We had breakfast at the castle and began our journey eastbound toward Dublin, on the complete opposite side of the country. Although we kept getting stuck behind trucks and slowed down by traffic circles for our initial part of the drive, eventually we ended up on a proper highway and we made good time toward Dublin. It was unusual to be driving at such speed, or for that matter to see lots of cars. From my previous trip to Ireland, I recall lots of traffic in the Dublin area, so I consider us fortunate to have avoided the bulk of it, though we did take a ring rode around Dublin and ended up on a peninsula to the east in an area called Howth.
Nicole and I conferred and agreed that we didn’t really have anything we wanted to see or do in Dublin’s city center, so we decided to spend our time in Howth, a coastal community that appears to be very “well-heeled,” as the expression goes. We are staying in a B&B that seems like something out of Pride & Prejudice. The ceilings are very high, and the decorations are certainly from a different era (though in the case of our bathroom, that era is the 1970s). Our B&B is close to a coastal cliff walk, which loops around the peninsula. After we got settled into our room, we headed out on the cliff walk. Initially it was fine, but we rounded a corner and the wind was straight into our faces at perhaps 40mph. We braved it for a spell, but then agreed that it wasn’t worth continuing into the gale. We returned to the B&B to debate our next plan of action and decided upon tea and scones to warm up. I found a tea room in town a few minutes away and we parked on the side of the street nearby. What would have been two parking spots in the United States was somehow five here outside Dublin with one gentleman somehow creating a spot behind mine for his tiny hatchback.
We enjoyed our tea and scones (and warming up) before going on a short drive up the coast to look at another lighthouse from above. The sun was just beginning to set and it created very nice light on the area, but it was also insanely windy again, so we went back to the room to warm up again. After debating a place to eat, we settled on the Abbey Tavern down the street. I suggested we walk instead of drive, as I didn’t want to deal with the tight parallel parking on a hill with a manual car with right-hand drive. (But I would like a round of applause and appreciation for doing just that earlier in the afternoon) It was a bit chilly, but not nearly as windy as earlier. The crowd at the Abbey was discernibly older. That being said, we had initially been slightly concerned about being able to find a place to eat for Valentine’s Day, but while it is a holiday that is acknowledged here, it does not appear to be nearly as commercialized as back in the states. We got a table for two without incident.
Nicole had another beef and Guinness pie (with Guinness to wash it down of course) whilst I had some fish and chips and Beamish stout. I now smell like fish and smoke. Every place we go, they have a real fireplace, and while it does create nice ambiance and a relaxing atmosphere, it does get quite smoky in the rooms. It has given me a bit of a cough as well. On our way back to the room, we stop at a small market to buy some bottles of water and a small container of chocolates (as I am quite the romantic). We spent the rest of the evening relaxing and looking out the windows of our room at the coastal lights reflecting off the water.
Nicole and I conferred and agreed that we didn’t really have anything we wanted to see or do in Dublin’s city center, so we decided to spend our time in Howth, a coastal community that appears to be very “well-heeled,” as the expression goes. We are staying in a B&B that seems like something out of Pride & Prejudice. The ceilings are very high, and the decorations are certainly from a different era (though in the case of our bathroom, that era is the 1970s). Our B&B is close to a coastal cliff walk, which loops around the peninsula. After we got settled into our room, we headed out on the cliff walk. Initially it was fine, but we rounded a corner and the wind was straight into our faces at perhaps 40mph. We braved it for a spell, but then agreed that it wasn’t worth continuing into the gale. We returned to the B&B to debate our next plan of action and decided upon tea and scones to warm up. I found a tea room in town a few minutes away and we parked on the side of the street nearby. What would have been two parking spots in the United States was somehow five here outside Dublin with one gentleman somehow creating a spot behind mine for his tiny hatchback.
We enjoyed our tea and scones (and warming up) before going on a short drive up the coast to look at another lighthouse from above. The sun was just beginning to set and it created very nice light on the area, but it was also insanely windy again, so we went back to the room to warm up again. After debating a place to eat, we settled on the Abbey Tavern down the street. I suggested we walk instead of drive, as I didn’t want to deal with the tight parallel parking on a hill with a manual car with right-hand drive. (But I would like a round of applause and appreciation for doing just that earlier in the afternoon) It was a bit chilly, but not nearly as windy as earlier. The crowd at the Abbey was discernibly older. That being said, we had initially been slightly concerned about being able to find a place to eat for Valentine’s Day, but while it is a holiday that is acknowledged here, it does not appear to be nearly as commercialized as back in the states. We got a table for two without incident.
Nicole had another beef and Guinness pie (with Guinness to wash it down of course) whilst I had some fish and chips and Beamish stout. I now smell like fish and smoke. Every place we go, they have a real fireplace, and while it does create nice ambiance and a relaxing atmosphere, it does get quite smoky in the rooms. It has given me a bit of a cough as well. On our way back to the room, we stop at a small market to buy some bottles of water and a small container of chocolates (as I am quite the romantic). We spent the rest of the evening relaxing and looking out the windows of our room at the coastal lights reflecting off the water.
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