Our flight on Friday was at 8 am, so when we arrived in Dublin, we had the entire day in front of us. We took a bus to the center of town and found our hostel which was very centrally located. It was very inexpensive, so we were surprised to find that it was actually quite nice and spacious. After checking in, we decided to wander around the city for a bit. Dublin is fairly compact and we didn't have a hard time finding our way around. Our first stop was Dublin Castle. Everyone has seen their fair share of castles since arriving in Scotland, and no one wanted to pay the money to go inside, but we did get some great shots of the exterior. After Dublin Castle, we walked to Dublina, an enormous cathedral in the center of town, and then St. Patrick's Cathedral. St. Patrick's was gorgeous, inside and out, and definitely worth the visit. The inside was so ornate, and it's home to a lot of historical artifacts. My favorite piece in the cathedral was the "Door of Reconciliation." In the 800s, two large and wealthy families were constantly warring, and the feud between the families had lasted many years. Finally, the head of one family decided enough was enough, and went to the other head of the family's home. When the other man refused to let him into his house for fear of a trap, the man looking for a truce bust a hole in the door and stuck his arm through to shake hands. I'm not sure if I would trust someone who broke a hole through my door, but nonetheless, it was a good story.
After St. Patrick's cathedral, we got some lunch and continued wandering around the city for a bit. It was nice not to feel rushed around and to take our time walking through the streets and exploring. It did start raining, so we returned to the hostel for a nap before we went out for the night. After a great night out, we decided to come back around midnight to get some rest before our busy day. However, after coming back, we realized our hostel was located right next to a night club. So, despite being serenaded by Usher and Jay Sean all night, we did manage to get some rest before getting up bright and early on Saturday.
Saturday began with a walk along the river through town. We got to see a few really cool bridges, including the Harp Bridge, which looks like Guinness Harp. From the river, we walked through town to Trinity College, through some shops, and eventually to a great (and inexpensive) food market. I had the best sweet potato soup which was perfect for the cold weather. From the food market, we continued wandering through town, past the old city walls of the city and finally to the Guinness Storehouse. The storehouse was so much fun, and I learned a lot about the beer brewing process. The displays were really interesting, and we learned how to pour a pint of Guinness the proper way. I now have a certificate, so if anyone needs a pint poured, I'm your girl.
Dublin was different and much more industrial than I had expected, but I loved how compact the city was. It was easy to see everything, and we got to spend a lot of time just wandering around the city and exploring. Although I'm the type of person who likes to stick to a plan, especially when traveling, I had a lot of fun just playing things by ear.
Next stop: Paris!
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