Dublin: Trinity College, Grafton Street

The bus driver wasn't accepting fares, either the machine was out of order or it was in sympathy with the UK strikers. The trip back to Dublin was uneventful, but the train was packed. I swapped seats with a man so he could stay with his group, but the rightful occupant came along later and they had to separate anyway.

It was colder in Dublin than Belfast. I found Il Capo, a recommended pizzeria near Connolly and had a good pizza for lunch which you can see.

By the time I got to Trinity College, the check-in for the accommodation was open. I was issued with a card key to access my room. I didn't figure out how to lock my room with the card until later, but I was the only lodger in that group of rooms which had a keyed entrance so it didn't matter much.

Trinity College is an enclosed space and you pass through the main door to enter. That door is closed in the evening, and you have to use a side entrance. There are a lot of tourists during the day, some to see the Book of Kells in the Old Library. Lodgers like me were issued with a card to show security stating that we were staying in the residences.

I also took the opportunity to get access to the laundrette. It was a pity the rooms were several minutes walk away from the office and laundrette. It was a shorter distance in the other two college residences.

The tower you see in the photos is the Campanile at the west end of library square, the patch of lawn visible.

After resting, I wandered out to the pedestrian shopping street, Grafton Street. I found Bewley's and tempted by the cakes, I went in. It was a fairly posh place.

They have memorabilia under the tables you can look at while waiting for your beverage and pastry. The tea and cake were fairly good but not something you need to go out of your way to try.

Dunnes Stores again.

I took pictures of whatever took my fancy during my walk of Grafton Street and nearby streets, so there's not much narration.

Hairy Lemon pub. This was actually on the way to the Lidl supermarket on Aungier Street.

Cafe and pub.

Truth in advertising?

The road outside the Gaiety Theatre.

The front of the theatre.

Stephen's Green shopping centre.

The opposite side of Grafton Street there.

Both near the entrance to St. Stephen's Green.

Street florist.

McDaid's. Maps has just informed me that it was Brendan Behan's favourite pub. He's famous, but I know little about him. I like his witty self-description as "a drinker with a writing problem". Drink was indeed the death of him, at 41.

Another bar with an attractive front. It being Friday evening, all the drinking spots were well patronised.

Boodles is a jewelry store.

This would be Ann Street with St. Ann's Church in the distance.

Another florist.

Weir and Sons is a jewelry and watch store.

Seating spills onto the street.

The cold weather was a bit tiring and I had to get my laundry done so that was the end of explorations for the day.

Panoramas, in roughly reverse order: