IRELAND!!! ~dublin!!

 Dublin, an amazing city, full of interesting people.  The hostel that we are staying at is really nice and clean, except for it being a 14 bed room.  But we have seen tons of sights around Dublin and learned so much about the Irish people.  Our first day (after arriving) included Kilmainham Gaol (a jail) that had tons of history especially around the Easter Riots, then the Museum of Modern Art (housed on the old royal hospital estate), the Guinness Storehouse to learn how stout is made. Day two was: the zoo, a pop over to the Decorative Art Museum, Jameson Whiskey Distillery, Dublin Castle, and the Bram Stroker’s Dracula Museum (bad).  Day three: Trinity College, National Museum of Ireland, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and the General Post office.

 

So I know that by just stating all of these things does not tell you exactly what we have been doing over here in Ireland, but please understand.  We have done a lot.  Dublin was a confusing city at first, getting slightly lost on the way to the hostel for the first time.  And trying to find Kilmainham, then to the Guinness storehouse, and other places.  But we mastered the tram and all of the different stops, so we could avoid the bus, plus it is cheaper!  Otherwise we have been soaking up as much Irish history as possible.  The trip to Kilmainham was probably the most educational, it really brought home just how much this country has been through.  During the potato famine, Kilmainham could fit 194 people, but it housed over 3000, and this was tiny cells, but people needed to eat.  They were practically asking to be put in jail.  And the estate that had the royal hospital (now modern art museum), was beautiful.  There was a cemetery that they could date till the 1700, but there was different parts, that was important all the way back to the 600s.  Plus a sign for a porcupine is always a cute thing.  Otherwise my favorite part about Dublin was Dublin Castle.  Though the castle could be dated to the 1200 and a little prior (a Viking Wall was found), it showed so much of the changes that had taken place.  It had been burned, in the 1600s and exploded in certain parts, due to ill planning and them exploding the powder tower!!  So most of the present castle was rebuilt in the late 1700s by the English.  I should say for the British, they really seemed to use it as a way of showing off their power.  The castle has a huge upper yard and huge rooms.  There is even a throne room where the English King or Queen would have people presented to them.  Queen Victoria had them cut off the lions that used to hold up the throne, because she did not want to have to hop up on the throne!  Anyways, I guess I really liked the castle and seeing some of the ruins they had found, so we could see a tiny little staircase that had at one time let merchants in and out of the castle.  Okay I will stop with all the Irish history.

 

Dublin is an interesting city.  We have seen more dog poo than one wants to in their whole life.  Then there are all the weird cafes.  Some places are neat and cute, and we feel perfectly happy there.  Other times we get French people mad at us, for asking what is in the soup they are serving us.  Or trying to figure out why they don’t announce things on the dart.  The Dracula museum was supposed to be scary, ha! Also Dubliners are very nice, they constantly walk up to us whenever we have a map and ask us where we want to be.  This is not them trying to be weird, just nice. 

 

Oh and we are experimenting with cooking, hostel style.  At the beginning, we actually had no idea if the hostel had any cooking equipment.  So we knew they had a microwave and plates, thus we chose: frozen fish sticks, canned spaghetti, and microwavable rice.   All I will say about this is, never again.  That combination was not needed and not good.  Microwaving frozen fish is gross.  Definitely the bottom of our cooking experience.  But I will be adding more about Ireland in a day or two, as we are in Cork at the moment and soon heading back to Dublin.  Thus look for an update soon, as my European Adventure continues!!

~DH