In my last trip for a while, S and I spent a weekend in Dublin after my weeklong work trip in the city. The weekend was pretty near perfect - a bit of city and a bit of the stunning countryside, with some tasty bites in between.
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During the week, I stayed at the cozy Cliff Townhouse at St Stephen's Green. The guestrooms have a lot of character and the staff was extremely friendly. My rate (EUR 115/night) included a large breakfast in the dining room overlooking the Green. The only downside was there were a lot of stairs to climb - the elevators only go to half-floors. The location is superb - three blocks to Grafton Street, easy access to taxis and the Luas Green Line.
For the weekend, we moved into the Conrad Hilton, just a few blocks off the Green, on the other side. I combined Hilton points with euros for a manageable EUR 66/night, and walked into the gorgeous lobby and well-designed guestroom. With my Diamond status came a room with a view of the concert hall across the street, fresh fruit in the room, and a little welcome note -I'm going to miss that status once it's gone! In the morning, they offered a seemingly endless breakfast buffet. Both hotels offered a traditional Irish breakfast along with the usual continental favorites.
During the week, I window-shopped along Grafton Street and wandered through the Jervis Centre and other stores on Henry Street. Though I never made it, I was told the Hairy Lemon and the Palace Bar (in Temple Bar) are great evening spots. Instead of a Friday evening in the city though, I went for a fabulous Indian dinner at Ananda in Dundrum after walking through the shopping centre.
Saturday was a great day for exploring Wicklow County - just south of Dublin and featuring a gorgeous coastline. It reminded me of Northern CA, right down to the way the homes were designed. We drove to Killiney, made a pit stop outside Bono's house in Dalkey (and then mini-celeb-stalked him and the Edge in Dalkey Village, thanks to a fellow photographer's tip), and drove by Enya's castle. After walking along the coast for a bit and going to the Forty Foot at Sandy Cove, a famous (and currently frigid) swimming hole in the Irish sea. Finally, we headed to the Powerscourt Estate for a walk through the perfectly manicured gardens (including an extensive pet cemetary and beautiful Japanese garden) and lunch in the cafe. We drove back through the village (in search of one last Bono sighting opportunity) and grabbed a drink at his regular pub in the area, Finnegans. Though we were sadly too full to eat, the Greenhouse and the Farm were highly recommended for a special occasion night out back in Dublin city.
Sunday was spent in the city, exploring the campus of Trinity College. Though the Science Gallery was closed, it looked like an interesting spot. Instead, we went to Kilkennys in search of Irish linen and other items to take home with us, before warming up with a hot chocolate at Bewleys. We wandered through the historic Powerscourt Townhouse shopping centre, and then it was back to the hotel to check out, head home, and think about when we could plan our next trip to Ireland!
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During the week, I stayed at the cozy Cliff Townhouse at St Stephen's Green. The guestrooms have a lot of character and the staff was extremely friendly. My rate (EUR 115/night) included a large breakfast in the dining room overlooking the Green. The only downside was there were a lot of stairs to climb - the elevators only go to half-floors. The location is superb - three blocks to Grafton Street, easy access to taxis and the Luas Green Line.
For the weekend, we moved into the Conrad Hilton, just a few blocks off the Green, on the other side. I combined Hilton points with euros for a manageable EUR 66/night, and walked into the gorgeous lobby and well-designed guestroom. With my Diamond status came a room with a view of the concert hall across the street, fresh fruit in the room, and a little welcome note -I'm going to miss that status once it's gone! In the morning, they offered a seemingly endless breakfast buffet. Both hotels offered a traditional Irish breakfast along with the usual continental favorites.During the week, I window-shopped along Grafton Street and wandered through the Jervis Centre and other stores on Henry Street. Though I never made it, I was told the Hairy Lemon and the Palace Bar (in Temple Bar) are great evening spots. Instead of a Friday evening in the city though, I went for a fabulous Indian dinner at Ananda in Dundrum after walking through the shopping centre.
Saturday was a great day for exploring Wicklow County - just south of Dublin and featuring a gorgeous coastline. It reminded me of Northern CA, right down to the way the homes were designed. We drove to Killiney, made a pit stop outside Bono's house in Dalkey (and then mini-celeb-stalked him and the Edge in Dalkey Village, thanks to a fellow photographer's tip), and drove by Enya's castle. After walking along the coast for a bit and going to the Forty Foot at Sandy Cove, a famous (and currently frigid) swimming hole in the Irish sea. Finally, we headed to the Powerscourt Estate for a walk through the perfectly manicured gardens (including an extensive pet cemetary and beautiful Japanese garden) and lunch in the cafe. We drove back through the village (in search of one last Bono sighting opportunity) and grabbed a drink at his regular pub in the area, Finnegans. Though we were sadly too full to eat, the Greenhouse and the Farm were highly recommended for a special occasion night out back in Dublin city.
Sunday was spent in the city, exploring the campus of Trinity College. Though the Science Gallery was closed, it looked like an interesting spot. Instead, we went to Kilkennys in search of Irish linen and other items to take home with us, before warming up with a hot chocolate at Bewleys. We wandered through the historic Powerscourt Townhouse shopping centre, and then it was back to the hotel to check out, head home, and think about when we could plan our next trip to Ireland!
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