Dublin

We're home from Ireland and let me tell you, coming back was not easy. Not easy even at all. To say we had an amazing time would be an understatement.

I'm not a world traveler. But, I would say in my short 22 years here on this earth, I've been to a few places and seen some new faces. I've loved pretty much every place I've ever traveled to, and then there is Ireland. It's kind of in a category of its own for me. Maybe it's because I'm still on that post-trip high, or maybe it's simply the fact that it's an amazing country. Between the people (who in my opinion are the friendliest, kindest, most hospitable people I have ever met), the scenery, the food, and the fact that I got to spend one blissful, uninterrupted week with Chin, we had the time of our lives. 

We spent two and a half days in Dublin (our first day and last day and a half) exploring the city and the time in between was spent in the Irish countryside. 

A few thoughts on Dublin...

I love big cities. I'm not really from a "big" city, but I've always loved the feel of being downtown. The city lights, the rush of people, the sounds... It all fascinates me. Dublin was no exception. We flew there on St. Patrick's Day, which meant that we didn't get out and about until the day after, so the city was still recovering from the wild day previous. Festivals were winding down (though we still got to participate in a few of them) and the streets were a little quiter while the people in Dublin recuperated. 

Our first day in Dublin we explored Trinity College (and the amazing Book of Kells) and Christ Church Cathedral, the oldest building in Dublin. We were exhausted from jet lag, but still managed to try the Bangers and Mash from The Oval Bar, and take a ride on a ferris wheel (set up for a festival) overlooking Dublin. Pretty magical if you ask me.

Our last leg of the trip we also spent in Dublin, seeing some of the sights that were closed on our first day. We took a tour of Kilmainham Jail and saw the galleries in the Chester Beatty Library. Our last night in Ireland we ate at Porterhouse Brewery (famous for a reason, it was incredible) and were part of the hustle and bustle that is the Temple Bar District on a Saturday night in downtown Dublin. The streets were packed with people headed to pubs, live musicians, and all sorts of lively folk. We stopped into a cafe for some of the best hot chocolate I've ever had, and slowly walked back to our hotel, soaking up the sights.

We managed to catch the last day of food stands outside of Christ Church Cathedral and all this candy was calling my name.

 

Christ Church Cathedral was a spectacle in itself.

We were lucky in the fact that our hotel was in walking distance to pretty much all the sights in Dublin. Our first day, we picked up lunch at Roly's Bistro and ate lunch on the canal before heading downtown.

The apartments close to our hotel were stunning!

Exploring the old library at Trinity College

A rainy night in the Temple Bar District

Dinner at the Oval Bar (thanks for the reccomendation Moe!)

On top of the ferris wheel. A little chilly, but a perfect way to end our first day in Ireland.

 

Exploring the Temple Bar District on our last night in Ireland

Walking around a corner to see a stunning Trinity College lit up at night was a beautiful surprise!

Overall, we LOVED Dublin. It's such a clean and (seemingly) safe city. It's easy to get around and the people were so friendly. I'll try not to drag out our vacation posts for too long, because I do realize how annoying that can be. But thanks for reading along in our Irish adventure!