Christmas Eve in Dublin...

...was relaxing, even with all the excitement in the air!!! We started out with breakfast at the Lemon Crepe and Coffee Co....yummy.....crepes can be so delish....., and then moved on to the National Museum of Ireland Archaeology, stopping at a bakery to get fresh meat, cheese, bread, and wine for our Christmas dinner the following day. The museum was fascinating. Very thorough with info on their history, and gorgeous artifacts. I especially loved the Viking section, and a cool old canoe that was almost as long as the room, carved out of a single tree, with one end much wider than the other...it was VERY old...unfortunately, the museum closed at noon, since it was Christmas Eve, so we had to leave early, but definitely one of the most interesting places we visited. Here is a photo from the outside with Ryan and his parents in the background.



Next, we hopped on a double decker bus, and hopped off at O'Connell Street, to explore more of the city. Here is a live webcam for one of it's main intersections. We saw The Spire of Dublin, which was beautiful, and walked across the whimsical Ha'penny Bridge. It was a leisurely stroll. We gazed along the cobblestone streets, absorbing the atmosphere.

Later that evening, we found our self walking down Grafton Street, which was only a couple blocks from our hotel. Earlier in the day, the streets were completely packed....like sardines...very little walking room, just the hustle and bustle of a busy international city.....and now what an amazing difference!!! No one was there...just us and an occasional fellow tourist. It was like a zombie movie... deserted...except we had brilliant Christmas Lights as our sign of some life still in existence....I kinda loved it!!! It felt magical...



Will post more pics from the vaca soon...until then, HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!!