We decided that the "hotel" we stayed in was a non-starter for us, so we started by checking out. Then we went to find some breakfast. We turned to Google Maps again to find a new hotel to stay at. Google Maps came through in spades!! We found a great hotel with low rates close to Dublin! We booked it.
We grabbed a bus down to the Liffy River. The Liffy is a navigable river that runs through the center of Dublin. Once we got there, we got on the number 69 bus to the village of Clondalkin and the Green Isle Hotel and Conference Center. The 69 bus dropped us off at the bus stop right in front of the hotel!
We walked in and were greeted by their old "security guard."
We checked into an American-style hotel room with two queen-size beds. We also get a free "full Irish breakfast" every morning! They also have all of the usual amenities you would expect aat an American hotel. The best part? The rate is cheaper than where we stayed last night!!
If you follow this blog, you know we love to walk. After we got organized, we proceeded to walk to Clondalkin. This village is a suburb of Dublin, with the typical housing developments. Irish subdivisions are quite different from American subdivisions. Instead of single-family homes on small lots, the Irish build rows townhouses with "postage stamp" sized lots. This one is typical:
There is an older part of the village. Here is a view up one of the older streets:
For dinner, we stopped at the Tree Top Restaurant. This is a restaurant located directly above the Laurels Pub. The Laurels is a huge pub, with bars and seating on at least three levels! From the top level, you climb a circular staircase up to the Tree Top.Here is my family walking past one of the levels of the Laurels Pub.
The food was great! We ordered Sprite to drink. Only diet Sprite is available. Ireland has a tax on sugar; thus most soda is sugar-free!
After dinner, we walked around town a little, before walking back to the hotel.
