Our next adventure was exchanging currency (banks were closed for the first two days that we were in Ireland, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday). There was a bit of Goldilocks to this adventures. Baby bear (me) had simply gone to an ATM upon arrival. Momma bear (Auntie Kate) was experienced with this process and proceeded straight to the currency desk at the Bank of Ireland. Papa bear (ok, this metaphor is fading quickly....... my Mom) needed some prompting. I told her "Mom, your line is "Good morning, I would like 200 Euro, how much will that be?" I see my Mom get called to the counter and watch as the following unfolds: my mother takes out two 100 dollar bills, passes them to the bank teller and says "200 Euro please". The teller kindly explains to her that the two 100 dollar bills is not sufficient. My mother looks confused. I look down and shake my head. This was the beginning of my mother's not so lovely affair with what she termed "little people money" (don't ask). Cash in hand, we were ready to head across the street to Trinity College to see the Book of Kells!
Our second adventure of the day involved photography. Auntie Kate wanted to take a picture of mom and I in front of a bell tower or some other object on campus. So we center ourselves in front of it and Kate snaps the picture. Then Kate says "ok, let me get in a little closer". She then proceeds to hold the camera steady in front of her as she physically walks closer to Mom and I. My mother, admittedly technologically challenged, says "Kate, don't you have a zoom button". Kate replies something in the neighborhood of "shut up Regina ;)"
Alright, enough. Our first REAL adventure of the day was visiting the Book of Kells. My heart sank a bit as a saw a huge group of school children heading inside the exhibit. "No worries," Kate said "the kids will breeze right by it, and it will sadly be of no interest to them." Sure enough when it was time to get to the physical Book of Kells, the swarm of children had already departed. I'm sure they were American.
The Book of Kells, including the exhibit preceding it which described the method of its production, the various symbols, etc. was fantastic. I especially loved the explanation of the Chi Ro page.
A happy surprise at the end of the tour was stopping in the Long Room of the library at Trinity College. It was one of the most magnificent rooms I had ever seen! I felt like Belle in Beauty and the Beast, except that I wasn't allowed to touch anything, and I think singing and dancing about the room is discouraged.
After Trinity College we walked towards Christ Church passing the Dublin Castle along the way. We then went to St. Patricks and toured the beautiful garden behind it with a field of amazingly vibrant tulips, some of which looked like peonies they had so many petals.
We had afternoon tea at the Westbury Hotel on Grafton Street. It was really lovely. It must be noted that my mom ordered coffee. At some point during the tea, mom commented "This is so lovely - I haven't ever been to afternoon tea" I remarked "you still haven't - you ordered coffee!" The finger sandwiches were lovely as were the scones. The desserts were the highlight though, including a beautiful painted chocolate egg.
That night we came back to the hotel and gussied ourselves up for dinner at Peploe's on St. Stephen's Green. It was a charming restaurant in the basement of a Georgian row house lining the green. The food was FANTASTIC. We all shared a quail risotto to start. I had a veal milanese, mom a suckling pig and Kate, fish I think. We shared champagne and stories and had fun girl time catching up.
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