After putting our bags down in our Hotel, the group set off in search of lunch. As Dublin is filled with cafe's, it didn't take long to find the perfect place. The Brewley's Cafe was a massive two story story coffee shoppe and restaurant, but sitting down for our meal, the cafe still felt homey. After stuffing ourselves with Irish baked goods, we walked back to the hotel room and took a relaxing break in anticipation of the busy day that was to come.
After napping, showering and writing, it was time to meet up for dinner. For our evening meal, Professor Wolfe had originally intended us to eat at another restaurant, but due to seating arangements we had to go else where. We ended up dinning at O'Neill's Pub. This pub is recongonized around the world and as the group was lead down to the buffet, we could tell why. Although it was only 5 on a Monday evening, the pub was half full with patrons. The dinner itself was served buffet style, and we were given a traditional Irish experience. People dinned on hams, roasts, potato's, greens and stuffing. The dining experience was quite different from what we have in the states. The tables were smaller, and the dining atmosphere was generally dimmer then we were use too. But still, the sound of booming laughter is the same in any country, and the meal was a great success.
When our meal was over, we went to see Trinity College one of the oldest universities in Ireland. Although we could only stay a few minutes today, the feeling of academia was impressive. One of the most exciting aspects of the trip will be getting the chance to see Trinity college and getting a sneak preview of days to come.
On our way back to from the College, our group walked through the magnificently gorgeous St. Stephen's Green. This park, which boasts a playground, a pound and a lovely flower garden is housed right in the middle of Dublin- a paradise within the city roads. The park was absolutely lovely, and so far one of the best parts of the trip.
For the last leg of today's journey, we roamed the streets looking for a place to buy necessities that we may have forgotten. while walking, we got to see a great deal of the culture surrounding the city. We saw a plethora of street performers ( all of whom were excellent) and then went to saint Stephens shopping center. Although most of the shops were closed, it was still neat to see the similarities between the way the united states and Ireland shop.
