Back to my roots

It's good to be Irish

Matt and I during our first day in Dublin

It's my second night in Dublin and so far I have been having a wonderful time exploring the city with my brother and dad. It was very anticlimactic leaving Madrid, with me worrying about shipping a box home and finishing up packing and not really having official goodbyes with any of my friends. But that's OK...because I know I will see them all again!

After a delayed flight I finally arrived in Dublin on Thursday night. The city is wonderful, not like any other European city I have been to before. It still has the charm of its old and more desolate times, with areas that are more commercial and thriving from tourism and nightlife. On our first official day, we visited Trinity College...so beautiful and so famous! Our next stop was Kilmainham jail, which is known for the execution of the rebel leaders of the Easter Uprising of 1916 (when Irish nationalists rebelled against their British rulers). Kilmainham was EXTREMELY well preserved, and because of that, very spooky. I cannot begin to imagine what it would be like to live in the jails of today, let alone a jail from earlier centuries.

Kilmainham Jail

The Liffey River

To reward ourselves from visiting a relatively depressing historical site, we moved onto the Guinness Brewery! I can see why people come to Dublin only to see this place. It was incredible, with several floors of a hands-on walking tour, restaurants, and the Gravity Bar on top- where you can enjoy a pint of Guinness overlooking a panoramic view of the city. Even though I'm not really a fan of beer, I would go back to this brewery any day. It was just too funny.

The guys at Guinness

Inside the brewery

Temple Bar area

Today we had an early breakfast and headed out to O'Connell street, which is right by our hotel. Then we visited the Dublin Writer's Museum...where the first copy of Dracula is held! So amazing, I didn't even know Dracula was written by an Irish author! The museum had a large amount of other famous artifacts, and I enjoyed learning about such authors as Wilde and Yeats. We then walked to the Temple Bar, probably the most hopping area in Dublin, where we had lunch from the outdoor Saturday farmer's market. We were even so inspired to check out a famous art gallery in the area. Tonight was spent walking around the Temple Bar area and its outskirts trying to find authentic Irish music, which I must admit was a little difficult.

The Ha'Penny bridge

Porterhouse Brews

Matt and I on the river

We ate at a delicious Italian restaurant, visited the famous Porterhouse Brewing Company, and decided that we will be successful tomorrow night in finding Irish music with a few tips from the locals. It's been a wonderful vacation so far. After enjoying a pint of Guinness, Matt has proclaimed this is the country he is going to study abroad in. Oh how convenient :)

Emily