DUBLIN
Lansdowne Manor is a charming old brick house that used to be two houses, melded together in Gaelic courtesy to make one very fine Bed & Breakfast. Or perhaps it is actually a hotel, but it is hard to believe that from the courtesy of the very Irish people there.

It was a very welcome sight as we made our way from Shannon airport in the pouring rain. In summer, in Ireland, one must expect a few drops of liquid sunshine. And perhaps temperatures that require a warm shirt.
And a sweater. And a coat.

But if you know that,
then you are ready to take Ireland on its own terms. Knowledge is power when you travel, and we had done our homework on the new Dublin that is emerging as an economic powerhouse.

The new transportation system is called DART. Dublin Area Rapid Transit. We had caught a DART bus at Shannon, which had deposited us at the nearest DART station. The ticket we purchased on the bus at the airport was good to take us all the way through Dublin to Lansdown Station a few stops past the central Dublin stations, which include the large Connolly Station and small Tara St. Station, past the main Pearse Station to the east of Temple Bar.

This may sound like a there are a lot of stations, but truth is that DART has but one line at present, although more are planned. Unlike other cities of Europe, it is pretty hard to get lost or confused on DART. It is also a little hard to get
exactly where you are going, sometimes.

On the strength of a suggestion by Rail Europe's
fine travel agency for our Dublin hotel,
we were going to Lansdown Manor, just a block away from Lansdown Station. To one who is used to the subway stations of America, that sounds like it would be a noisy urban venue. Not so. DART is quiet electric, and the station reminds one more of the Disneyland railroad stations than a city terminal. Here is Colleen waiting for the train. A few steps away from the station, it does not even seem to exist.

So we walked down our first Dublin street in the happy knowledge that we were only a few dozen yards from our front door.
It was exhilarating, it was exciting, it was Ireland in all its glory. It was a comfortable street with very nice brick houses and a feeling of both security and adventure.
As you can see... or rather cannot see...
Lansdown Station is to the right of the trees
in the photo here. The Manor is just a little behind us,
on the other side of the street.

Our Bedroom was at the front of the house at garden level. It was quaint, as few things are today, and it was comfy. We had a very comfortable queen bed (a size that is quite rare some places in Europe), a comfy chair, assorted tables, and a window out to the little garden in front.
There was an electric tea service on a tray (of course) and a fireplace for ambience, but not for use.

Colleen wrote this to our daughter: Our Dublin hotel room was outfiitted with enourmous cozy blankets. The night we arrived it was storming, with thunder and lightening. It was a spectacular welcome that we enjoyed fully. We lay in bed with the shadow of the tree branches whipping outside, warm and cozy under our blankets with our tea and cookies (which we'd gotten from a nearby little grocery) and an Irish newspaper. It was grand. We almost wished it would continue, but the sun started shining the next day. I suppose that was better with all the walking we did.

The 'Drawing Room' for the Manor had a fully functional fireplace that was in use many evenings. There you could read a paper or look out the window at the people walking down Lansdown Road or simply snooze a little in a comfy chair. Yes, it was very comfortable. But there was more... much, much more...

Click here to go on with a visit to Ireland,
or click on one of the buttons at the bottom of the page to select another country.

And for Eurail and Eurostar rail travel in Europe click here to see
The Only way to Travel in Europe
Rail Europe has been serving the American market
since 1934, and they have helped more than 1 million american travelers a year spend 215,000,000.00 on their travel plans. Is it a good idea to book with them.... I think so.
I can not recommend them highly enough. They are the best.

If you are of Irish ancestery in any way (are we not all Irish in some way)
it is really fun to see your Family Crest.

Dublin Ireland is a treat, no doubt, and the Dublin hotel pictured so enticingly here on informationeurope.com may convince you to click on the links above and actually come to Ireland.
I hope so.
I think Dublin will be a grand experience you will treasure always.

And check out these other fine Europe websites
Euro-Rail.org    Eurostar-TGV.com    Europe-Train.org    AirfaresToEurope.com   
TravelEurope.biz    VacationInEurope.com   

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