May 1, 2024 Brussels to Dublin

We were up in time to catch the 7:30 a.m. airport shuttle, that departed at 7:20 a.m., for our 10:20 a.m. Aer Lingus flight to Dublin. There was a very thin upper cloud, but otherwise sunny, hardly any wind and the temperature was 15°C. Dublin’s high is only predicted to be 13°C

The Aer Lingus app stated that the check-in opened at 7:45 a.m. The ride to the airport was less than six minutes including a stop to pickup Novotel hotel guests. We were dropped off at the opposite end of the terminal building that we used yesterday. Had we known, the walk would have taken at least 15 minutes less and been completely on sidewalk. While Larry checked in online yesterday, he noticed an alert that Brussels airport had a problem with the luggage system. The agent today said that 40 flights departed yesterday with NO luggage. The problem has been fixed.

Once the board showed which lane was for our Aer Lingus flight we had to walk to the other end of the terminal. Then to go to security we marched back further than we had already been. The automatic gates were opened by your boarding pass. Then you got in the normal security line that moved quickly. Sometime between putting my backpack, liquids bag, jacket and phone in the bins I misplaced my boarding pass. I realized as I was through the scanner that it was not with me. The security supervisor said to wait five minutes and it would probably be found. It was less time than that I had the boarding pass in hand. We went through another set of automatic gates that required your passport and used facial recognition, then our passports were stamped by a Customs/Immigration official. We then had to wait a few minutes for the gate to be assigned to our flight. The first area to pass through, as usual, was the duty free shops. We followed the signs to the gate. It was an hour since we had been dropped off. For breakfast we selected Brewgate and had coffee and a croissant which cost €15.90 ($23+ Can). The croissants were very fresh and the coffee was better than any that we had in Rotterdam. We had more than an hour before the boarding time. We had already accumulated over 3,500 steps. Dublin time is one hour behind Brussels time so we gained an hour today.

The landing was smooth, but the plane had to wait for other planes to be clear of our path before our plane could get to its assigned spot before passengers were disembarked onto a rollup stairway and directed into waiting buses to take us on a 4.5 minute ride to the gate staircase. Up two long flights of stairs to follow signs to Baggage Claim, which took ten minutes, but first there was a 30 minute line for Passport Control and our passports were stamped for a second time today, this time to enter the Republic of Ireland. The line for European residents took people less than five minutes in line. Then we could pickup our luggage about 45 minutes after we had boarded to runway shuttle bus. There were only about a dozen pieces of luggage still on the carousel. We found the exit and the place to catch the Air Coach into Dublin. We had booked the seats online. We arrived before noon for the 12:30 p.m. Air Coach. Again the bus was early arriving at 12:18 p.m., and was almost full, but we got seats for the 25 minute ride into Dublin City Center. The Air Coach stop was 30 meters away from our hotel on Upper O’Connell Street near the old Post Office.

Even though we were two hours too early for checkin, there was a room available. It was not as luxurious as last night’s Crowne Plaza, but the location is great and breakfast is included. It was after 1 p.m., so we set out to find a place for lunch. The first task was to see how long we needed to allow for the walk to the Molly Malone statue near Trinity College, since we meet our tour there at 8 a.m. tomorrow morning. It took just 15 minutes. We found KC Peaches which had a nice salad and sandwich menu and beverages. We ordered sandwiches and coffee, paid for them, then climbed the stairs to the second floor where there were several rooms with chairs and tables, a little like the High Tea bakery on Portage Avenue. Our step count 2,600 steps more than when we left Brussels. The coffee was better than Netherlands coffee and the sandwiches were delicious.

We started a seven and a half kilometre walk, which added another 11,000 steps to our daily count. Dublin Castle was close by, so we walked into the Upper Castle courtyard seeing the Bedford Tower, and the two gates flanking it, which were built in 1761, opposite the State Apartments. We decided to take a self guided tour of the State Apartment that were in use from 1660 to 1830 by the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (or the Viceroy). The collection of paintings from different eras was wonderful. We spent more than an hour going from room to room. Some of the rooms are still used for state occasions. The construction of the first castle was started in 1204 and later became the centre of English and British rule until 1922. The original castle burned in a fire in 1684 and was replaced with the current castle. The guidebook directs you to the Battleaxe staircase named after the Viceroy’s bodyguards, the Battleaxe Guards.It is the setting of the first formal photograph of each new Irish president. The portraits on the walls begin as you ascend the stairs to enter the Waiting Room. Beside it is the James Connolly Room, here on May 12, 1916 from his hospital bed, Irish Revolutionary leader, James Connolly said good bye to his wife and daughter and was taken from this room to Kilhmainham Goal where was executed as he sat since his injuries did not allow his to stand.Next in the State Corridor with portraits of the Presidents of Ireland since 1922. The Apollo Room was transferred to its location from another building unrelated to the castle after several rooms in this section were badly damaged by fire in the mid 1960s. There are more portraits and antique furniture here as in other rooms. The State Drawing Room has beautiful crystal chandeliers. It was used as a sitting room by the Viceroys. The Throne Room was where the Viceroys and four British monarchs, including Queen Victoria in 1849 held court. Charles Darwin even attended the presentation of debutants here in the mid 1800s. There is the Comptroller’s Room one of three used by accounting staff in the past. The Wedgwood Room painted a light blue, hence its name, was once the billiard room. The enormous St. Patrick’s Hall is two stories high. In this room every seven years a new Irish President is sworn into office. The ballroom is also used for official state banquets of foreign heads of state. We departed the courtyard by the gate that leads to the 13th century Records Tower and the Royal Chapel. The Records Tower is all that remain of the Norman Castle built in 1204 and was restored in 1813. The Viceroy opened Royal Chapel in 1814 as an Anglican chapel.

South of the Royal Chapel, we entered the Dubhlinn Garden which has a huge grass lawn designed with Celtic Style symbols and is a helicopter landing pad. The Duiblinn monastery was established near this site in the 6th century. The word means black pool referring to the dark tidal pool nearby. The Vikings invaded and stayed in the 9th century, then in the 12th century the Anglo Saxons attacked and started their rule from England.

We wandered not really paying attention to where we were going, finding ourselves at St. Patrick's Cathedral Park, we have seen the church before. This time we noticed the 1988 plaques honouring the great Irish writers along the west wall. Before long we arrived at St. Steven's Green where the birds were singing. There were many people strolling on the wide paths through the woods. There were markers telling about the 1916 Easter Uprising that lead to Ireland’s independence from England in 1922. There was another place to visit, Merrion Park to see the statue of author Oscar Wilde reclining on a boulder. By then it was time to return to the hotel and think about dinner. Just a block away we noticed Beshoffs little restaurant. They served fish and chips and had a patio and more seating on the second level. We ordered calamari that was underwhelming and sole & fries, but it was less than a five minute walk from the hotel and cost a bit more than lunch.

Later around seven, we could hear some drums beating and sounds of a crowd. Looking out the window we saw protest march along O'Connell Street which took less than ten minutes to pass. They were very orderly. Many people were carrying large Palestine flags. That was our excitement for the evening.

Today’s total steps 20,042