After a full day of sightseeing in Cork on Wednesday with Irish Day Tours, I was tired and decided to stick around Dublin for a bit. So on Thursday, after having a quick breakfast with Greg, I walked over the the National Museum of Ireland, also known by locals as the “Dead Zoo.” The ground floor is all birds and animals you can find in Ireland, which was interesting to see. I was especially fascinated by these (now extinct) Giant Irish Deer.
Then there were three more floors of animals, though the top two were closed, sadly. As much as I enjoyed the animal exhibits, I definitely wouldn’t want to be here alone or after dark!
Then I headed over to the National Gallery of Art.
And lastly, I went to the Archaeology Museum.
All three of these wonderful museums were FREE! They were a great way to spend an afternoon.
Greg and his coworkers were having another dinner meetup and I was invited, so we all ate together at a restaurant called “The Bank” which was located, I’m sure you can guess, in an old bank. It was a beautiful place and had a pianist playing dinner music. Below is the fantastic ceiling of the building.
Friday was another low-key day exploring Dublin. I am definitely missing the girls more and more each day. I see things around the city that I think they might like and it makes me miss them more. (The seahorses below, for example. Or the snails we’ve found, the unfamiliar birds I hear, etc.)
Greg took a quick tour at Dublinia while waiting for me to return from a hop-on bus tour.
It was Culture Night in Dublin, which meant even more live music and fun in Temple Bar and on Grafton Street. Apparently, the Irish Garda even have a band. I love this city so much! Also, more people sing along with the street musicians, which I love. Lots of tourists, too, so that we are constantly surrounded by people speaking many different languages. It is just beautiful. Such a delightful city.
Dublin Castle. We didn’t get to go inside, but the outside was impressive!
The street names can be pretty fun. Our AirBnb apartment is right around the corner from Cows Lane! All street signs are in Gaelic and English.
Greg pointed out how we just see more people singing here, whether that just be randomly on the street or singing along with street performers. I love it!
