This friendliness began when we were in the airport in London looking for the gate for our flight. We met a young Irish woman, Orla Gartland, who was also looking for the gate. She was super nice and began sharing some ideas on what we should see in Dublin. We chatted throughout the entire flight. When we landed, she offered to show us to the bus we needed to take to reach our hotel, as she was taking the same one. She even waited over 20 minutes for us to clear customs! On the bus, she continued to give us ideas on things to do, and a few minutes after we reached her stop and she left, she texted me to remind me which stop we needed for our hotel. Throughout the weekend she provided us suggestions on places to eat and things to see. She was like our own personal tour guide of Dublin!
Orla is an amazing singer/songwriter, and she was opening for the well-known and talented John Newman that night in a venue that holds over 1,000 people. (Newman's song "Love Me Again" is a big hit in the U.S.) Because the show was sold out, Orla offered to put us on the guest list to go see it. It was an over-18 venue, so Bari stayed back at the hotel with Caitlyn, but I went. Orla put me on the VIP list! It was a great show. We'll be seeing Orla in her own headlining show in London in a few weeks! Here's a picture of me and Orla at the show:
During the concert, I met some interesting people who let me join their group to hang out. There was Mark and his wife Hazel, who then introduced me to their friends, Peter and Tara. Mark helps to maintain the beautiful facilities at Trinity College. Peter works for Guinness as a "quality control analyst." Yes, he tastes Guinness beer every morning! (His comment: "it's a great job, except when you've had too many Guinness's the night before!") Tara insisted on buying me a beer. Mark emailed me the next day to wish me luck on my journeys. These are just some of the amazing Irish people we met who made our trip so memorable.
As for sightseeing, we did a lot, including
The Guinness Brewery Storehouse:
The Kilmainham Prison:
Trinity College--a beautiful college campus with an amazing library that houses the Book of Kells:
We watched (and participated in!) a traditional Irish dancing show:
And we happened to be in Dublin during the Temple Bar Trad Fest, a musical festival celebrating traditional Irish music:
But perhaps the highlight of the trip was going to Howth, a small village about 10 miles from Dublin that had a breathtaking hike along the cliffs. It was one of the most beautiful hikes I've ever done. Several people told us not to do it with a toddler. We were grateful for the warning not to bring our stroller (Caitlyn would remind me that it's called a buggy in London and a pushchair in Ireland), but a challenging hike with a kid has never stopped us before! It just meant that Caitlyn sat on my shoulders most of the time, and we took it very slowly and carefully when we were near the cliffs (good thing our parents are reading this after the hike!). Speaking of the friendliness of the Irish people, on the train ride out to Howth a nice woman overheard that we were heading there, so she came over to give us some off-the-beaten-path suggestions of restaurants for lunch and places to see the beautiful views. Here are some pictures from the hike:
We also had some delicious food during our trip, including Irish soda bread, Irish stew, and some amazing "chips" called "Million Dollar Fries" that were basically au gratin potatoes that were then deep-fried (thanks Orla for the restaurant suggestion!).
Perhaps this quote, from the window of an Irish pub, best summarizes my feelings toward Dublin:
"Dream me a city where I can be myself.
Where brewery hops drift on the morning breeze, & a tin whistle swells your soul
And a nation's woes are solved from a barstool.
Where tales grow taller, and old friends become new.
Where conversations start as day ends.
Dream me a city, and I'll show you Dublin.
And you will feel home."
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