Ireland!

This weekend I went on a weekend trip to Ireland! I went with my roommate, Elana, and our friend Jeff.

We flew in to Dublin late Thursday night, and were incredibly excited but also super tired because it was midnight when we arrived. Jeff went to his hotel, and Elana and I went to her friend's apartment, where we crashed for the night.

Friday morning, we all met up and went on a three-and-a-half hour walking tour of the city. The tour was free of cost but tips were encouraged, and it was an excellent tour. We saw Trinity College, Dublin Castle, O'Connell Street, Temple Bar, the River Liffey, St. Stephen's Green, and much more. Our tour guide, Peter, was very enthusiastic and knowledgeable and did a great job of telling the history of the city. Afterwards, we had lunch at a pub. Then, Elana and I wandered for a bit. Afterwards, I went and checked into a hostel because Elana's friend's couch had caused me some serious back pain the night before, and because I wanted to see what it was like to stay at a hostel. I went to Kinlay House, which is right near city hall and near all the action, on recommendation from Bob, who stayed there when he was in Dublin. For 18 Euro, I got a bunk bed with linens and a towel, free wifi, continental breakfast, and lots of other stuff that I didn't get the chance to take advantage of because I was only there for two nights. It was an excellent deal, the staff were incredibly friendly, the place was clean, and I'd highly recommend it.

Friday night was "Culture Night", which meant that a bunch of museums and historic sites were open late and were free to the public. Jeff and I went to see the Book of Kells (which looked... like a book. a pretty book, but a book.) We also went to the National Museum of Archaeology, which was fantastic. They had exhibits on bog people found preserved and incredibly intact, along with some ancient Egyptian and Roman art. After that, we headed to a restaurant near my hostel.

I don't think I've mentioned this about the Czech Republic, but customer service is sorely lacking here. Waitresses and shopkeepers are generally noncommunicative, if not outrightly rude. Rarely does one get a smile or small talk. Apparently I've gotten used to this, because when our lovely waiter came and talked to us, I was thrilled that he was nice to us. He was very kind. At one point, a group of four came in and he was trying to figure out where to put them. I asked if he wanted me and Jeff to move so that the group could sit together, and he chuckled and said no, it was alright, but that I was a sweetheart and thanks so much. Anyways, apparently I had made a friend.

Saturday, all three of us went on a tour outside of the city. The tour, by Over the Top Tours, took us through County Wicklow and Glendalough. I must admit, I was a bit disappointed by Dublin as a city, but the countryside was everything I had expected and more. We saw peat bogs and hills and forests and waterfalls and lakes, an old monastery, and everything was incredibly green, and there were sheep... it was fantastic. The tour guide was very cool, and told us about both historical sites but also where celebrities had stayed on past visits (Mia Farrow and Daniel Day Lewis have homes in County Wicklow, and many celebrities including Mick Jagger, the Beatles, Michael Jackson, and Mel Gibson have spent time there at one time or another). I took about 8 zillion pictures, and loved every minute of it. We also saw where scenes from Braveheart and PS, I Love You were filmed. The tour was definitely the highlight of the whole weekend.

After that, Elana's friend Micah joined us and we went to dinner at a genuine Irish pub. I had a shepherd's pie and chips, and had a shot of Jameson Irish Whiskey with my meal. Then, we went back to the restaurant where Jeff and I had been the night before for dessert. The waiter recognized me, continued his witty banter, and in the process dubbed me "Rosie" (I have no clue why).

After a lovely dessert, we headed to a nearby pub to take in the famous Dublin nightlife. We found one with a guy playing live music, it was just him on his acoustic guitar, and he was really good. We sat and talked and watched football, and me and Jeff took a shot of Jameson, while Elana enjoyed a Smirnoff Ice. After awhile, we decided to check out the nightclub downstairs from the pub. It was an 80s themed club, and when we got there it was pretty dead, but it picked up towards the end of the evening. We had a great time dancing. At that point, it was time for all of us to hit the sack, because we had had such a long day.

Sunday morning, we met up, and Jeff and I headed to see St. Patrick Cathedral while Elana and Micah went to the Jewish Quarter. We weren't able to go into the church because services were going on, but we got to see the lovely park next to it. After that, we basically met back up with Elana and Micah and chilled for the rest of the afternoon until we had to head back to the airport.

The trip was, all in all, a great success. I enjoyed Ireland, and hope to go back someday (seeing as I didn't get to go to Knock or Cork!)