Ireland’s Coasts from North to South - Day #2 - Dublin, Ireland

I tried to sleep on the flight, but couldn't. I was unable to get comfortable; my back was very stiff. I ended up watching Star Wars-A New Hope and reading my book about Benjamin Rush.

As we were landing, the pilot said that both of the Air Force One planes landed two hours ahead of us. Trump is in Ireland to meet with the Prime Minister and attend the Irish Open at his Trump International Golf Links resort in Doonbeg.

Although the flight left late, we had a tailwind. We were on the ground on schedule at 11:45 am.

We had a mile walk to passport control. We have walked a long waay in London before, but this was crazy.

We breezed through passport control and got our luggage. We got a taxi to the hotel just before 1 pm.

It took about 30 minutes to get to the hotel. We are spending three nights on our own at The Westbury. The room was ready! We relaxed in the room, took showers and changed.

The Westbury is located in the Grafton Street Quarter. It sits right off Grafton Street, placing it in the heart of Dublin's primary shopping, dining, and cultural district, just a short walk from Trinity College, St. Stephen's Green, and the Temple Bar area.

Eventually, we walked out to explore the area. We were shocked at the number of people. All the restaurants and bars were literally overflowing with people. The temperature was perfect, about 70 degrees. Although it was cloudy, there was no rain. We wandered back to hotel and had a snack of buffalo milk burrata at The Sidecar.

Sharon and I walked to an early dinner at the Library Street Restaurant. it is a acclaimed contemporary wine bar and restaurant located on Setanta Place in central Dublin, just around the corner from Trinity College. Helmed by Head Chef Kevin Burke, it has quickly gained recognition as one of the city's most vibrant dining spots, earning a recommendation in the Michelin Guide. The concept revolves around refined, seasonal Irish produce delivered through a relaxed sharing-plate model, blending classical technique with modern culinary influences.

We shared a large number of small plates, including:

• Choux, horseradish + Cantabrian anchovy;
• Alanna's oyster, Blaufränkisch + cherry;
• Chargrilled merguez, courgette + mint:
• Hamachi, plum, tomato + calamansi consommé;
• McNally's leaves, pear, walnut, mount leinster + sheep's yoghurt;
• Rabbit agnolotti, morel consommé + parmesan;
• Chargrilled pork chop, kale + morel velouté;
• Fondant potatoes, and
• Chargrilled January King cabbage, kimchi + dukkah.

The food, particularly the pork chop, was very good. Sharon made a negative comment about the McNally's leaves and they give up the cabbage complimentary.

Wandering back to the hotel, we crashed hard just after 8:30 pm.