Captain's Log: Day 1 - Arrival

So the group has arrived in Ireland and on a surprisingly small transatlantic flight all in one piece. The plane itself was not that small -- just the leg room and... basically the overall size of the seat. Therefore, I got maybe 2 hours sleep so if this turns out incoherent blame U.S. Airways.

Upon our arrival, the airport did not seem much different at all. We traveled by tour bus to our first destination: Grafton Street, a pedestrian road lined with shops of all types.

Stores varied from very old Irish pubs to Burger King and small eateries as well. There were many clothing stores as well. The food was delicious but the park at the end of the road was my favorite part of the road. The water features and greenery was very beautiful and extremely peaceful.

After eating our first meal in the Emerald Isle at a small cafe, we had a quick walk across the street to Trinity College located in the city center of Dublin. The small college houses the Book of Kells, an illustrated version of the four biblical gospels created around 800 A.D.

The Old Library in Trinity College is home to large reproductions of the artwork in the Book of Kells, several other old books, explanations on the techniques used to create the pieces of art. I very much enjoyed the explanation on the in depth techniques used to make these works of art. The effort and time needed to create the art is very impressive and shows an amazing dedication to their art.

The Long Room on the second floor of the Old Library was very impressive as well. The room was as long as a football field and was lined from floor to ceiling with amazingly old books beautifully preserved. The aroma of the old books and the ancient wood was very magical to a booklover like myself.

The last stop on the day part of our trip was to Dublin Castle. However, it was not a castle as you would expect to see in Europe. It was an 18th century mansion built on the foundations of the medieval castle that once stood in its place.

I really enjoyed the Castle trip because it allowed me to get a quick glimpse into the old world Europe before America even existed and it also gave a glimpse of the workings and history of the Irish Rebellion and eventually the Irish government.

When the tour guide took us down to the foundations of the building and the original castle walls were exposed I was elated to finally see a castle like I had always dreamed. The rock was centuries old and had endured scores of battles, winters, erosion, and other damaging effects and they still stood to this day. Simply amazing.