HOPPING ON AND OFF IN DUBLIN. . . .

No matter how much time one schedules for a travel destination, it always seems there is never enough time to do and see everything on the planned list. That happens to me all the time. But it's okay. . . because sometimes schedule flexibility is important. If you're not flexible you might miss something you wish you hadn't. When that happens to me my pat answer to myself is, "I will return" (my mantra), and I really hope that I will some day to see those things I didn't before.

I took a fancy to Dublin, the largest city in Ireland. It definitely bustles, however, my experience is people here always have time to smile; and they love to be helpful. If you're standing on the footpath (sidewalk) looking up one way and down the other, appearing perplexed, it's not unusual for a local to come up to you and ask if they can help.

Norm and I decided to stretch our time in Dublin by opting to buy a day ticket on the Hop- On/Hop-Off double decker bus that rolls around Dublin. Actually, a whole fleet of busses roll around Dublin all day and into the evening. You just hop off wherever you would like to go; and then hop back on when you want at any of their bus stops, riding on to your next choice of site. It's an efficient way to see lots of the city. The Hop-On/Hop-Off franchise exists in many travel locations, both U.S. and abroad.

Our first Hop-Off was near Suffolk Street, where we searched for the statue of sweet Molly Malone. Molly Malone is a fictional tale about the young Molly of Dublin who was a fishmonger by day and, well, let's say. . . a part-time lady-of-the-night. She died young of a fever but will be remembered by her statue and forever by her song:

                                           "In Dublin's Fair City
                                            Where the girls are so pretty
                                             I first set my eyes on sweet Molly Malone
                                            As she wheeled her wheelbarrow
                                            Through the streets broad and narrow
                                            Crying "cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh"

(By the way, this is referred to as a "handsy" statue. Can you guess why?)

Back on the bus, our next Hop-Off was at Kilmainham Gaol (jail).

Built in 1796, this former prison is now a museum. It hasn't been used as a prison since 1924. It housed men, women, and children as young as five. The men had better accommodations than the women. The men had some semblance of a bed, but women slept on the floor which is also where the children slept. During the potato famine, there were those who might intentionally steal so they could be sent to jail where they would be fed daily.

Many Irish revolutionaries were jailed here including the leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising. This is also where the Rising revolutionaries were executed.

The Main Hall

Solitary Confinement

Penthouse?

For those of you who are Downton Abbey fans, upon my walking into this prison, it reminded me of the one where Mr. Bates did his time. It isn't though.  Mr. Bates' prison was in a castle in England. However, U2 made a video in the jail some years back. Check YouTube for that.

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Our last Hop-Off was near Grafton Street, an upscale retail heaven, which has been ranked the thirteenth most expensive shopping street in the world. High-end boutiques, bars, restaurants, and hotels abound along with a variety of street performers.

On an adjacent street in the Grafton environs is the bookshop below, a rare bookseller,  which I hear is currently selling signed copies of all the Harry Potter books. I didn't have time to wander in, so I can't verify. But their website is aglow with a variety of first editions and other special finds for serious book collectors. 

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After this great day in Dublin, it was off to our local pub (in this case, the one next to our hotel), named the Bleeding Horse--interesting name. There was no bleeding horse inside, but they had great burgers and chips (thick French fried potatoes). It is where I grew fond of a local brew called Blarney Blonde--kind of like drinking a cup of herbal tea, only cold.

                                                                                         

                                                                                   

Where would we be without flowers?