After a 2 ½ hour bus ride from Cork to Dublin we found our way to the ship shuttle where we waited for an hour and then raced to our “home” to shower and change after our long 2 days staying in hostels we didn’t deem clean. From here we headed back out into Dublin to eat and souvenir shop. We ended up having lunch at an Irish Pub while watching Gaelic Futbol (Irish Soccer…very aggressive and rough). Here I ate traditional Irish Stew made with Lamb (a first time for me) and beer bread.
We then decided to head down to the Temple Bar area (a famous tourist area in Dublin). Here we circled the actual Temple Bar twice and decided to head down the street to the Storehouse Pub where we met several American Navy Men and drank Smithix (a milder beer in Europe) in the beer garden.
From here we headed on a walking tour of the city where we took hundreds of photos and talked to many locals. After a long day walking and traveling we decided to head back to the ship to relax in the lounge and reminisce about our trips with fellow students.
The next day Jenna and I headed into downtown Dublin where we decided to hit up small, relatively cheap, shopping boutiques and mall areas. We made several purchases each with a backpacking backpack and sleeping bag for me and a new pair of jeans. (I mistakenly thought this trip was going to be like a Caribbean cruise with warm temps everywhere we went….wrong!)
The entire weekend in Ireland was chilly with temperature only in the low 60s which still beat the 50s we had while at sea. Although we were lucky and the rain did stay away…except for the first morning when I was trekking through farm fields and cow pies in white tennis shoes and long pants (they were soaked and very dirty).
Overall; however, Ireland was AMAZING! Beyond anything I could have every imagined. It was definitely an experience and I cannot wait to head out on more wonderful trips with my new friends.
Another blog on my week in London and Southampton soon to come…but for now I must head off to bed. I arrive in Belgium tomorrow!
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