Dublin 1.11.2012

Today is really quite cold and windy, waiting for the Hop On Hop Off bus was not a great experience !! To start with the bus was 15 mins late, then it drove to the next stop, where everyone had to leave the bus and we were told that the next bus would be about 4 mins, if we walked 50 mtrs. After waiting for another 15mins, the very same bus, but with a different driver picked us up - there were some very unhappy people !!
Our first place to visit was Trinity College and the Book of Kell's - wow !! Absolutely amazing !! the exhibition and description of how, when & why the Book of Kells was made was excellent. The video of how books were bound was really interesting. Such a painstaking job. Then to the Long Room, which houses 20,000 ancient books. It is actually still a working Library, but by appointment only. In the grounds of the college, there were many students dressed in cap and gown who had just graduated.
Back on the bus for the short trip to Dublin Castle, the only remaining original part is the Gate. Then to Dublin Town Hall, which had a great photographic exhibition of Dublin through the Ages. Next stop was Christ Church Cathedral. Construction was started in 1172 by Strongbow, whose tomb is in the Cathedral. The Crypt, contains among other things a 15th Century lectern, and a mummified cat and rat that had been caught in the organ pipes !
Then to St. Patrick's Cathedral, which dates back to 1220.
By this time the weather had taken a real turn for the worse, so it was back on the bus and back to the hotel. We spent the evening at the Castle Hotel, restaurant, "The Vault" listening to Traditional Irish music by Catherine & Dino.