Ireland

Merrion Square in Dublin, Ireland

Merrion Square in Dublin, Ireland is one of those places you can go to get a break from the hustle and bustle of dealing with the city. It’s a lovely park with tons of trees and grass, and you can stroll down the pathways while enjoying the quiet. It’s amazing how much noise you don’t hear from the streets which border the park.

I sorta kinda followed this dad and his son for a bit because they were so cute together. They ended up in the playground but I didn’t follow them there because I didn’t want the dad to think I was a perv since I was taking shots of him and his son.

There is a playground for children inside Merrion Square that may be a little wet because it rains so much in the city but I don’t think the kids mind at all.

Do you know who this handsome fellow is? Oscar Wilde. Do you know much about him? You may have heard of his masterpiece, Dorian Gray.

This marble column (there are two in total but I only snapped one) is right across from the Oscar Wilde statue and is filled with his quotes. His quotes are known worldwide!

Can’t you see yourself walking down these pathways, enjoying the views?

You should have seen me trying to get this picture. I was squatting down, trying to shield my phone from the rain with my umbrella while trying to keep my purse from touching the ground and keeping my hand steady to get the shot.

I almost never take pictures of myself but someone asked me if I wanted them to take my picture so I said, “Why not?” Those are earmuffs on my ears, it was chilly. And those are the one pair of boots I brought on this two day jaunt.

Merrion Square is on the southeast part of the city and would be a lovely way to spend a few minutes or a couple of hours, just relaxing and taking in the scenery.

Have you been to Dublin? Is it someplace you are interested in?

Day Tour From Dublin, Ireland

Do you take day tours? I took one when I was in Dublin and it was lovely. However, for the past week I have been under the weather, and today is no exception. I have had a headache that I can’t seem to shake so I won’t be able to write much because I just don’t have the energy but I want to share with you a few pictures from that tour.

I realized there are so many pictures I haven’t shared with you yet! I’m so sorry. Anyway, here are a few I took when I was on my tour with Paddywagon Tours. Since I was there for a blogging conference I was able to take a tour free of charge but if I had to pay I totally would. It was a great tour but I’ll tell you more about that later. Anyway, here are a few pics from that trip. Enjoy and I’ll be back with you tomorrow.

Do you take tours when you are on vacation?

Dining In Dublin, Ireland – WJ Kavanagh

If you find yourself in Dublin, Ireland, you may want to try this restaurant. It’s not in the center of town but the good thing about Dublin is it’s not that big and very easy to get around. You can walk or hop in a taxi or a bus and make your way here. We were staying in an airbnb apartment rental not far and the woman we rented from told us about this place. I doubt it will be in a tourist book but it’s totally worth visiting. The food was very tasty, the service was good, and the bathrooms were clean (I check bathrooms when I go to restaurants. I don’t know why, I just do).

Spring salad

Bangers and mash.

Steak sandwich

Eton mess (fruit and cream).

Irish coffee (of course!)

Does this look like the kind of place you would enjoy?

WJ Kavanagh

4 & 5 Lower Dorset Street

Dublin, Ireland

hello@wjkavanaghs.com

Beer In Vending Machines In Dublin, Ireland

I love it when I see something that surprises me when I travel and I was not at all expecting to see beer in a vending machine when I was in Dublin a few months ago. Have you ever seen anything like this? This was in the lobby of Bewley’s Hotel (I’ll blog about that later. It was a very nice stay). Each beer was 5 Euro so it wasn’t cheap but very convenient if you want to get something to drink before you go up to your room. Apparently this is very normal in Japan but this is the first time I had ever seen anything like this.

I have never had Ginger Beer, have you? And of course there was Guinness!

Have you ever seen beer in a vending machine? Would you buy one?

Please Don't Read Your Map This Way While Traveling

Hi there! Well, I’m still in Dublin and all is very well. I was trying to figure out what to tell you about today when I passed by my window and saw these two girls standing on the street corner doing exactly what I have said in my daily travel tips isn’t the best thing to do.

Why, you may ask? Well, there is absolutely nothing wrong with looking at a map. I do it all the time. However, if you need to hold the whole map out in order to get your bearings, I think it’s better to go into a shop, a store or even sit on a bench in a park. By standing on a corner this way, these girls are telling everyone who sees them that they are tourists.

Granted, people here in Dublin are extremely nice and I don’t think anything bad will happen to them. In fact, someone will probably come along and ask them if they need help! People here are lovely. But I digress.

You want to be as safe as possible while you travel and by opening up your map like this tells everyone way too much about you. Even though most people are lovely, there are those that prey on tourists and you never want to give those derelicts of society more information than necessary. Does that make sense? From time to time we all need to look at a map, I have done it several times. I normally pop into a shop or even into a small alcove off the street so that I’m not so obvious to all those around me. But I do not stand on the street holding it in both hands, I think it has the potential to be dangerous.

What do you think? Please let me know in the comments below! I hope you come back tomorrow, there should be another post waiting for you. Oh, and if you like this post, I won’t be mad if you share it on social media.

Roni Faida

Public Transportation From Dublin Airport

When I was in Dublin the last time I told you about Aircoach which is a great option for getting into the city. That information is still valid but I wanted to give you a couple more public transportation options.

There are two public busses that will get you into the center of town, the #16 and #41. The #16 takes longer (about an hour depending on traffic) but it comes more frequently. The #41 takes half the time but doesn’t seem to come as often. You can access the busses once you exit the international terminal. You follow the signs and once you are outside, cross over the street then go to your left. Follow the covered pathway until you see the bus you want.

The #16 and the #41 leave from the same bus stop. I’m sorry I don’t have more pictures for you but it was raining really hard and I wasn’t in a position to take out my camera and take pictures.

You can buy your ticket on the bus but it will cost a bit more so if you can, buy your ticket before you get on the bus. There are ticket machines before you get on the bus, make sure to have a few local coins and small bills as the machines don’t take credit cards.

Thanks for reading and I’ll talk to you tomorrow, ok?

Roni Faida