I left my heart in Dublin

As you probably know, yesterday afternoon I returned to Amsterdam from an adventure-filled weekend in Ireland.  Along with our new friend who is here through ISEP (International Student Exchange Program) as well from the US, John David, Emily and I grabbed a Ryan Air flight Friday morning and arrived at our hostel, The Four Courts, around 11 AM.

Emily and I have a group of friends that travelled to Dublin over the summer, so from their advice we knew we wanted to take a day tour of the countryside during our stay.  Since these tours last from around 9 in the morning 'til suppertime, we decided our best bet was to do the tour on Saturday, and leave Friday for wandering and catching the other sites we were interested in that wouldn't be on the tour.  So, after checking into the Four Courts we ventured out into the city of Dublin and number one on our list was finding food!  For an authentic Irish meal to start off the trip, the attendant at the front desk suggested O'Neill's.

From Outside O'Neill's

And again

My meal of mashed potatoes, stuffing, and sausages

Much to John David's and my chagrin, they were out of rack of lamb so I settled for the sausages which were still delicious!  We also enjoyed the fact that we didn't have to pay for the tap water, because here in Amsterdam if you ask for water they bring you a glass bottle of water that costs more than a soda, and get frustrated if you request tap.

After lunch we headed to Trinity College, home of the famous ancient Celtic Book of Kells.  During freshman year I took a class on Ireland and the Irish people where I had learned some of the history of Ireland before, during, and after the Famine.  This being said, I was kind of the driving force in making sure we saw Trinity, but I think it was well enjoyed by all.  Unfortunately we didn't actually get to see the Book of Kells, but I illegally took a little peek up into the library and was blown away simply by the fraction of books and architecture I saw.  I am constantly astounded by the astronomical amounts of history you can find in one crumb of the cookie that is Europe.  It's really something I've never experienced at home, simply because the US just doesn't have this truly ancient history.

At a gateway in the middle of the campus courtyard

Trinity College Library: home of The Book of Kells

Campus was full of students back for their fall semester!

After we'd had our fill of touring the campus, we headed straight for the Guinness Factory, excited to learn about the pride of Ireland.  The Guinness factory is hundreds of years old, and now the secrets are open to the public in a 7-story tall display, where each floor is dedicated to one of the facets of the craftsmanship of a pint of Guinness.  Once you get to the top of the exhibit, you trade in your ticket stub for a complimentary pint, and enjoy the hoppy, thick concoction with a bird's eye panoramic view of the city.  I was nervous to taste the beer, because I generally am not a huge fan of hops or dark beers, but the crisp, cold, coffee-esque beverage melted my heart, as well as probably a few of my brain cells. After a quick stop in the gift shop, we enjoyed a giggly walk back into the center of the city.

For dinner we enjoyed some fish and chips (my favorite!) and then went to the Temple Bar area, an spot common to both tourists and locals and enjoyed (...? wouldn't necessarily say enjoyed, maybe endured) some good ol' Irish whiskey while we got to know our new friend a little better over an enticing game of 'Would you rather?'

So, this wasn't Emily's or my first time in a hostel, we had experienced one a few weeks ago in Brussels.  However, when we went to Brussels, we were in a group of 6 so we scored a dorm all to ourselves sans any other travelers we didn't know.  It's generally cheaper to stay in the larger dorms, so this time the two of us were in a 6 person dorm with 4 randos.  We only ran into 2 of them, and while they were very kind and interested in our journeys/backgrounds, we didn't mind scooting out early enough to dodge them on Saturday morning!

Like I said, we decided to do a day tour of the country on Saturday.  Not only was this recommended by our friends, but we didn't like how on our last trip to Brussels we were just sort of roaming around, not exactly knowing what we were looking at.  We thought it would be worth the money and the time to be guided around, learning about the history and whatnot.  Let me tell you with these pictures, it was worth every penny.  Our tour guide, Dennis, had an authentic Irish accent and did a phenomenal job showing 14 tourists all that the Wicklow Mountains, Glendalough, and Kilkenny had to offer.  We got to see incredible mountains, valleys, glacier lakes, forests, and herds of sheep among other exciting destinations from the popular movie, P.S. I Love You.

A glacier lake

Emily, John David, & I

Sitting on the bridge where Holly & Gerry first meet in P.S. I Love You

Bridge again

The so-called Guinness Lake

Gracefully attempting to climb a 89.5 degree rock hill

Ancient cemetery in a Monastic community

Beautiful Celtic headstones

Sailboat seen as we were seal-watching on the coast of Dublin

It was incredible just to take in all of the sights of the tour, and some of the time I just needed to sneak away by myself to collect my thoughts.  It's really hard for me to wrap my mind around the fact that I'm actually here.  You know I think, "well I could just be in a national park somewhere in the western United States, why don't I feel like I'm in Ireland?"  I needed to sit down and really thank God, and just get into my head that I was here, in the middle of my dreams and that this was actually happening, and that I needed to get my shit together and start soakin' up every second because this my friends was a once-in-a-lifetime view.

Of all the countryside, I think the aspect I was most intrigued by was the road we travelled.  Not just the fact that we were on the left side of it,

but that it wasn't big enough for 2 cars side by side, 

that this didn't even really matter because we probably passed 10 cars the entire time, 

that the road just weaved in and out of the hills and valleys, 

that who really knows where the road was going or how long it was going to take to get there.  

I jotted down some thoughts on the bus from one point to another:

• The landscape wasn't as green as I'd imagined, probably from it being nearly Winter
• The amount of uninhabited land
• Bikers must bike for hours through this barren land (and we saw loads of them!)
• We learned that the water has a reddish tint, which you might be able to see from some of my photos, because it runs through the Wicklow Mountains and is filtered through iron.  The reddish tint comes from that iron, yet is still safe to drink.  In fact the water used to make Guinness is natural water straight from the Wicklow Mountains
• Only every 10-20 years does it snow in Ireland

Finally after returning back to the hostel around 6:30, we took an hour to rest and recoup before heading to Whelan's, the bar where Gerry sings "Galway Girl" to Holly in P.S. I Love You.  We grabbed a quick bite on the way, then enjoyed a nice pint while listening to some live music and soaking up the awesomeness of the authentic Irish atmosphere.

Under an autographed movie advert signed by Gerard Butler & Hilary Swank

Needless to say, Emily and I were star-struck.  & while I was mildly disappointed that I didn't meet my Gerry during our 48 hours in Dublin, I absolutely loved every second we spent being obnoxious tourists, getting lost by the map, singing Galway Girl in every pub we visited, and even sleeping in my top bunk hostel bed.

Ireland has always been a big dream of mine.  I originally wanted to study there during my term abroad, but unfortunately the only programs Butler has with Ireland give you just half of your financial aid which was impossible for me to obtain.  I have ancestors from both my mom and dad's families, and have always been very proud to say that I've got Irish blood.  I am so glad we made this dream a reality, and will hold tight to the memories we made this weekend for a lifetime.  Even though it was short, it was a life-changing experience.

I know this post is long, even though it's mostly photos, but I hope you made it to the end and enjoyed it!  Thanks for reading, love from Amsterdam! 

xoxo, Messie