Through streets broad and narrow

A 3-day city break in Dublin with Alan and Russell is just the ticket! We're staying at a nice hotel just north of the city centre and the Georgian architecture, especially in Mountjoy Square, is fabulous. A bit like Bloomsbury in London but more so.

Since I last came to Dublin in 1996, it has become busier, more cosmopolitan and more sophisticated. This monument to Daniel O'Connell in the street of the same name is a great example of 19th century pomp and circumstance. Brown Thomas is the Harrods of Dublin, while the cast-iron arcade is the last word in elegance. There are more statues in the nearby St. Stephen's Green, although the monument to Robert Emmet looks a bit forlorn.

Not forgetting the pubs, of course! Here are some examples of classic Dublin bars, quite unlike the "Oirish" joints you might find from Tallinn to Tenerife. We don't actually go inside, but McSorley's (beer mat in the first image) where we have a Beamish and/or Guinness, fits the bill. The small seaside resort of Bray, about a dozen miles south of Dublin, could hardly be different. Unfortunately the weather isn't great but the rain holds off to allow us a walk along the promenade.

3 days in Dublin are of course nowhere near enough.Read more