The Passenger ⋆ Page 130 of 312 ⋆ Memories and hints of a travelling IT professional.

October 3, 2019October 17, 2019

Luas, busses and the DART

Getting around in Dublin, Ireland with public transport can be a bit confusing in the beginning but is quite simple once you know how to do it. The city feels like a beehive of different busses, but there are also tramways, the DART and normal trains. The first contact with public transport system will for sure be at the airport – where you can catch the busses 747 and 757 that bring you within 30 minutes on different routes to the city center.

October 3, 2019February 23, 2020

Dublin zoo

The zoological garden of Dublin, Ireland, is the largest zoo in the country and one of the oldest in Europe. It was opened in 1831 and you can have a very long walk within the 28 hectares of ground. When I was there I was seeing rather few animals – but it was rather late and bad weather, most of them were inside. One of the former inhabitants we all know: the lion Cairbre (born 1927) was the face of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and we all saw it already multiple times before a movie started.

October 3, 2019February 22, 2020

Phoenix park

The Páirc an Fhionnuisce or Phoenix park is a vast garden in Dublin, Ireland, and one of the largest parks in a city in Europe. Its name doesn’t point to the legendary bird that can rise from the ashes; it comes from the Irish words fionn uisce which mean ‘clear water’. It is located in the East of the city and you can easily reach it from the luas stop ‘Museum’ and it is also a good option for a next stop if you visit Kilmainham Goal or the Museum of Modern Art.

October 3, 2019February 22, 2020

Wellington

While walking through Phoenix park in Dublin, Ireland, you might stumble open a giant memorial: the Wellington monument. With 62 metres it is the highest obelisk in Europe. It commemorates the victories of the Iron Duke, Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington. He won against Napoleon at the famous Battle of Waterloo in 1815 and was serving twice as a prime minister of the United Kingdom. But he also fought in other parts of the world like in the Netherlands or India.

October 3, 2019October 18, 2019

Kilmainham Goal

The most important sight at Dublin, Ireland – and all tourist guides and guide books share this view – is a jail. Kilmainham Goal is a typical jail of the Victorian era located in the city quarter Kilmainham in the west of the city. It was built in 1796 and plays an important role in the history of Ireland: when in 1916 the Easter Rising happened and Irish rebels fought against British occupation, this was the place the caught fighters were brought to. The Easter Rising was unsuccessful, the rebels were executed in Kilmainham Goal – but their goal was partially achieved in 1922 when Ireland became a free state.

October 3, 2019October 18, 2019

Irish Museum of Modern Art

When you search for the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA) at Dublin, Ireland you’ll have to walk through a residential zone in the city quarter Kilmainham. A road winds slowly up the hill towards the old Royal Hospital. A sign tells dog owners where they can enjoy a walk with and train their dogs. And when you’re standing in front of the ancient hospital building you still don’t have a clue what to find inside.

October 3, 2019October 17, 2019

Aerfort Bhaile Átha Cliath

A nice medium-sized airport located 10 kilometres north of Dublin, Ireland. The Aerfort Bhaile Átha Cliath was opened in 1940 and welcomes around 30.000.000 travellers each year. It is the home base of Aer Lingus and some cheap airlines like famous Ryanair. The airport is separated into two interconnected terminals and it is not a long walk between them.

October 3, 2019October 7, 2019

Superfluous flight

Most people might not get into the situation of not using a flight they booked. But what to do if this happens to you? Cancel it, get a refund – that might be the first thought. However pretty often flights are non-refundable. So why not just ignore the fact that you’re booked on a flight and just don’t do a check-in. That might be okay if it is the only flight you booked. If you’ve booked a flight back home afterwards or an onward journey within the same booking, not cancelling a superfluous flight segment can bring you in serious trouble.

October 2, 2019October 15, 2019

Ugly dumpling

It is pretty much impossible to leave Soho hungry – with so many fantastic small restaurants gathered in this area of London, England. A very good place to taste delicious Chinese dumplings is the Ugly dumpling in Newburgh street. It looks like the smallest restaurant ever with just a small amount of tables crammed into a tiny corner restaurant. But don’t worry if it seems to be full; there is also another tiny area one floor down. Waiting is worth the time, they’ve good some very fine dumpling versions on their menu.

October 2, 2019October 15, 2019

The Blind Phoenix

It is a hidden bar which you won’t find unless you explicitly search for it. The Blind Phoenix is a speakeasy for witches and wizards hidden in the underground of Dalston, London. When you arrive there look out for an inconspicuous black door. I already wanted to give up and leave as a house-elf pointed me towards the hidden entrance. There you’ll have to enter the secret code on an old-school telephone and afterwards the door opens and you’ll see the long stairway into the cellar.