One...Two...Three...ROAR!!!!!!!

One thing we made sure of when making our reservations, was to have breakfast included.

Fill up on a big breakfast, have a light lunch and a good dinner. 

 The Blarney Inn was connected to our hotel, and that is where we had breakfast every morning.

A good hearty breakfast.

The Purdys were not terribly impressed with the black pudding.......or the white pudding for that matter!  Jessica really wasn't impressed when she found out what it was made from!!!

After hiking back up the mountainous stairs to our room, we prepared to head out for the day.

I really wish I had taken a picture of the stairs, anyone reading this would think we were wimps.  But, these stairs were not for the faint of heart.  At the end of the day you would stand at the bottom, give a sigh, take a deep breath, put your head down, and up you would go.  Sam, of course, did not mind the stairs.  He would stand at the top calling down echoing words of encouragement.

"Come on Mummsy!!  You can do it!  Do it!!!  Do it!!!"

Our first adventure of the day was participating in a 

Viking Splash Tour

This video is not of us, but gives you an idea of the ride.

The guy that is teaching everyone to roar in the beginning, was our guide, Patrick.

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Two of the most roguish looking characters I have ever seen.

 I am the only one in the bunch that wore my viking helmet for nearly the entire tour.
I only removed it in the end because it kept getting blown off.

 Sam did wear his knit Viking hat, so that counts......

 Unfortunately, we did not have any goats on hand.

Patrick was our Viking guide.

We passed by this statue on the tour, but we also walked by it several times.
Any guesses as to who she is??

"In Dublin's fair city,

Where the girls are so pretty,

I first set my eyes on sweet Molly Malone,

As she wheeled her wheel-barrow,

Through streets broad and narrow,

Crying, "Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh!"

"Alive, alive, oh,

Alive, alive, oh,"

Crying "Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh"

Georgian Row

 

 Street entrance to Dublin Castle

 This statue of Lady Justice at Dublin Castle is interesting because she is not blindfolded and is admiring her sword. She is also facing inwards towards the castle,  not outwards facing the people.

There seemed to be a cathedral around every corner.
They were all beautiful. 

 

 Swans were blocking our way into the River Liffey..

 Jessie's flaps are up.

 

In we go.

 

U2's recording studio.

Our guide, Patrick, did not seem to have a high opinion of Bono.

Why would we think this you ask????  Because of this joke and comment that he shared.

"What is the difference between God and Bono?  God does not think he is Bono."

He pointed out some extremely expensive apartments on the opposite side of the river to the recording studios.  He said that Bono lived there and could walk to work.......right across the water.

This looked like fun, but a little to chilly this time of year for me!!

Ha' Penny Bridge. 

After the Viking tour, we went for a stroll through St. Stephen's Green.  A huge park in the center of Dublin.  It was very beautiful.

 

We then took of walking through the streets of Dublin to see the Book of Kells at Trinity College.

Trinity College

Book of Kells exhibit

 We grabbed a light lunch at the college and then did a bit of exploring and shopping before the streets got crazy at rush hour.
Sam never gave up on his search for escalators.  There was a shortage of escalators in Ireland.  But, if they were there, Sam had a knack of spying them........even if they were waaaay at the back of the store hidden by a wall.........Sam would still find them!!
We did have one moment of complete panic.
The streets were shoulder to shoulder packed with people.  Cars were zooming by at a break neck speed.  All of a sudden Sam was nowhere to be seen.  Jim went one way down the street and I went the other.  We found him fairly quickly, but not nearly quickly enough for me!!  Sam informed me that he wasn't lost, that he knew exactly where he was.

We ate at the Blarney Inn.
I had a fantastic stew.
Jim and Jessica had Flintstone steaks - not their real name, but the Flintstone's theme should have played when they came out.
Sam had chicken strips and fries.

A early night.
Very noisy on the streets.
People making their way home after the pubs close.
Street sweepers going by.
Garbage pick-up.
Even the occasional helicopter. 
But, despite it all, we slept.