Post of Gold at cruise end
Friday, August 21, 2026
Dublin to Denver
Alas, the end of our little solar eclipse journey aboard Ponant Le Lapérouse, we spent a fun-filled day and two nights in Dublin,Ireland at the Lovely Westbury hotel. Thinking that I am at least partially of Irish decent, we were happy to squeeze in a little Guinness and some fish & chips. Dublin, Ireland’s capital is a pretty compact city, easily walkable.
Centuries old, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the country’s largest church is a prominent feature and we dutifully stopped on our tour. Honestly, we have seen many more impressive cathedrals and churches in our extensive travels, but it is considered the “people’s church” although one must buy a ticket to investigate the interior and the locals are miffed.
Trinity College was founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth I, originally as a Protestant college, it began to take Catholic student in 1970 when the Catholic Church relaxed its opposition to their attending. It’s famous for the Long Room and Book of Kells Exhibition, housed in the old library. The Long Room is 210 ft. With a barrel-vaulted ceiling and transverse bookcases.From end to end and hoses 2000, 000 antiquarian texts, marble statues and a stunning art installation.
Under the 1801 Copyright Act the Library of Trinity College Dublin was designated as a legal deposit library entitled to a copy of every printed work published in the British Isles. The storage problem this caused, coupled with the dilapidated state of the roof of the Old Library, led to a decision taken in the late 1850s to raise and repair the roof.
The inspired design by architects Thomas Deane and Benjamin Woodward was approved and a new roof with a barrel-vaulted ceiling sheeted in oak (which replaced the original flat plaster ceiling). Many of the ancient books have been removed for cleaning and restoration, quite a monumental task!
Gaia is an artwork by artist Luke Jerram, featuring 120dpi detailed NASA imagery of the Earth's surface. Gaia, was a mythological goddess and personification of the Earth, often referred to as Mother Earth.
The 6 metre diameter installation provides the opportunity to see our planet on this scale, floating in 3D.
Common features of the experience for astronauts are a feeling of awe for the planet, a profound understanding of the interconnection of all life, and a renewed sense of responsibility for taking care of the environment. French astronaut Jean-Francois Clervoy who flew aboard the space shuttle in 1994, was aboard our ship as a guest speaker, and he spoke of his awe for planet earth — fascinating perspectives as we learned more about our solar system and sought the solar eclipse.
