Land of Leprechauns, Guinness & Castles

You guessed it (or perhaps not) — Ireland! Last weekend I went up North for a few days in Dublin with Kara, Brittany and Sarah. After a very early flight, an — ahem — interesting and slightly confusing bus ride, and a quick power nap, we set off on foot through the city in search of Leprechauns, pots of gold and a good time. Accompanied by sunny weather and a clear blue sky, we took in all the sights: picturesque bridges along the river, gorgeous cathedrals and churches, and colorful gardens. We toured through the Viking area (yep, that's what it's really called) and eventually made it to the Guinness factory (we couldn't skip that).

Now, beer's not my favorite drink, but I actually enjoyed the tour. We learned a ton about how it's made, and it was surprisingly interesting. We even got to taste-test a pint of Guinness each. I only had about half of mine since I didn't like it, but Brittany did, and gladly finished off the glass. The view from the Gravity Bar, located high atop the Guinness factory, was incredible, and we even saw a rainbow draped across the sky (though we never did find the pot of gold at the end of it). To finish off our first day there, we went out to dinner at a traditional Irish pub. Though it was remarkably similar to those we'd experienced in London, the accents were anything but familiar. I've finally adapted to the British accent (I hardly even notice it anymore), but trying to understand the waitress's thick Dublin accent was a bit of a challenge.

With only 12 hours left in Ireland, we set off for Malahide Castle, just outside Dublin. After seeing Neuschwanstein and Höhschwangau on my spring break, I had pretty lofty expectations. Malahide is incomparable to the two Bavarian castles (I feel like most are), but the Irish fortress has a subtle beauty and sophistication that made it worth a second look. We took the castle tour and wandered through the winding pathways of the garden and park. After a brief stop at the playground to relive our childhood, we found ourselves back in the quaint town of Malahide.

We had just enough time to grab a drink (Bailey's) and a bite to eat before heading to the airport and back to London. It was a whirlwind weekend, but great fun to see yet another country. I love looking at all the stamps in my passport — each of them a badge of honor for going out into the world and experiencing a new culture. And I can't wait to add more.

Photos:
Brittany and I with our free pints of Guinness at the Gravity Bar.
Church in the Viking area of Dublin.
Me in front of Malahide Castle.