Dublin; a city enriched with history and culture. It is eclectic and quaint with its mish-mosh of shops and buildings, studded with emerald parks. Here is a neat little collection of places in Dublin that have slyly enchanted me.
1. The Locals
Before I came to Dublin, I was happily told again and again that the best thing about the city is the locals. They are what bring the city to life and make the city feel like home. To my great amusement and delight, I found this statement to be wonderfully true. On my first day in Dublin, I stumbled into The Olde Sweete Shop, where I met the cheery Kevin. Kevin warmly welcomed us to his home country and sent us off to explore with some gummy candy teeth and pink fudge.
2. St. Stephen’s Green
A scene straight out of "Pride and Prejudice." I enter the park and immediately escape from the bustle of Grafton Street as I am engulfed in the quiet lull of this luscious oasis in the center of the city. My insides teem with excitement as I cross the bridge and see pairs of elegant white swans skimming the water and people lolling in the perfectly trimmed grass. This park is a glorious world of its own, and I can’t express how marvelous it is to be a part of that world for even one dreamy moment.
3. Wall & Keogh
On my second to last day in Dublin, I wandered the streets alone, in search of this little cafe where I hoped to nourish my ravenous tummy after a morning filled with museums and libraries. I went down many streets and followed my map religiously, all while cowering from the chilled rain. I turned down a graffiti-ridden street, peppered with precarious looking shops, muttering in my head, “This better be worth it, this better be worth it.”
And oh, was it worth it.
I stepped into Wall and Keogh Cafe and immediately felt warmed with contentment, like my insides had been flooded with a nice hot cider. The walls were sumptuously lined with boxed coffees and teas, and the display case was generously stocked with a multitude of homemade treats. I nestled into a corner and perused my copy of Persuasion while voraciously consuming my butternut squash soup and goat cheese and walnut sandwich. Heavenly.
4. The Porterhouse
Slancha!
Everything you might imagine an Irish Pub to be, this truly is. Maybe it is the "Harry Potter" nerd in me that is coming out, but I truly felt that I was in Hogsmeade Village, sipping on butterbeer. The only difference was that my buttebeer was a pale stout, and there were no wands being waved about. Despite these minor differences, I was quite literally “charmed” by the three story, rickety pub that was washed in fiddling from the liveliest live band I had ever encountered. Not to mention the twinkling characters that filled the pub and brought everything to radiant life.
5. Grafton Street
Bustling with activity, live music, and carts bursting with flowers tempting you to buy them. Patrons of pubs pour into the streets, like an overturned cup of tea, its contents going every which way. With them they carry their excitement for the most recent match, roaring laughter and shouts, and, of course, their well-nursed beers. The vivacity of this street is tangible; it is hard to not get swept into the hustle and bustle.
6. Trinity College Library
As you step into this drafty hall of books, an inkling of vanilla, mixed with aging books, wafts through the air. Being in the library immediately transports you to another time, it makes you believe that you are a person of stately importance, perusing books for leisure reading. You feel a sense of hushed reverence, as you are in the presence of thousands of characters and authors that have influenced generations through the ages.
7. The Cloth Shop
A simple sanctuary of fabric that comforts and awakens the soul all in the same moment of entry into the shop. The textures and designs that line the wall are simply delicious. I thoroughly enjoyed happening upon this hidden treasure. The shop owner is pleasant and engaging, and much time was spent hearing of her love of textiles and the accumulation of them in her sweet shop.
8. O’Mulligans Grocers
Oh, Mulligan, how you woo me so! This quaint little hole in the wall would be easily passed by if one did not know any better. It lurks on a quiet street that is seemingly deserted. How magnificent the scene change is, though, once you step into the warmly lit, oak-covered, now converted grocery store. The food is comfortingly divine; it should be photographed and placed in the dictionary next to the term “Food that warms the soul” (if indeed that term were in the dictionary). It makes it all the more wonderful that the menu is tucked into weathered novels at the table, which make for lovely light reading pre-meal!
