train we arrive in Killiney... at the sea the wind blows heavily and the light drizzle doesn't make it easier to climb the hill where, from indiscreet sources, we knew we would find the entrance to BONO's villa...

and indeed after 10 minutes here we are in front of the gate seen many times on U2 fan sites!! The gate even opens to let a car in, but not a trace of the singer:o( A few ritual photos and we venture into a little alley next to the villa's walls, which takes us directly onto the beach!! The wind blows hard, the sea a bit rough and the gray clouds in the sky give the view a suggestive and typically Irish landscape!!! After "playing" a bit on the beach we decide to return to Dublin... Afternoon dedicated to shopping and visiting St. Stephen's Green...a park that very much recalls those in London... here too in fact ducks, geese and other water birds splash in the ponds. The park is also full of statues (strange...) and monuments, among them one dedicated to Sir Arthur Guinness and one to James Joyce. Passing through Marrion Square we come across the famous statue of Oscar Wilde.

In the evening the city comes alive with lights... Christmas seems to be around the corner!!

Last day!!

Last day in Dublin, but since our plane is in the late afternoon we can still enjoy the whole morning around the city... discovering places still unexplored.

First stop Dublin Castle...an 18th-century structure built on Norman and Viking foundations. Of the 13th-century Anglo-Norman fortress only the Record Tower has survived, while the most beautiful part of the castle is underground and consists of a portion of walls and the moat, unfortunately however not accessible. Next to the castle is the Chester Beatty Library, a museum displaying the fantastic collection of Sir Alfred Chester Beatty... New York mining magnate, traveler and collector who left all his treasures as a legacy to Ireland. After leaving Dublin Castle we head toward St. Patrick's Cathedral... which stands on one of the oldest Christian sites in the city. Admiring the interior of the Church, one can't help but be struck by the variety of objects, statues, effigies and flags found while walking through its naves...

Behind the church it's possible to admire a suggestive cemetery from which splendid Celtic crosses rise. Moving away from the cathedral we come across St. Audoen's Church, which we can only admire from the outside because it's closed. The vacation is coming to an end and all that's left is to have lunch, do a little last shopping and reflect on the fact that Ireland is definitely a country to discover and rediscover....!!!