9 Day Irish Explorer

Joyce, Yeats, Shaw, Beckett– no, it’s not an English test, it’s your vacation, and if literature is of interest to you, there’s no better place to be: No other city has produced so many Nobel Prize Winners (including 1995’s recipient, the poet Seamus Heany).

Ireland’s capital is a thriving, modern city, yet it’s also strikingly elegant, with many beautifully restored Georgian buildings. And with friendly natives and cheery pubs–well, what more could a visitor want?

You’ve heard, perhaps, of the Renaissance? Well, this is the region it started. And without the Renaissance, our art would be poorer, our food and wine would be poorer, and our culture would be poorer plus, the term “Renaissance man” would be meaningless and confusing.

Some interesting sites to visit are the castle where Michealangelo is supposedly tombed, the Arno River, which divides the city in half, with the historical district in the northern part, and the Oltrarno neighborhood to the south. The Piazza del Duomo is usually found with hundreds of tourists, and the Piazza Santa Maria Novella is a regular hangout for immigrants and tourists waiting for the train. Most of the streets are open only to pedestrians, so walking is a welcome reward for getting around, rather than by car or bus. Be sure to get a map with all of the interesting landmarks and entertainment to be found in this great city, available at the tourist office and most hotels. Take your time, there are many Renaissance palaces and Gothic churches to be experienced.