The Baalands: Dublin

After the prison, we headed into Dublin to tour the city. Lara was able to find a parking place and we set out to explore the capitol of the Republic of Ireland, population 514,107. First stop: Dublin Castle. Besides being a major tourist attraction, the castle is a government complex and public arena. We took the self-guided tour. We saw magnificent rooms, furniture, and paintings. There were so many paintings. I guess rich people like to see themselves on the wall. I liked the sculpture of the lioness (Leonessa) in the courtyard of the castle best. It was done by an Italian artist. It is there because the lioness is a symbol of strength.

Lioness in courtyard of Dublin Castle

You can't go to Ireland, especially Dublin and not expect to see Catholic churches. The most important one is St. Patrick's Cathedral. It was founded in 1191 and is the national cathedral of Ireland. The grounds are beautifully landscaped. There is a Liberty Bell in front of the church. It celebrates the memory of the medieval liberties that spread out around St. Patrick's Cathedral. We didn't go inside the church.

St. Patrick's Cathedral

Christ Church Cathedral is the older of the two medieval cathedrals in Dublin. It was founded in the early 11th century by a Viking. It was renovated and rebuilt in the 19th century. There is a statue of Homeless Jesus in front of cathedral. At first you don't know it's Jesus, until you notice the holes in the feet. One hundred of these statues are spread throughout the world.

Homeless Jesus in front of Christ Church Cathedral

Irish Whiskey Museum
Ireland has many distilleries and well-known brands of Whiskey. We learned the history of Irish Whiskey at the Irish Whiskey Museum. I fell off a bar stool during the tour. Everyone thought I'd had too much to drink. It was more funny than embarrassing. Probably jet lag. We sampled some whiskeys. I'm not much of a drinker, so I barely sipped from my glasses.