Our Travels...Dublin

Finally got around to writing about Dublin...

So after finishing up in Edinburgh we caught a flight to the Emerald Isle. Apparently Ireland is NOT part of the UK, and they don't like it when you say that. I guess it's like when people ask me if I'm American and I always insist that we're not the same 

So! This is gunna take some digging back into my memory because I was last in Dublin about 3 weeks ago but it was a great stay. The people were some of the friendliest people I have ever met. We did not have even one bad experience.

The only downfall was, like everywhere else we visited, the weather was FREEZING. I wish it had been sunnier, mostly for the sake of the pictures but I think you will still enjoy them.

being knocked over by the wind - literally, a grown woman fell down through a strong gust !

We stayed with an adorable old couple, in their home - bed and breakfast style. It was nice to have someone else around looking out for us, it was like having a little nonna away from home -- her name is even Teresa! haha 

We arrived in Dublin on Halloween night. We were unsure of what time we would actually get to our B&B and whether we would have the energy to go out, so we hadn't prepared costumes. But we went out on a whim and decided to throw together a basic costume. We did the classic, go-to, black cats! We didn't even have little ears, so it was pretty pathetic but no one at the bars seemed to mind. A lot of people "meow-ed" at us, so I guess it was a crowd pleaser LOL! It was also nice to come into contact people who spoke english, and who we could actually have a more complex conversation with. Although my french is getting better, trying to explain anything about life in Canada, beyond basic topics, gets really complicated. Also, I'm not as funny and charming in French! C'est dommage! lol 

We hit up the famous Temple Bar, which is an iconic hotspot in Dublin known for celebrity visits, and attracting a cool, laid back crowd. It was a lot of fun and I'm so glad we pulled our tired asses off the beds and got outside! Another fun fact, Halloween is actually a Celtic tradition and originated in Ireland so we picked a good city to celebrate in, the streets were a party in themselves and the costumes weren't the normal skimpy stuff  you see at home, but genuinely elaborate masked ghosts and ghouls!

We spent most of our time in Dublin exploring the city rather than rushing from tourist attraction to tourist attraction, and I really enjoyed not having a schedule and just enjoying the things around us. The only good thing about the cold, was that we stopped for tea really often. We found this cute cafe and stopped for homemade scones. It was in a refurbished warehouse style building, which had been converted into an open air shopping complex. One of the most interesting looking and feeling places we stumbled upon in Irish streets. 

St. Patricks Cathedral

In courtyard of Dublin Castle

We also made a stop at St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin Castle, had a sip of Guinness and visited Trinity College - which basically looks like an older, cooler UofT. We didn't make it to the Library of Kells, because it was closed - but it houses original Darwinian documents (for those of you that forgot first year sociology, he theorized on evolution and is big in science and philosophy). 

The second day we got up bright and early and spent a whole 7 hours touring the Irish countryside outside Dublin making a stop for traditional lunch, seeing the route that was taken by Holly in the romantic film Ps. I Love You, and visiting other impressive areas like Wicklow and Glendalough National Parks which have been featured in movies like Braveheart.

our bus driver gave everyone a shot of irish wisky to cheers the landscape and fight the cold! Sante'!

All in all it was a beautiful trip, my only regret is that I didn't get to see more castles! But I'm sure I'll be back again, maybe in the summer at the height of the green.