Day Six - Daytrippin'
I was up early and went for my usual morning walkabout, this time going a bit further west that we had explored before. I came upon the Christ Church Cathedral, which was built by Vikings and Norse king of Dublin in 1030. It was an impressive sight, but I did not enter, as I had another mission in mind.
Today was daytrip day, so I was off to the train station to learn about getting to Howth. Turns out it's quite a simple matter, with trains leaving every 20 minutes pretty much all day long. Rejoined by Fai, we were aboard a train in no time and after a quick 30 minutes or so, we arrived at Howth Pier.
After grabbing a bite near the train station, we walked down the pier a bit, and as luck would have it, the heavy rain that had greeted our arrival had moved on and the seaside air was very pleasant.
(Click to Enlarge)From the end of the pier, the view of the sea and Ireland's Eye was oustanding. We sat at the edge of the pier for a short time, then as we turned and walked back toward the town, we were greeted by four seals right at the edge of the pier. They were very quiet and gentle and cast hopeful eyes upon us, seeking a donation of fresh fish. Fortunately, a small girl came along who had purchased some fish at a market and fed them.
Leaving our new found friends, we walked back to the village and ran into a man who was Irish, or English, or Scottish . . . he wasn't quite sure which, except he insisted over and over that he was Irish-born and quite proud of it. He also appeared to have enjoyed a few too many Irish spirits this afternoon. So, naturally we followed him up a stairway upon invitiation and enjoyed a nice view of the harbor. He also showed us the IRA cemetery, but soon after he began an altercation with some visiting fisherman and it was time for us to clear out of the area before almost innevitable trouble ensued.
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(Click to Enlarge)Fai was off to do some shopping, so I decided to conquer the Howth Cliffs. But first, a pint of Murphy's at the Pier House for the journey. The Cliffs are a long and steady climb from the village up to the highest point of the peninsula. It was very steep at first, but then it leveled off a bit more along the way. Standing at the very top, I saw an incredible panoramic view of Dublin Bay, as well as the village below. It was well worth the climb.
Once back at the village, I met up with Fai and we sought out a place for dinner. There were several pubs to choose from, but one in particular had a mangy dog sitting in the doorway. You can never go wrong with a pub with a mangy dog at the door, so the Top House it was for a fine meal and a pint of Smithwicks.
It was getting late, so we grabbed one more beverage at The Bloody Stream before boarding the train back to Dublin.
