9 things I will do in Dublin, Ireland.

Dear travel, I think about you all the time.

I cannot stop thinking about you - from the mornings you ease, to the evenings you quiet, to the dreams you inhabit. My thoughts of you never end.  Duke of Hastings 

 

I desire Dublin - top of the friendliest cities in the world, what with it's lively pubs, great foods, storytelling, music and dance. I'll allow it to steal my heart over and over. I will kayak down River Liffey as many-a-musicians perform under the Ha'Penny Bridge.

I will visit the historical landmarks that is the Jameson Distillery and immerse myself in the storytelling as a tribute to the centuries old craft of Irish whiskey. I'll draw and taste whiskey straight from the cask and possibly sip my way across the Emerald Isle. 

I'll marvel at the Christ Church Cathedral, originally a Viking church, almost 1000 years old with a crypt and distinct treasures. It holds the spiritual heart of Dublin.

I'd like to meet the mummies inside the crypt of St. Michan Church, boasting of 17th to 19th century underground vaults.

I may squeeze in some quiet time at the Glasnevin Cemetery. Quirky, I agree, but the graves of notable figures and a museum are there, plus a high wall with watch towers built to deter the then active body snatchers.

The Dublin Castle will be a must-see. Built in the 13th century on a Viking site, it holds a big part of Irish history.

The Trinity College Library (1592) sits in Ireland's oldest college with over 200,000 ancient books, cue the Book of Kells - arguably Dublin's most famous work of art.

St. Patrick's Cathedral (1191) is the tallest and largest Church in Ireland, with it's 43 metre spire. A better experience would be for St. Patrick's day to fall within my visit there.

In the heart of St. James Gate Brewery, an old 1902 fermentation plant, the Guiness Storehouse sits pretty. Standing at 7 storeys, surrounding a glass atrium in the shape of a pint of Guiness, it dramatically tells the story and heritage of the world's famous beer since 1759. Here, I will pull a perfect pint of Guiness, take it to the top for a scenic view in the Gravity Bar on a clear autumn day.

And that's just in 3 days. 

Rumor has it that when you visit Ireland, you fall in love with all things Irish. It is charming, gentle, yet feisty. Dublin, and the whole of Ireland dances to her own beat....the pubs, the food, the Celtic lasses and lads, the livestock, the thatched cottages, the lush rolling hills and countless castles that dot the countryside.

Everyone there has a novel in them, if only they'd go home and write it.