Dublin

Ireland. I've wanted to go for as long as I can remember. When I first started planning my trip to Europe I had planned on stopping in Ireland before London, on my way to Spain. But flights became more complicated and planning two countries before I arrived seemed too much. So I decided I had to pick one. London it was! Ireland would have to wait.

This past week I was perusing the web for deals on flights. Skyscanner.com is really nice, because you can type in "Madrid to everywhere" and it'll give you the best deals for various destinations. I came across a deal for Dublin: 110 euros round trip. Twice as much as Brussels, but still too good to pass up. So I bought my ticket and started planning. 

The nice thing about going to a place you've thought about forever is that you've already got ideas about what to do when you go there. The hard thing is, you usually have too many ideas to fit into one trip.

This was particularly true for me, since I only have two and half days there. I decided to start with purchasing a Dublin pass, so that I could see all the main attractions in Dublin. But I also wanted to see at least a little of the famous Irish countryside. After some ridiculous anxiety, a conversation with my Mom, and lots of pros and cons lists, ...I decided to join a guided day tour to the West coast. And so, Thursday night nearing midnight, my trip was finally all set. Dublin Friday afternoon and Saturday, West coast Sunday. 

My flight was at 10:30am, which meant I could take the bus and metro to the airport instead of the taxi. I got to my gate, grabbed some breakfast (has anyone ever heard of a yogurt filled muffin? It was weird.) and at 9:45 boarded the plane.

We landed fifteen minutes early, and I quickly passed through passport check. After picking up my Dublin pass and travel card at the info office I got on the bus and rode into town.

I got off near Trinity College and walked a few minutes to my hostel. After dropping off my bag I headed out. My first destination: Grafton street.

A first day in a new city wouldn't be complete without me getting myself lost. I got that out of the way first thing, taking a wrong turn and adding an extra five minutes or so to my walk. But I wasn't too lost, and I DID find Grafton street.

Grafton Street is a pedestrian only street with tons of stores, shops, and cafés. I looked at the shops a bit but the main reason I came was for the Bewleys Original Cafe. I love Bewleys tea and couldn't wait to try it in its original tea shop.

I sat at a small table on the second floor, overlooking the floor below. The shop was really crowded, and it was fun to people watch and enjoy the relaxed atmosphere. The tea was excellent. I also ordered a chicken, brie, and cranberry sandwich. As amazing as the sandwich was, the homemade chips that came with it were even more outstanding. 

After lunch I was stuffed. I walked the rest of Grafton street and into St. Stephen's Green. It was a nice park, with fountains and lots of trees, but nothing compared to the parks in London and Madrid. 

On the other side of the park I caught a bus to The Guinness Storehouse. It was included in my Dublin Pass and is the most popular attraction in Dublin, so I figured I'd better check it out. Even though I'm not really into beer, the tour was really interesting. They showed the process of how it's made, the history of Guinness, and various original machines and tools used in the beer making process over two hundred years ago. They also had informational videos throughout the tour, as well as Guinness commercials and Books of World Records through the years. At the top floor of the building is the Sky bar, a round room where you can enjoy a complimentary drink and see the whole of Dublin. I hadn't tried beer before, but decided it was a must while in Ireland. I was surprised. It actually wasn't too bad. 

:)

I took the bus from the Storehouse to Christ church Cathedral, hoping to see one more attraction before heading back to the hostel, but they'd closed early. So I walked back towards the hostel through Temple Bar. Temple Bar is a very touristy area filled with shops, restaurants, and bars. I looked at a few menus but decided to head back first. 6:30 was still a little early for dinner.

Back at the hostel I got a message from my Mom about a live webcam they had by the Temple Bar (there is a bar in Temple Bar called Temple Bar. Yeah, confusing) So a few minutes later I walked back there to wave at them on the webcam. After that I walked down the street until I found a restaurant selling Irish stew and soda bread. "The Quays" wasn't exactly budget friendly, but one taste of their stew and I didn't care how much it cost. It. was. so. good. After just two meals I'm convinced that Ireland has the best food ever.

After dinner I went back to the hostel. It was 8:00pm and I was tired and not really feeling like checking out any of the bars by myself. Tomorrow I'll join a pub crawl so I can experience that aspect of Dublin as well :)

So, it was a pretty good (though rainy) Ireland day one. Dublin is much different than I'd imagined: smaller, for one thing. And not as clean or kept up as other places I've been to. But it's definitely unique. And the people are so friendly. And there is still so much to see tomorrow!