Breaking the Ice - Dublin, Ireland
After the harrowing flight and a short shuttle ride to the city center, I stepped foot in Dublin at around 11am local time. The air was brisk on this Sunday morning, and the city streets had a surprising amount of people. I quickly made my way to the hostel to get the heavy bag off my back, seeing some familiar signs for KFC, Subway, and Papa John’s along the way.
To counteract jet lag symptoms, I took a long stroll through the city center. Many of the streets are inconsistent - a mix between asphalt for the main roads, mostly along the river, and old-style brick roads between buildings. Roads are shared as well, with people walking on the brick roads seldom used by cars other than taxis, and asphalt roads with railway tracks embedded inside for cars and trains to use together.
I found some unique Irish art on the streets as well. You can see the full Google Photos album here
Note: I won’t be able to embed as many photos into my blog posts as I hoped - it takes a long time to transfer them from my phone to my iPad to the blogging site. I will always update the Google album though, so be sure to keep an eye on the link above!
I stopped for a quick sip of a dirty chai latte at the quaint Music Café, and then grabbed a bite at Mad Egg for lunch, which served what they called “chicken burgers” or “chicken sandos.” The sandwich itself had really crispy chicken and tasty sauce, but the tater tots had a soft, mashed potato texture inside rather than the shredded texture of an American tot. They also charged me for water - lame.
I went back to the hostel to check in and had a Gannon-style 4 hour nap, after which I had some Asian food in a little hole-in-the-wall joint. I then hit up the pubs around the Temple Bar area. Many bars were packed with people on a Sunday, which was awesome. I hopped from one place to another, enjoying the live music and having a pint at a few places. I was still exhausted from the travel, so I turned in a bit early.
Day 4 began with the Guinness Storehouse Tour! I absolutely loved this attraction - it showcased the history of the company and the scientific process of how the beer is brewed, all with an artistic and visually striking format. My favorite part was the section about Guinness’ history of advertising. The iconic illustrations by John Gilroy were on full display - I learned he actually turned down doing illustrations for Disney to work for Guinness instead! Oh, and then they printed my face on the foam of a Guinness!
While drinking my second beer at the top floor bar (my tour started at 10am, by the way), I started chatting with Marie from Mexico. She was also a fellow solo traveler, so we decided to take a walk to Phoenix Park. After the rain started up, we quickly rushed back towards the city center and ran into Dublinia for shelter. This was a history museum revolving around the settlement of Vikings in Dublin, and the following Medieval period.
Connected to the museum was the Christ Church Cathedral - a worship site that has been dated back to Viking times. We had a charismatic tour guide that talked all about the history of the cathedral’s architecture and the people that influenced its current state. Crooked walls, ancient flooring, a spooky crypt, Roman and Gothic architecture, a priceless silver plate, a mummified cat and mouse chase, and the Heart of St. Laurence (Google the story, it’s crazy) were all highlights of the tour.
Marie and I parted ways after the cathedral tour - she had a flight to catch and I had a nap to take. We had a lot of fun and some great conversations - thanks Marie!
After another Gannon-style nap, it was still raining a bit, so I opted to have some local Dublin beer and pizza from the hostel kitchen. At the hostel, I struck up conversation with Vicka from Galway, Ireland, Hugo from Dallas, and Julio from Panama. Vicka taught me about Irish lingo and talked about life as a chef, and I told her all about Walmart and the strange US liquor laws.
It felt really nice to finally chat with people. These were the first people I had full conversations with since this trip started. I have been both nervous and excited about meeting new people on this adventure, and it has been a relief to know that people are interested in what I have to say, as I am also interested in their stories. I look forward to meeting all kinds of new people going forward!
Today is Day 5 - I will be taking a tour of the Jameson Irish Whiskey Distillery in just a few hours. The cathedral guide suggested I check out Camden Street for a less touristy pub experience. After that, who knows what I’ll do? I have a flight to London tomorrow morning, so expect to hear from me there next!
-Gannon
