first dublin

when we first got there it was five in the morning.  we had a little trouble figuring out the correct bus transfer/ bus stop to get to our hotel so we didn't actually get there until 9 or so.  but the good news is that we figured out we had the flag down the bus (it doesn't automatically stop at the bus stop), you have to have exact change in coins or you can't ride, and dublin is cold when it's rainy and you're waiting outside for a bus for a couple of hours.  good times.  

at least our hotel was cool.  it was called the charleville lodge and was a little out of dublin city center, but easy to reach by bus (once you figure them out).  look how tired we were that first day.  

dublin is full of cute little buildings and row houses.

lots of them have unique doors.  i once heard it's because the men would come home from the pub at night drunk as a skunk and couldn't figure out what house was theirs unless they could distinguish the door somehow.

photo by zack

the ha'penny bridge and christchurch cathedral.

more cute buildings by the river and an awesome neon sign which covered an entire building.  yes it does say  "the happy ring house" and the diamond ring flashed, as well as the bells.  unfortunately the groom was burned out.

cute little irish looking building by dublin castle.

a pub (one of millions but this one had really cool windows), and some mansize tissues.

death rests within.

medieval stuff.

this was on a street they have with lots of cute shops and the christmas decorations were up already.  it was rather charming.  

dublin castle from the chester beatty museum.  we had a good couple days in dublin, saw lots of pubs and drunkards, met nice people, ate irish food, saw illuminated manuscripts, old libraries, and photos of ireland.  then we were off to paris...