Hello everyone,
I just returned from Dublin and figured that I must re-cap this amazing trip as soon as I can, as to not forget any of the great moments I had. As always, I will attempt to re-cap chronologically for organizational purposes. (For the record, I went to Dublin with both Hannah's, Ellie and Andy from New Zealand, and Brennan and Emily from California and Connecticut, respectively.
Sunday: Sunday night we made the journey to Dublin. As always, booking cheap flights means that you leave from remote airports, so the trip is always about 3 times longer than it normally would be. We took the bus to the train to another bus to a plane to an Irish bus to our hostel. I must say that it was a pretty impressive hostel - the Four Courts Hostel for any of you doing any Ireland traveling. After literally throwing our bags down, we headed down the road to Temple Bar for our first night of fun. It was a short night, as we didn't get out until about 11:30, but we spent it in true Ireland fashion, drinking Guinness and cider in multiple stops along Temple Bar.
Monday: Monday we set out to do some sight seeing in Dublin. We started at Trinity College, made our way over to St. Stephen's Green to enjoy the beautiful weather we were lucky enough to have. We then went to St. Patrick's Cathedral, the Dublin Castle, and passed by the Christ Church Cathedral. We finished the sightseeing tour at, you guessed it, the Guinness factory, everyone's favorite Dublin spot. My second time around at the Guinness factory (I went earlier in the year when I was in Ireland) I proudly finished an entire pint of Guinness by myself, marking the achievement of a new level in my drinking abilities. We then made some dinner at the hostel, pre-drank a bit, then headed out for the night. We started off at "the oldest pub in Ireland" where we listened to a traditional Irish band, which is always a treat. Next, we moved on to Temple Bar. Night 2 proved to be a bit more exciting than night 1. We listened to a great cover band at the Temple Bar, highlighted by a mixed version of "Hey Jude & What's Going On," before moving on to our next bar. At the next bar, which also had live music, my night got a bit more memorable. I spent most of the night talking to older Irish men and dancing with Hannah from Colorado. The highlight of my night was dancing with an approximately 70 year old Irish man who informed me that I made his night and that he loved my dimples. It was a great moment, re-affirming my love of the Irish and of Ireland. After a bit more at the pub, we wandered home, where the details of the night are a bit blurry, and I may or may not have fallen asleep on the bathroom floor. (Once again, in true Irish fashion.)
Tuesday: Tuesday was Ellie's birthday. :) We decided to leave the hustle and bustle of the city and head out to the coast. We took the Dart to Howth, a town on the sea, about a 20 minute ride out of the city. It was a very cute town, and a very relaxing day. We ate lunch at a local pub and spent the rest of the afternoon sitting on some rocks by the water. It was a bit cold and windy, but the atmosphere reminded me of all of the other small Irish towns we visited earlier this year, and how much I loved that small-town/country feeling of Ireland. After that we returned to Dublin, where we relaxed for a bit at the hostel then went out to celebrate Ellie's birthday. We went out to eat at the Porterhouse something or other, than on to Temple Bar again. We started at the Temple Bar, went to a cute little pub with a Irish quintet playing Irish tunes, and finished up at a bar that I can't remember the name of but can remember being there before, where we spent the night listening to another live band. (The live music, Irish or not, is definitely something that I have come to love.) I've been working on my knowledge of traditional Irish music, and added a few new tunes to my repertoire. I highly recommend listening to the songs "I'll Tell Me Ma," "Black Velvet Band," and "Whiskey in the Jar," if you haven't heard them yet. Great Irish tunes that you will definitely hear if you ever visit a Dublin pub. Once again, the night was filled with me perfecting my Irish jig, and Ellie and I were even complimented/thanked by (obviously) foreigners who had no idea that what we were doing was not even close to being a traditional Irish dance. (The whole time I just tried to remember what I've seen Tess do many times before, and now realize that I definitely need some more lessons from her.) Next time I'm in Ireland, I'll have a better grasp on my Irish dancing skills.
Wednesday: Wednesday was our day of departure, and we just did a bit of eating/shopping before we headed to the airport and headed home. It was a long day of travel - note the previously stated chain of travel and reverse the order - and we were very glad to finally make it home around 12:30 last night.
Being in Ireland again, I have confirmed all of my previous feelings for this amazing country, and can definitely see myself living there someday, for at least a few years of my life. There is just so much life and character in Ireland that it's contagious. To any of you who haven't had a chance to get to Ireland yet, I highly recommend getting there as soon as you can, because I haven't taken an Ireland trip that I haven't loved.
I hope that everything is going well and that you are all getting ready for Thanksgiving. I am going to miss being home for Thanksgiving very much, though we have a bit of a celebration planned here. :)
Love you all,
Amanda
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