Dublin

I flew to Dublin on Wednesday the 12th for three nights. I got in at 2:00 pm, and was at my hostel by 3:00. My hostel was in a perfect location, just a block from the River Liffey, and a block in the other direction from Trinity College. The first night I was tired from traveling, and walking all over London, so I took myself out for another round of fish and chips, and then I saw the new Bond film. It was a nice relaxing night, something I needed in the midst of all my exploring. And it was nice to see the Bond film in English, before it was released in the States.

The next day I spent exploring the city of Dublin. I started out at Trinity College. I had read that was gorgeous and old, but honestly the upkeep wasn't that great. The buildings are hundreds of years old, but it didn't really feel like it, and the gardening didn't really add to the mood. Maybe because I am biased about my own school? I then walked along Grafton Street, which is the main shopping thoroughfare. It was nice, but after Harrod's, nothing. I took myself to the Temple Bar area next. Temple Bar is part of the historic part of Dublin. It has been through some hard times, but now the city of Dublin is trying to bring it back as a new artsy quarter. It also has a lot of pubs, which are fun to look at because the painting is colorful, and the signs are funny. The next natural stop on my trip was Dublin Castle. It was strange. It had rainbow colored painting on it, and the main square had turned into a parking lot. Next I checked out Christ Church Cathedral. I got tricked into paying three euro to get in, but I guess it was worth it. The cathedral didn't compare at all to anything I've seen in France, but the crypt was really cool. It was also nice to compare the different architecture styles. In an ironic turn, I went on a tour of the Guiness Factory next. The tour is really fun. You pay a set price, and then they let you loose in the storehouse building. The building is many floors, and each floor has displays of different aspects of Guiness' work. The tour explains the brewing process, how to taste beer, advertising, and storage. At the end of the tour you find yourself at the top of the storehouse, in the Gravity Bar. The bar has a 360 degree view of the city of Dublin, and is one of the highest points in Dublin. You also get a complimentary pint of the brew, which to the probable disappointment of my Uncle Chip, I didn't like at all. That night I relaxed in the hostel with a nice Australian girl I met, mostly discussing the differences between our countries, and talking about our travels.

On my second full day I decided that I'd exhausted a large chunk of the sightseeing in Dublin, so I paid to go on a bus tour of the Wicklow Mountains. The tour started at the tourism office in Dublin and the driver took us all around. We started by going up one of the nearer mountains so that we could get a good view of the city. It was breathtaking. We were served complimentary coffee to enjoy our view with. The next couple of hours were highlighted by stopping at cool sights and getting off the bus to check them out. I saw mountains, lakes, and waterfalls. It was all gorgeous and absolutely breathtaking. We stopped in a small town for lunch, and then went to Glendalough. Glendalough was a celtic center of worship. There were several churches there, and now it is a large cemetary. Glendalough also has some very gorgeous paths that lead to more lakes and waterfalls. It was fabulous, and a great day. After Glendalough we started to head back towards Dublin, stopping at some sights where the film Braveheart was filmed. I'm so glad that I did the tour, because I would not have had a chance to see anything so gorgeous.

The next day was my last travel day, but I had intentionally scheduled my flight back to Paris for the evening so that I could explore in the morning and early afternoon. I decided to take the DART train to Bray, which is a town on the sea. It was incredible. The beach was gorgeous, with lots of stones everywhere and no sand. The stones were all really flat because they had been washed down by the ocean. They were perfect for skipping! In Bray there is a sea side walk all along the water, high up some cliffs, that lead to Greystones. I walked part of the path, taking in the beautiful views. It was amazing. When I returned to the beach in Bray I bought my last fish and chips meal, and ate it along the water. I then headed back to Dublin, the airport, and home.

My seventh week vacation was all I wanted it to be. I got to see some cool places, and explore around, taking time off of school. It was fabulous! Now I've got three weeks of class (well two now), and then I have a month off for more travel (Spain, Portugal, Italy!).

PHOTOS:

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*Note: There are no pictures from Bray. My battery died on my camera at Glendalough... Never fear, I bought a disposable, but I don't know how to get the pictures developed here in France.*