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Dublin, The Republic of Ireland (September 15, 2019) Despite inclement weather, Debra and I had a wonderful day in the capital city of Dublin. We enjoyed an Irish coffee (or two!) at a tavern in the seaside town of Howth and toured the 12th century Malahide Castle north of Dublin.
When the castle tour ended, Debra and I used our free time (we were with a group) to wander through some of the 260 acres of lush parkland that surrounded the castle. There we “discovered” beautiful gardens and a lovely butterfly house. The Walled Botanical Garden, one of only four in Ireland, was home to more than 5,000 species of plants. Debra and I strolled along the garden trail, where we passed a beautiful Victorian Conservatory and a large Tiki carving. Our favorite spot was a pond that was fed by a cascading “creek.” There were 20 species of butterflies in the Cambridge Glasshouse, the first butterfly house in Ireland. It was opened in 2018 to house a collection of tropical flowers. Debra and I were fascinated as we watched a caterpillar that slowly climbed the stem of a plant. It was a memorable experience! |
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