Dublin

Having had quite enough of the heat I was very impatient to leave Italy on the final morning. I really couldn't wait to get on the plane. This was the first flight I have ever been on that I didn’t sit in the

window seat and though I wasn’t loving the middle it was still better than staying in the Italian heat.

Arriving in Dublin to find gentle rain and cool temperatures was absolute bliss.

Using my predetermined directions it was super easy to get to my accommodation and didn’t take long at all. After checking in however it was much more difficult to find my dorm room in the massive hostel. I walked half the building three times before going back to the desk and requesting someone to come with me!

Ireland was one of the places I really wanted to go during my 2012-13 trip but it just didn’t happen for me because of time. Waiting so many years made it that much sweeter when I finally got out to explore Dublin. I walked and walked for almost 3 hours trying to take everything in, see as much as possible and get a general orientation.

I found Dublin Castle, Trinity College, Christ Church cathedral and St. Patrick’s Cathedral along the way as well as Temple Bar’s vibrant cobbled pedestrian streets.  Every corner I turned urged me to explore further.

The one thing in the back of my mind that interrupted my need to continue was my even bigger need for a shower. The weather in Dublin was gorgeous but I could still feel the sticky sweat from Italy’s inescapable heat. Unfortunately for me, the one thing I don’t like about hostels is the showers. It’s pretty much guaranteed that they will flood or have a crappy/non-existent temperature range. On this particular occasion I had no flooding but the water was so scalding hot that I couldn’t actually stand under it, I had to stick one limb in at a time and pull it out as fast as possible. Because I was in a wet room and had a sink next to my shower I ended up doing most of my rinsing by cupping cold water in my hands and pouring it over myself. At that point I decided I wouldn’t shower again until I got home.

Of anything in Ireland the 2 things I really wanted to see were the Giant’s Causeway and the Cliffs of Moher. Originally I was planning to do organized tours to both but for such a high price I would have had very little time at the actually sites and 2 very long days of bus travel. As an alternate I decided that I would find the right transit connections and visit on my own, but that would have led to even longer travel days and it really wouldn’t have been worth it in the end.

Instead I did 2 other day trips during my time in Ireland, one to Howth and one to Wicklow Mountains National Park; I’m going to tell you about those days in a separate post though.

My last day before going home was pretty casual. I was still really enjoying myself but I was also really burnt out after spending nearly 3 weeks constantly on the move. I walked around the city more, did some window shopping and eventually ended up at the Guinness Storehouse.

I wasn’t sure if I would do the tour or not, considering part of the entry fee includes a free pint, but it seemed wrong not to go while I was in Dublin. The self-guided tour was quite interesting, telling the whole history and creation process, but the best part was the 365 degree view of Dublin from the 7^th floor.

With little energy left I made my way back to the hostel to pack my backpack for the last time. I don’t know how it happened, considering the shopping I did, but I had more space in my bag going home than I did for the whole trip. I guess I perfected my packing technique.