Dublin

Final stop of the trip, before heading back to Paris, and so many things to be seen...

Looks like Dublin was the capital city of Sweden for the week end, with thousands of Swedish supporters that flew there for the match against Ireland.

Time to try the local specialties, with a visit of the Jameson distillery (really interesting), the Guinness storehouse (don't go there if you happen to be in Dublin, basically you pay 16,5 euros for a beer and the access to the shop where they sell all their goodies, there is absolutely nothing to be seen in the building), and an Irish stew and cider in a pub while watching the football match.

The best visit of the day was Trinity College, with a guided tour directed by one their student (everyone had a blast, it was a lot funnier than what you could expect), their building dedicated to geology (5th picture below) and the Old Library with the famous Book of Kells, written by the monks in the 9th century.

 Add to this the Christchurch and St Patrick cathedrals, the Dublinia attraction, which gives explanations about the Vikings who ruled the city during a few centuries and the Museum of Archeaology, and it is time to go back to the hostel, because everything is closed by now and I am completely exhausted.

 

After one week waiting to get a glimpse of the Irish rain, here it comes, on my way to the airport, just in time.

Farewell Ireland, you can trust I will be back, again...

From Mullingar to Dublin

This is going to be another long day on the road, starting with the Wicklow Moutains and the monastic site Glendalough. Definitely a highlight of the trip.

Then the Boyne valley, with Trim and its castle, which was used in Braveheart (most of the Braveheart filming locations are in this valley: Bective Abbey, Saint Nicholas Church...). Outside the castle walls was transformed into the 13th century city of York which was besieged by William Wallace. The keep inside the walls became the Tower of London where he was executed in 1305.

Then Newgrange, constructed over 5,000 years ago (about 3,200 B.C.), making it older than Stonehenge in England and the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt. Newgrange was built during the Neolithic or New Stone Age by a farming community that prospered on the rich lands of the Boyne Valley.
Archaeologists classified Newgrange as a passage tomb, however Newgrange is now recognised to be much more than a passage tomb. Ancient Temple is a more fitting classification, a place of astrological, spiritual, religious and ceremonial importance, much as present day cathedrals are places of prestige and worship where dignitaries may be laid to rest.