The green elf - D3

Nah, Dublin times are over, it is time to discover the Irish countryside. Of course for this I need a car. I have never hired one, thus it was a triple shock a.) got a Diesel and bloody big one b.) wheel on the right side c.) traffic on the left side. Summary about my driving style at the end of the day: 2x horning in 5 minutes after start, 2 road-shoulders and a balk across the road when I overpassed my destination and wanted to turn around :D So far the people on countryside silently bear my lameness :D

Today was about gardens: I visited 2 small masterpieces on the countryide.

National Garden Exhibition Center - Kilquade
Different styles, not really my styles, but there were some interesting solution. For example a very big mirror at the end of one garden, excellent choice to take a picture about myself :D

  

    

  

  

  

    

Mount Usher Gardens
Oh, this was really very lovely, absolutely deserved the awards! The lunch in their restaurant was marvellous, people were friendly as everywhere - this is so unbelievable, I can't handle it, everybody is smiling and helpful. Mostly the girls (guys, it worths to plan a trip to Ireland... I don't know how hard is to get under the panties, I haven't tried it... yet)! But the boys... hmm, how shall I put it mildly, they don't have honest eyes. Lot of them have red eyes and reek of alcohol, the rest just do not look trustfully. Maybe I saw 3 guys, with whom I dared to have a conversation - all 3 were reddish blond with blue eyes, charming smile, biiig honest and open eyes. No pictures about them. :(
Back to the garden: it is rather a mini-forest, divided with a river and has a small private property in the middle... whoever lives there can lick my ...

  

  

  

My lunch: fishpie and wildberry cream with short biscuits

And at the end I have to mention my accommodation: a family B&B next to a road in a forest. The middle-age lady greeted me very friendly, showed me the lounge, the breakfast room and my room. The latter one... as every romantic girl I had exactly this one in my dreams: pink, with lot of pillows and a small sitting shelf in front of the window! Simply marvellous. The sitting room is very English: darker colors, leather and fireplace. I am writing this post from here, slurping a glass of Irish whiskey ("just pour to yourself what you want and write down on the paper"... trusting in people!).
Outside plenty of stars are shining, I could even find the Little and the Great Bear - first time in my life :) It's like I am living in my own dream... only a naked blond guy is missing in front of the fireplace :D

  

  

The green elf - D2

Well, because of the long walk, wearing not the proper shoes and climbing over the fences I became a crappy and limited moving robot, this post will be shorter.

I'm staying on this area - as usually when I am abroad, I chose a silent suburban district:

Glasnevin, Dublin

City center
The center is full of tourists, cars and buses (I should stick to the hidden places). Unfortunately Dublin hasn't got a metro system, but they are building it (the worldwide 21 Project - the same as in Stuttgart). On the buses you can pay only with coins, and if you don't have the exact amount, you will receive a bill about your overpayment, and you can get it back in their office in the city. Pretty underdeveloped traffic system :(

  

  

On the glass you can see the Bank of Ireland (former Parliament building)

Trinity College
Ancient university of Ireland, established more than 400 years ago. It has a huge library and the Book of Kells can be seen here, which is written in Latin and illustrated with drawings, contains the 4 gospels from the New Testament. Of course you can see only a replica ;) The queue was too long and the weather too cold to wait for a copy, so I missed it :p But there was a graduation ceremony, so I could watch the happy youths while taking pictures, throwing their hats and tried to figure out what fur they have on their shoulders.

Street side

  

Inside

Hooligans :D

 

The new and old library

Sphere within sphere (nickname Death Star and designer Mr Tomato - A. Pomodoro)

National Gallery
From a tiny walk from the university, but far enough to soak through from a sudden rain. Unfortunately the Gallery has a small collection, I swear I read all of the descriptions next to the paintings, but finished in 1.5 hours. :( The Irish paintings are suprisingly good! It reminds me, that others wonder how good the Hungarian painters are, well, fame and talent is not always best friends.
It was possible to take pictures inside, but without flash it is rather a nice memory for myself, which one I liked. These ones:

A View of Dublin from Chapelizod

Barret:  View of Powerscourt Waterfall

Davis: A view of the Rye Water near Leixlip

Lavery: Return from market

Van Honthorst: A music party :D

And for the end a little bit of quay:

  

  

The green elf - D1

After a 4-hour sleep and an alcohol smelly flight I arrived to Ireland.
It is cold, f*cking windy, but at least it is not raining.
Got the first shock in Spar (at the airport I had to buy the busticket here): hey, they speak English! Finally I have no language difficulties, not counting the fact, that every sentence pops up in German in my head :)
The second shock on the bus: the bus stops are either not indicated or not announced. Luckily I wrote down by what number I have to get on and off, but it is quite stressfull (so far 100% success). See, precize planning is important!

I managed to get to 3 sightseeing spots today (planned previously 4), 2 of these are from the list "Hidden places in Dublin" written by a German guy... after today... never trust a solo male traveller, mostly when he is German :D These guys are too fearless!

National Botanical Garden
Khm, remembering the German forests I thought the autumn has been just arrived to Ireland too, but no, here it is nearly winter. The garden was bald, empty, with overblown flowers or bushes cut to the roots. Absolutely dejected. That's why - and following the "only realize positive things, to avoid being moody" strategy the pictures were taken about nice stuffs. You can find realism by the next 2 spots :D

Halloween on the streets and in the botanical garden (pumpkins made by children):

  

  

  

The garden:  

      

Blessington basin 

I was walking calmly towards my next destination, and nearly turned right to a street when an old lady caught my arms and asked why do I go that direction, will I visit someone? Ohm, no, I am looking for the Blessington basin. Softly she pushed me away and said it would be better to avoid that street, I should rather go along this one... no worries, she is coming this way too, and hooked on me. When I told her I am a solo traveller, got and endless advice lavina "sweetheart, take care of yourself, do not talk to strangers, I am old, this is an exception, but take care which street you chose, rather go into the city center, you should see this and that, and take care with whom to talk". When she left me, all of my energy was gone (have to admit that I had to kick my ass 3times to get on that flight... opposite to the April Rome, when it did not succeded). I looked around, but could not see any suspicious guy... however in Budapest... but I read the above mentioned German gentleman's article about safety for solo women travellers, which already scared me (summary: you should be kind to an Irish guy, when you really wanna continue, otherwise it can be an aggressive end... oh, and bring condoms with you, they don't have it, but sexual diseases they do).

This is the basin:

  

South Great Wall, the bay and the Poolbeg lighthouse
Khm, so it was recommended by our friend... out in the end of nowhere, I had to cross a park, a very long industrial road where only trucks could be seen, a beach and the mole. Now checking it on the  map while trying to give a massage to my aching legs, it was a 12 km trip in all.
I was swearing through the industrial road, but became speechless when reached the beach. I collected some shelles and stones, as usually (mind the pink shell!). And smiling continously to the lighthouse. Backward... not that much. It started raining, I soaked through, I was locked in the park. So I had to climb through the tapering fences, thanks god by one of the exits it was lower. Whoopsie daisy :D
Still it was worth to do it!

  

 

The first day's advantage list:

• finally can speak English freely
• tea, tea, tea (in small shops, in big ones, in the hotel, everywhere)
• everybody is willing to help when I ask them and they are really friendly and talkative
• fish&chips
• beach
• got a free Halloween lollipop