Well it's St Patricks day and we are going into Dublin to hopefully catch the parade that starts at 12:30. We get the hotel to book us a taxi as all the bus routes are diverted.
20 minutes later and 20 euros lighter, for those who read the other blog you know how well that went down in Austria, but we cant complain as he gave us some good advice about where to go around Dublin and was very friendly. We arrive at O'connell Bridge to be faced with a wall of green hats and the Irish tricolour. These people know how to celebrate their saints day. England you should be ashamed.
We manage to find a spot in the crowd where we could just about see everything taller than 6ft which basically limited us to the top of the brass bands tubas and the floats. Johnny Giles was the guest of honour i'm told, apparently he played football for some yorkshire side. We enjoyed what we saw and afterwards followed the hoards of people down towards Temple Bar and the centre of town and it was heaving. I now know where all the left over vuvuzela's from the world cup ended up along with the whistles and screaming American teenagers, OMG!!!!
Had some of the aforementioned wanting to paint the Irish Tricolour on me to which I thought, why not. So she did and with a damp sponge which I am hoping was damp from water given the visible lack of any and a little pot of child's paint she branded me on the top of my head. Not the forehead or the cheek, no the uppermost baldest part of my head.
After another walk round Dublin stopping to watch the occasional street performer it's back to the hotel ON THE BUS!! €2.15 each, for a meal in the Talavera Italian Restaurant.

Well. Shaky has outdone himself again. Got ready for a meal in the hotel award winning Italian restaurant Talavera. Shown to our table. Very nice. Quiet too cos everyone's in town for paddys day. "are you aware your meal is included in your package mr Baxter?" errrr I don't think it is. IT IS THOUGH!! Result. A beautiful 3 course meal with wine, all for 20 euros, including the tip. Thanks shaky. X