Ireland/Czech - Day 4

The previous day, I had spotted an Italian bakery near Temple Bar called Il Fornaio (“The Baker”). I decided that it would be a good breakfast spot for our final day in Ireland. We stopped in for cappuccino and cornetto – my preferred breakfast from when I was in Rome. 

I'm not the only one who loves cornetto. Check out this blog for a better description!

As it turns out, the bakery is run by some legitimate Italians - they were "secretly" complaining about their bad credit card machine (in Italian). Grazie mille! Afterwards, we stopped by Supervalu to pick up some Irish favorites for Lindsay - Digestives (weird cookie things) and Panda (tasty chocolate spread). 

These are the "good ones"...

After strolling down O'Connell Street to observe the statues and monuments, we ducked into Penneys so Lindsay could drool over the Irish clothes. Finally, we picked up our bags from the hotel and headed for the airport. At the bus stop, we met some Australians on an 8 week tour of Europe. That’s a long time to be on the road.

"The Spire" is a giant spike on O'Connell Street. Apparently it has WiFi.

We flew Ryanair from Dublin to Prague. Ryanair is nice because their flights are really cheap. However, they charge a lot for bags (like $100), plus they have very strict regulations on baggage size and weight. Honestly, we had kinda stressed out about it when packing, but it ended up being no big deal. The flight itself was actually very comfortable, if a bit cold. We arrived without incident and proceeded to pick up our baggage. On the way, we noticed an ATM and decided to take out some cash – about $100 seemed like enough, since we pay for most stuff on credit card to get the best exchange rate. In preparing for the trip, we had noticed that a lot of items are denominated in 100 CZK increments, which is $5 US. Since we wanted to get out $100, that would be $100 x 100 = 10000 CZK. Right? But they only had an option for 12000 CZK, which seemed fine. A few minutes later, we realized that we had actually taken out $600. Whoops. At least we had plenty of cash.

In hindsight, it wasn't actually that much. But all the bills said 500 on them, so it felt like we were balling.

 After grabbing our bags, we found the guy holding our name on a sign from Prague Airport Transfers. We decided that we didn’t want to have to deal with a Taxi or public transportation before we had figured out the city, so we prebooked a ride from the airport to the hotel. This turned out to be a great idea. Our driver was very professional and courteous. He was also the first in a long string of Czech people who spoke perfect English. We interrogated him a little about Prague as well as the Czech Republic in general. On the way into Prague, we had noticed a lot of fields that contained a very bright yellow crop. Apparently, everyone asks him about this but he doesn’t know what it is. He guessed mustard. I asked him if mustard is popular in Czech, and he says, “No?” like that was a ridiculous tourist question. In any event, we later found out that it is Colza, an important industrial crop that is government subsidized (and therefore prevalent).

Colza field near Prague. Not my photo, obviously.

The ride to the hotel was pretty long – about 35 minutes total. I’m glad that we prepaid for the car, since that long in a cab is usually pretty pricey. We were staying at Holiday Inn at Prague Congress Center, the headquarter hotel for the conference, since they had booked our hotel room for us. At some point, Lindsay had signed me up for Holiday Inn’s loyalty program, so we received “Preferred” status during check in, then discovered a free bottle of wine and some snacks in our room. I love being Preferred!

Our free wine - Pinot Noir from Czech!

 After unpacking and decompressing, we decided to head into Prague to get some food and drink. The hotel is a bit outside the city center in an area called Vysehrad (VEES-he-rod), so we hopped onto the metro to get to the Black Angels Bar, a highly recommended spot that was supposedly close to the action. As we were getting on the train, we realized that we didn’t really know the system. We stood around inspecting the ticket machine (in Czech) until a friendly local helped us out. It’s actually a very simple system – 24 CZK gets you 30 minutes of unlimited travel, whereas 36 CZK gets you 90 minutes of unlimited travel. A day pass is about 100 CZK. The tickets work on virtually everything – subway, trams, etc. – though there is a zone system which we never did quite figure out. Everything is on the honor system – our honor was only questioned one time on our whole visit. More on that later.

The escalators in the Prague metro stations are super steep! Not my picture.

When we got off the train, we popped out at the Rudolfinum, the preeminent concert hall in Prague, home of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra and current venue for Prague Spring International Music Festival. This relatively new building (built in 1876) is right on the banks of the Vltava and provided a great spot to take some pictures and get our bearings. 

Rudolfinum during the day.

(I decided that if something was wrong on the map, it had to be the location of the metro stop and not the location of the river. I was right!) We aimed for the Black Angels Bar, but got distracted by the beauty of Old Town Square. Especially when you are discovering it for the first time, it’s just one spectacular building after another. We ended up eating at U Prince, the restaurant right outside the Black Angels Bar, since we wanted to enjoy the beautiful view and weather. Although we would come to find that we were in a bit of a Tourist Trap, the food was great and the atmosphere was awesome. I had the Pappardelle Bolognese and Lindsay had the Lamb Chops. I had to help Lindsay a bit, since her dish was big. 

Told you it was big.

I also had my first Czech beer. I wasn’t sure what to order, so I just asked the server for his recommendation. He was like, “You want beer?” so I said, “Yes” and that was that. 

Mystery Beer!

After he brought it out, I asked him what it was. At first, he told me it was Czech for “The Old Source” (which is Pilsner Urquell). However, when pressed for the English name, he indicated that it was written on the side of my mug – Staropramen, another local beer. So who knows. The total for our meal was 880 CZK ($44 USD), by far the most we would pay in Prague, but honestly a decent deal, all things considered. We decided to get some gelato from the stand out in front of the restaurant (20 CZK per scoop), then stroll around Old Town Square for a bit before heading home on the metro.

Ireland/Czech - Day 3

I like eating breakfast, especially on vacation, so you’ll find that it’s a trend of our morning routine. Today, we went to over to Supervalu for a coffee and pastries – I tried a croissant and an apple tart. After eating in their convenient little seating area, we hopped onto the LUAS (Dublin’s new Light Rail Tram System) to get to the National Irish Museum. This institute is housed in a very historic building, the Collins Barracks. 

Collins Barracks Courtyard

The complex started out in 1702 as ‘The Barracks’ for English soldiers, was changed in the early 1800s to be ‘The Royal Barracks’, and was eventually renamed ‘Collins Barracks’ by the Free State in 1922. It’s a really nice setting for the interesting exhibits on Irish in warfare. While inside, we had the pleasure of talking to a few Irishman. I referred to them as the ‘disgruntled Irishman’ (he was upset that there wasn’t enough information in the museum, particularly regarding Irish national sentiment and the 1916 Rising) and the ‘cracked Irishman’ (He was very nice, spoke to us in Gaelic, and showed us his father’s WW2 medal. Also called himself cracked and I believed him!).

After a slightly longer-than-intended visit at the museum, we got back on the LUAS, then walked about 15 minutes to get to Kilmainham Jail (Gaol). On the way, I had a “cliff bar and diet coke” lunch – glad Lindsay remembered to bring something to eat since we were in a hurry! 

Neat bridge on the way to Kilmainham.

Fortunately, they were still giving tours when we arrived. This jail is definitely worth the visit. Since the jail was mainly used to house political prisoners, our stop at the National Irish Museum was mainly motivated by my lack of any legitimate knowledge of Irish history. Now armed with names like ‘Collins’ and ‘de Valera’, I was ready to appreciate the jail. Although the paid tour is non-optional, it was worth the modest fee to hear some stories. In particular, the history of the west wing (very old) and the philosophical underpinnings of the east wing (newer). 

The West Wing of Kilmainham from the second floor. Extra credit if you spot Lindsay.

Our tour guide explained that the new wing of the jail was constructed such that the prison guards could constantly see the prisoners without being seen themselves – the so-called panopticon or “all seeing eye”. 

The East Wing of Kilmainham aka the Panopticon. Quite bright and cheery!

The cells themselves aren't quite as cozy.

After the tour, I got special dispensation from our guide for a quick private tour of the yards (so Lindsay could get a better picture).

The Stone Breakers yard was where the leaders of the Easter Rising (1916) were executed.

 After the jail, we walked to the Guinness factory. Apparently, this is highly irregular. We asked several people for directions, both at the jail as well as on our way. All of them told us it was really far, but we were committed (and skint!). First, we got some Irish sandwiches at a gas station. Irish love slathering everything in excess mayo, but they are tasty for some reason. On the way, we noticed one of their gas stations is called “Emo” which struck me as amusing. 

Emo gas station

Also, a kindly stranger noted that we looked lost and walked together with us the last 5 minutes or so. I’m glad she did, because the street at the entrance area is under construction and we might have missed it! Plus we arrived much sooner than I expected, given the amount of warnings we received. After the fact, I mapped our (non-optimal) route – 1.1 miles total. Apparently, the Irish don’t like to walk.

Snapped this picture of St. James church while doing highly irregular walking in Dublin.

There were a lot of tourists at the Guinness factory. In hindsight, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, but I was at the time. Admission is paid, but includes a free pint of Guinness – no tour guide. However, there is an orientation given by a real live person (don't listen to the naysayers!) who will point out the original 9000 year lease by Arthur Guinness in the floor. 

9000 year lease!

There is a relatively small museum that explains the Guinness brewing process, and gives some history on the building, business, and family. Also, the Gravity Bar (top floor) has a great view of the city – plus it’s where they are serving the free beer! One of the highlights of the tour was a neat exhibit about the lost trade of barrel-making (aka coopers). It seems unrelated until you realize that the Guinness factory employed up to 200 full-time coopers that suddenly became unemployable with the advent of steel barrels. The exhibit was a nice tribute.

Poorly composed picture of us in front of Guinness Water. Taken by someone from Pennsylvania.

View from the Gravity Bar. Not pictured: Pint of "Free" Guinness.

After finishing up, we took a city bus from Guinness to check out Grafton Street. (Ironically, it’s only about 1.4 miles walking.) Grafton Street is one of the main shopping streets in Dublin, and it was packed with locals and tourists alike. We strolled through the avenue, which runs from College Green (north) to St. Stephen’s Green (south). (In Ireland, a “green” is a park. You probably figured this out already, but it took me awhile because I’m dumb.) Having come on to Grafton Street from the north, we exited to the south and took a stroll through St. Stephen’s green. 

The entrance to St. Stephen's Green / end of Grafton Street.

 We had just learned in the Guinness Factory that St. Stephen’s green was financed by the Guinness family, and noticed the monument to AE Guinness (aka “Lord Ardilaun”) on the west side of the park.

Lord Ardilaun aka AE Guinness.

Lindsay checking out another sculpture in St. Stephen's

Being satisfied with our time in nature, we exited St. Stephen’s Green and went north, towards Trinity College. Trinity is an internationally recognized university, but it is probably most well-known in the tourist circles for being home to the Book of Kells, an illuminated manuscript that contains the four Gospels of the New Testament in Latin. We were content to wander around the college itself – paying $25 (for 2) to see a book seemed a bit steep. If there was more included in the price of admission, we may have pulled the trigger. As it is, we saved it for next time. (Spoiler alert: There’s a MUCH better place in Dublin to see illuminated manuscripts, plus it’s FREE. See Day 10.)

Book of Kells. Maybe next time.

 When we were on the bus, we spotted one of the restaurants that Lindsay had identified before our trip – Crackbird. At first, I thought the name was just some Irish joke that I didn’t get. As it turns out, it’s probably closer to Baltimore humor that I DID get. (Crackbird = addictive chicken!) This hip restaurant, which clearly caters to the college crowd near Trinity, serves fried chicken of various sorts. I got the Soy Garlic and Lindsay had the Buttermilk – both “half” (vs. “full”), but ended up being more than we could eat. The lady at the end of our bench was eating some noodles, so Lindsay asked her what they were. They are listed on the menu as “sweet potato noodles with chili oil & peanuts (served cold)” – honestly, not very appetizing. But they smelled amazing so we ordered some. In hindsight – get the noodles! Really tasty. Lindsay also asked for some honey – they brought out “thyme infused honey” accompanied by a cute little spray bottle of vinegar (“vinegar spritz”) – not free, but it was pretty tasty and neat. It’s one of those places. Either way, the total for our meal was about €30, which we thought was reasonable for an excellent meal.

crackbird. Addictive Chicken!

During our meal, we asked our server if there were any bars around that had traditional Irish music. She told us to go to “Oliver St. John Gogarty” or “The Quays” (pronounced “keys”) in Temple Bar, which is the general “Dublin Bar Scene” area of town. So after finishing dinner and paying*, we decided to walk through Temple Bar and check out the places she suggested. The band in The Quays was fine, but playing mostly “contemporary” music. In Oliver St. John Gogarty, we found a cool couple doing more traditional Irish bar songs. This duo was playing guitar and banjo, a popular combination in this area of town. Having already satisfied my Guinness taste for the day, I had a pint of Smithwicks. On the other hand, Lindsay had a rock shandy – a combination of orange and lemon sodas that is popular in Ireland. After enjoying the band for awhile and getting “No, nay, never!” stuck in my head, we wandered back to our hotel. On the way, we stopped by a tourist shop (“The Temple Bar Shop”) to explore and pick up some trinkets.

Irish trinket I didn't buy.

* This was our first episode of “The credit card machine doesn’t reach this far. Is it okay if I walk 5 feet away from your table with your card?” in Europe. Apparently this is a sensitive subject with a lot of folks. I found it awkward because they usually don’t give you a chance to leave a tip (they close out the transaction when the machine is still within range). It feels wrong to enjoy a fine meal and then stiff the server. I guess they don’t really expect tips, but it’s strange.

Ireland/Czech - Days 1 & 2

We started our trip on a Monday. I actually went to work that morning, because our flight from Baltimore to Boston didn’t leave until 4pm. After arriving in Boston, we hung out in the Air France lounge at Logan Airport until our flight left at 9 pm. With the 5 hours we picked up from the time change, our flight arrived in Dublin, Ireland at 8 am local time. After a quick freshen in the airport bathroom and €50 out of the ATM, we hopped a bus to Dublin City Center (AirCoach). Since we arrived so early, we weren’t able to check in at our hotel (Abbey Hotel), so we just dropped off our bags. Honestly, we were a little skeptical – the “luggage room” was just a corner of the bar next door. But what were we to do? No time to babysit our luggage. The first item of business? Getting donuts at the Rolling Donut! Lindsay had raved about this place for the last decade, so it was finally time for me to give it a shot. We got “Sugar and Cinnamon” - very tasty! 

Lindsay with a Rolling Donut

Next, got on the Dart and headed to Graystones. Walked around town and headed to Coolnagreina - the YWCA where Lindsay stayed for a semester in 2003. We quickly met one of the interns (Mandy) and explored the recently upgraded grounds. We also checked out the "improved" harbor area, then went down into town to get a quick bite – a sausage biscuit and fruit from the grocery store (SuperValu). 

The new and improved Graystones Harbor.

Came back to Coolnagreina to visit with Vance and Tammy, the program leaders from Lindsay’s semester. After some chitchat (and a much needed cup of coffee), they took us on a tour of the new dorms. 

Covert shot of Tammy and Lindsay!

The new grounds at Coolnagreina.

We said our goodbyes and walked back to the Dart, taking it to the town of Bray, just one stop down the line. Bray has a beautiful beach, so we took a few minutes to just walk around. 

The Beach at Bray. Yeah, I took a lot of panorama shots. Get over it.

Finally, we hopped back on the Dart and went all the way back to Dublin. We were pleased to find that our bags were still in the “luggage room” when we officially checked into the hotel. At this point, we were pretty tired/jet-lagged, so we quickly found some dinner at a pub near the hotel called “The Oval”. I had an Irish Beef Burger and Lindsay had the Irish Stew – both were good, if unremarkable. This was our first experience with “European Service” – more on that later, but it’s not so much “bad” as it is “different”. We also got a chance to try out the “credit card machine” which was ubiquitous on our travels. Apparently Europeans are not fond of letting servers abscond with their credit cards; it doesn’t bother me. 

By this time, we felt like it was about 2 AM (or later), but it was only 9 PM. We were planning to plug in our electronics and go to bed, but the newly-purchased power adapter we brought wasn’t cooperating. Being in Ireland, we needed the “two horizontal, one vertical” plug. Unfortunately, that part of our adapter wouldn’t work. Lindsay had the great idea to go borrow an adapter from the hotel – they only required a 5 euro deposit. Surprise! They only had other European adapters. So we ended up having to plug our adapter (with the “two round pegs” setting) into the hotel’s adapter and finally into the wall. By the time we got this all jerry-rigged, we excitedly fell asleep at the end of a very long day.