So Dublin. You were a pretty awesome little city. Not even close to as big as London...
For me, Dublin was the perfect city to visit for a weekend. You really don't need much time past that, in order to do all of the touristy attractions && main points. We arrived in Dublin at the CRAZY early hour of 8am on Friday. Actually, it might've been 7:30. Regardless, I was awake at 3:30am, after 2.5 hours of sleep to start this adventure.
Airbnb - you're pretty sweet. If you haven't looked into this website, check it out @ www.airbnb.com. Basically, it lets people rent out their apartments/ flats/ rooms for your use. You pay through the website & it tends to be a LOT cheaper than a hotel! For instance, one night in Paris right by the Louve cost about $100. You're not going to find that price anywhere else, that's for sure. The website lets you search by location, #of beds, # of people, price... you name it. Also, if you refer a friend, you get a discount on your next trip && they get a discount code as well! So if you're looking to use Airbnb... you know where to find me! :) But we booked a small 4 person room in a Bed & Breakfast right by the hotel. Granted, it might've been a little old & smelled a bit like smoke, but for 2 nights, it was perfect.
Airbnb is not as used in the United States as it is here, but it's worth checking out! As always, check out the reviews of the place & make sure you check out the area in which you are staying. Usually, they're located in decently safe areas & allow you to rent out entire flats for super cheap prices. Great if you are planning to stay somewhere for a decent period of time. End rant on Airbnb...
So we arrived into the center city around 11 or so. We were able to check right into our Airbnb, which we were blessed to be able to do. We didn't have to carry our bags around all day like Connor & I did in Scotland! We purchased 3 day bus passes & headed off into the city.
I expected Dublin to blow me away as a city. Quite honestly, it didn't. I'm used to London, which is well kept & clean, with a variety of things to see & do on every corner. I guess that's what you get for studying abroad in a large city! However, Dublin was magical in it's own sort of way. Our first stop was for a little snack then we headed off to the Dublin Castle. We tried to go see the Book of Kells on our way to the castle but decided against it. I wish we had seen it but maybe next time I go back? ;) (Yes, I do plan on traveling after this excursion back to Europe. Not sure if it'll be in the next 5 years... but someday! A girl has to dream right?)
Thank you Student ID for providing me with great discounts around the world! Side note - Ireland is on the Euro. The Euro exchange rate is WORLDS better than the pound. I finally didn't feel poor! It was great to have the exchange rate only add about a dollar or so, compared to 1.5x the price.
Here are the stairs in the state apartments/castle.
Who wouldn't want this view everyday?
The harp is a national symbol of Ireland. Honestly, for the longest time, I thought it had something to do with Guinness & Guinness only... I guess I was just a bit too excited to try that delicious beer!
Excuse all the chandelier pictures - they were necessary.
Even the door knobs were pretty
And more lighting.. oops.
There's little Hannah in this gorgeous blue room
Who wouldn't want that view?
The gorgeous ceiling
The castle was pretty cool. Not my favorite part of the trip but worth seeing! The thing to me was the Dublin did not feel like what I expected from a European country. I've travelled all throughout the United Kingdom so far... so I'm excited to broaden my horizons to Italy, Paris, & Germany. I feel like Italy and Paris will feel more like the European cities I expect to see.
We had lunch at a cute place called Eddie Rockets. We're pretty sure it's meant to be a rip off of Johnny Rockets but I have 0 complaints about my chicken fingers. Check it out --> Eddie Rockets. They even describe it as an American diner which is decorated like the 1950's... hm.
On Friday, we also went to the Guinness Storehouse. I posted some pictures of it on Friday... but if you want to learn more --> click here : Guinness Storehouse. I promise you, my brother has never been more jealous of me than he was on Friday while I was off in Ireland drinking a PURE Guinness. I'm not really a huge fan of it back in the United States. It's purely a sipping beer & can be quite heavy at times. The museum was super modern & so detailed. My favorite part, though, was sipping away at my freshly poured pint while sitting at the 6th floor bar, which had a 360 degree view of Dublin. Pretty awesome, right? I would recommend it to anyone! Even if you are not a beer drinker, the museum itself is incredible. As is the gift shop... My brother is SUPER excited for me to return home with his personalized Guinness glass. I've never heard him more excited than when I sent him a picture. Finally found the perfect gift for JV!
I could rave about the factory for another 4 pages... but I'll spare you. It was great. After that, we headed back to our hotel to rest up a bit before heading out for the night. I have 2 friends who are studying abroad in Dublin & we had plans to meet them at a local pub for a drink. We ate dinner at the bar next to our B&B, where I ate a delicious caesar salad. Let me tell you, I've been craving a good one for weeks. After that, we hopped back on the bus to visit some friends. It was great seeing Michelle & Amanda. I'm blessed to have friends who are studying in cities all over Europe. It's nice to see a familiar face in a strange place!
Day 2: More Dublin & Howth
On Saturday, we got up & headed into town. We stopped for a Crepe along the way -- fantastic choice! We headed over to Saint Patrick's Cathedral. I have been in so many churches while abroad. It is really getting to the point where they are all running together in my head. St. Paul's & Westminster Abbey are my two favorites so far but I'm sure after visiting St. Peter's in Rome, my mind will be completely changed. (Can't wait mom!)
Saint Patrick's was gorgeous & really gave off an Irish feel.
Again with the gates
The Cathedral
Christ's Church - This is located just up the road from Saint Patrick's. We didn't go in because you had to pay & we really wanted to see the other church more.
The way the church was lit up was gorgeous.
Ah, iron gates have my heart
Yes! "Christ beside me, Christ is with me, Chris to comfort..." (I can't read the rest as I am writing this post. You'll just have to click on the picture to find out what it says!)
Stained glass never ceases to amaze
The chapel at the front of the church
After this, we headed for a snack & off to Howth! We had originally wanted to visit the infamous Cliffs of Moher on Saturday. After researching, we realized the average trip there from Dublin is an entire day trip. You take a bus & stop in several small cities along the way. Also, it was supposed to be a really windy day, so we didn't believe it was the best choice. I am really glad we went off the beaten path & chose to explore a local fishing village instead. If we didn't, I might never have tried my first fish & chips! (I actually enjoyed it... maybe I'll be more brave with my food choices from now on!)
Beaches/ coast in Howth
We got to the city in mid-afternoon & were treated to these gorgeous sites when we got off the bus.
I don't think you need my words to explain how beautiful this place was. It felt very much like a New England beach, especially Maine.
We wanted to get to that little area on the left, which was sadly an island... oh well!
We climbed up the hill for an even better view
Gorgeous
Artsy pictures again, just for you all!
The flatmates - Connor. He was off in Prague with his family. Apologies -- my eyes are completely closed. No choice - it was so windy!
Best friend since day 1 of college
The colors. God's creation never ceases to amaze me
Roommate!
Forced to put my hair up. It was in actual knots by the time we got back because of the wind.
Pensive
After these pictures, we headed back down the hill to eat in the village. We stopped at a chain (we think it was a chain restaurant) for some fish & chips. All day, we had seen everyone eating this one brand & had to check it out. It was totally worth it! We ate along a little park & then took the bus back to Dublin. We were still exhausted... We made it an early night & headed back to our B&B. We all fell asleep relatively early, as we had flights around 8am the next day to head home.
We headed home yesterday exhausted but happy. I thoroughly enjoyed this trip! Weekend trips might be exhausting but they are well worth it in the end. I'm blessed to see the amazing places I have been able to see.
After returning home, I headed to church & spent the rest of my day studying for my midterm exams & working on reports due this week. After all the work due this week, our trip to Italy on Friday will be well deserved! We recently booked our trip to Italy for spring break! I'm truly blessed to be able to spend a semester traveling, learning, & exploring. I am honestly loving it here more day by day. The new things you get to see, the people you meet, the experiences I've been having are things I will never forget.
I saw a quote about how you may forget the days but you will never forget the memories. Making memories is exactly what I'm doing here. I'm just about halfway through my program. How insane is that? Every time I come back from a trip, I look back & cannot believe it is already over. Dublin is already over! We're already a third of the way through March. Where is my semester going? I'm truly blessed to be here & cannot wait to see where the rest of the semester takes me. Happy Monday!
-hannah-
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