Day 1 & 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5
The agenda for Day 6 of our Ireland trip was one I had been looking forward to since way before we left home. We would be having high tea at the Westbury! But before tea time, we visited the famous Book of Kells. Throughout the week, when we had mentioned that going to see the Book of Kells was on our itinerary, it was met with mixed reviews. Some people told us not to waste our time, while others said it was a must do. The Book of Kells is one of Ireland's most prized possessions and is tucked away in the Old Library at Trinity College. We purchased tickets ahead of time online and had chose to go when the library first opened in the morning. This proved to be a great decision because we didn't have to wait in line to get in or to get an up close and personal look at the book itself. No pictures are allows of the book, but you can snap away at the large displays leading up to the calfskin vellum creation.
After seeing the actual Book of Kells, you can then wander into the Long Room library. We found this long hall of books to be most fascinating!
The Long Room has the reputation of being one of the world's most beautiful libraries and I would definitely have to agree. And yes, the books get dusted daily! (Not a job I would be very good at!)
After soaking up all the things about The Book of Kells and the Long Room we had just enough time to wonder around Dublin soaking up as much of the atmosphere as we could before going to the Westbury for high tea. We had the most perfect spot right by the window overlooking Grafton Street. We sat in our luxurious chairs enjoying the sun that was streaming in the windows. Ahhh, it makes me smile just remembering how wonderful it was!
Tea was delivered in the most divine silver pots. They had over 30 different teas to choose from and you could try as many as you liked.
We sampled the selection of sandwiches, scones and pastries all while enjoying the beautiful music being played on the grand piano. Truly a magical experience!
I could have sat there all day - and someday when I go back I will - but we needed to move on to our next activity. We were taking the train to Malahide to visit the Malahide Castle.
This location was high on my list of things to see because for generations it was occupied by the Talbot family. My maiden name is Talbot and I just know that one of those Talbots that lived there must be related to me! Can you see the resemblance??
On the tour, we heard the Talbot story while exploring the private rooms and collections. After touring the castle, we visited the gardens and butterfly house located on the property.
It was getting close to dinner time and our goal was to get to the village of Howth for our last supper in Ireland. It was a short train ride away and so worth it!
The quaint little village sits right on the northern boundary of Dublin Bay and couldn't be more adorable. We had heard you can often see seals playing on the shores, but unfortunately we didn't spot any while we were there. Just another reason we need to return!
We found a pub to sit down and enjoy our last seafood chowder and fish 'n chips. I'll be honest, we picked the pub just because we liked the name - The Brass Monkey. Luckily for us, it was a great choice and the food was wonderful.
Not wanting our time in Ireland to come to an end, we had a seat by the shore and soaked up all we could before catching the last train back to Dublin.
And that my friends is a recap of our last full day in Ireland. Would I go back? YES. Did we enjoy this trip immensely? Absolutely!!
Now it's your turn. What are you thinking out loud about today? Link up and share!
That library looks fantastic! I loved touring the old castles in France; there is something about those old castles that I just find fascinating.
ReplyDeleteSuch a cool library. Thanks for sharing this. Thanks for hosting and I hope that you have a wonderful Thursday.
ReplyDeleteOh, that library!! Warms this librarian's heart. Would love to spend a few hours there. And then enjoy tea and all the decorum that accompanies it. Ireland has moved to the top of my travel bucket list. And seeing your pics and reading that you absolutely enjoyed your trip and would go back again, just confirms it.
ReplyDeleteGolly, that was a trip of a lifetime...I'm so happy you enjoyed it! The library was fantastic, all that history, and who wouldn't want to delve into those gorgeous tea goodies...sigh. There is something to be said for Old World everything!
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