Visiting Dublin was a lot more fun than I thought it'd be. I figured it'd be something like London, and while London was an interesting place to visit, it wasn't really my cup of tea. I'll try to stick to the highlights of my Dublin trip:
1.) We woke up early Saturday morning with the intention of catching a 7am bus to Dublin (it's about a 3 and a half hour trip from Limerick). Well, we JUST missed the bus and had to wait another hour in the dark/cold. I got some excellent pictures of the quiet morning and the sun-rise, though (see picture above). All the traveling I've done this semester has allowed me to catch glimpses of some fantastic sun-rises and sun-sets.
2.) I slept the whole way to Dublin--I actually love the bus rides. Walking EVERYWHERE has taught me to appreciate any form of transportation that doesn't involve much physical exertion, haha. One of our first adventures in Dublin was at Trinity College, where we saw the famous Book of Kells. Honestly, the most exciting part of that excursion was that we didn't have to do a tour with some old guy rambling on about things we don't really care about...we were able to just go at our own pace and appreciate the Book of Kells and other famous artifacts housed in Trinity College's library.
3.) From the college we took a cab to the world famous GUINNESS FACTORY. Let me preface this by saying I absolutely HATE the taste of Guinness, and I've gotten my fair share of flack from the Irish about my lack of good taste in beer..The factory has a cool set-up and is much more informative than I expected; we also got about a pint and a quarter's worth of free Guinness to drink. I was only able to manage a few good gulps before I had to pass it off to one of the boys. While I'd probably never go back to the brewery, it was a fun experience and I conquered my fear of nasty-tasting Guinness. Been there, done that!
4.) Saturday night the girls and I scarfed dinner down in the hotel and quickly got ready for the JOSHUA RADIN concert at The Academy on Middle Abbey Street. I was really excited about this, because not only am I a huge fan of JR, but also I haven't been to a concert in ages and to go to one in Dublin is pretttttty cool. The scene was very hipster, and lots of under-aged kids were trying to pass for 18 and get into the bar--it was quite an interesting sight! We all bought a pint of cider and then headed up to the stage to see JR perform--we were right in the front row! That's what I love about artists that aren't well-known; they are much more accessible, and usually play in cooler venues than more well-known artists. Anyways, the concert was ok (he wasn't as great of a performer as I was hoping), and afterwards we went out to explore Dublin night-life.
5.) Sunday morning we set out for the Viking tour, one of the many guided tours Dublin city has to offer. Honestly, this might have been the best part of our trip, although we all decided that the tour would have been even more fun if we had pre-gamed it (sorry Mom!) Basically, the tour is conducted on a 1940s WWII duck, one of those things that can drive on land and then go straight into water. We boarded the "duck" and immediately put on plastic viking hats (hence the ridiculous picture above), and proceeded to roam around Dublin, literally ROARING (yes, roaring) and waving our little viking fists at unsuspecting passers-by. It was quite a riot. We had fantastic weather all weekend too, which definitely made the tour much more enjoyable.
6.) After the tour we did some last minute touristy shopping and then headed back to Limerick. It was a very successful weekend! :)
This week I've been up to my elbows with work: writing papers, doing laundry, studying for exams, etc. etc. etc. I really can't complain though-I love life over here :)
This weekend I'm going to Killarney with the mountain biking club to get in some incredible biking. It may or may not be the death of me--this past Sunday, the crew biked for 6 hours straight, over 35 km of biking, and not just easy biking--forest/mountain/rocks/roots...well, you get the idea. I'm super excited to push myself physically and mentally and see what all I can accomplish this weekend. Pictures will definitely be taken ;)
May the light always find you on a dreary day.
When you need to be home, may you find your way.
May you always have courage to take a chance
And never find frogs in your underpants.
:) Lindsey
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