I had one last morning to play with in Dublin before I had to take my flight back home, so I might as well tell you about it!
I will start with the disclaimer that I didn’t have great plans for today. My initial idea was to go to the Museum of Decorative Arts, but turns out it closes on Sunday mornings! Plus, I’m already kind of museum’d out… The National Botanical Gardens? It’s February, so probably not at their best. The Forty Foot pool, which I saw in Bad Sisters? An entire hour away by bus or train!
In the end I contented myself with just doing a goodbye tour of historic Dublin, first by strolling around Merrion Square (I said hello to Oscar Wilde’s debonair statue) and then Iveagh Gardens. The morning was cool and it had rained during the night, but there was no wind so it wasn’t unpleasant to be outside. The whole city was also blissfully quiet on a Sunday morning, at least on this side (Grafton Street was busier).
After soaking in the 19th century ambiance of the old squares and their red-brick buildings, I decided to pay homage to Dublin’s stately literary heritage by going to Hodges Figgis, a famous bookstore that opened in the 1970s.
If you have a favorite bookstore, you will immediately recognize what makes this one special. Like all good independent bookstores, what sets Hodges Figgis apart from the big chains (well, the few that are left anyway) is that its selection is well curated, so wherever you look there are interesting books to browse. There is also a deep section that occupies half the lower floor dedicated to Ireland: books by Irish authors, or about Ireland, or travel books for Ireland, you name it.
I spent a good long while perusing the extensive shelves across its three floors, although understandably not quite as long as with Powell’s City of Books in Portland (you can read about that on this very blog!). Eventually, even though the Hodges Figgis collection wasn’t fully exhausted, my legs were, so I reluctantly bid it goodbye and went off in search of an early lunch before leaving for the airport.
After having an array of international cuisine all through the weekend, I wanted to pay my respects to Irish cuisine by going to a traditional pub. I opted for The Landmark, which is a storied pub near St Stephen’s Green. It’s where I wanted to go last night, but was kept out by the crowds of revelers and rugby fans. Today, at 12:30, I had the pub practically all to myself and ordered a perfect fish & chips that I had been craving since yesterday. The crust was crispy, the fish was well cooked, the tartar sauce savory… I couldn’t have asked for a better sendoff from Ireland!
And that’s it for my brief trip to Dublin. From there it was off to the hotel to pick up my luggage, and then to the airport via bus. I’ve loved getting to discover the city, which I found vibrant and so full of life and culture despite its historical struggles and deep legacy.
Here’s to more adventures!
This Is A Lake 