Life in Limbo: Day 46: To Dublin in a Day

Friday - July 2, 2010:

It's our last morning at Patti's -- sad!! You'd think I would have been rested by now, but I managed to hit my snooze for 30 minutes (usually I'm up after my first alarm!). So once I managed to force myself out of bed at 8:00, I got dressed and ready and made it downstairs for our (supposed to be) 8:30 breakfast. Well Patti was on her own schedule again and after we knocked on her door, made some noise with the plates, she finally greeted us at 8:50 (keep in mind we have a 9:30 taxi coming for us and we still haven't paid her!) so it was a very high stress meal this morning. Patti was just a frenzied mess!

{The breakfast room -- home of one of the best morning meals in the Kilkenny area}

Our taxi arrived, we settled up with Patti and quickly got in the van. Our driver has picked up people from Patti's in the past, meaning he knows what kind of character Patti is. Well, when we were all loaded up and about ready to go, out runs Patti! She says goodbye and of course gets ahold of our driver, whom she talks for longer than he'd have liked. When he finally got out of her verbal death grip, he made a bee-line for the drivers seat and quickly started the engine. Patti must not pick up on his subtle hints of being ready to go because as he's starting the car, she sticks her head in the window to tell us about how she went out last night to put flowers on Oswald's Adopted Mother Libby-Muffin's grave. The driver doesn't even let her get one sentence out before driving off! It was probably the most hysterical moment of the trip. He just drove off! We were all dying laughing.

So the cab took us to Thomastown, which was about 15 minutes away. Here he dropped us off and we waited on the bus that would take us into Dublin's city center. It picked us up on time, and just in time for us to get on before the rain started. We rode this for about 3 hours, until the last stop where we got off and then proceeded to get a cab to the hostel.

{The infamous Patricia}

{Patti trying to communicate with our cab driver!}

{Isn't she just a love?!}

The taxi driver was so kind and pointed out some stuff to see and do along the drive, which got me excited for Dublin! Just driving that little bit, I can tell that it is a really cool city and just like I imagined it. A pub on every corner, cool shops, double-decker tour buses and old stone buildings. When the cab dropped us off at the Avalon Hostel, it was a very promising first impression. Good location... Good remarks for the cab driver... and it was in the Rick Steeves travel book! So when we walked in and it was clean and neat, we weren't let down. Becca checked us in because the room was under her name, we got our room keys and headed up. Since there were so many of us we got a group rate and a whole room to ourselves -- score! No having to share with random people. So the 11 of us fit in a 12 person room quite comfortably. There was nothing special to the room, just bunk beds, but it still was one of the nicer hostels (besides Barcelona) that we've stayed in. Good choice!

We all unloaded our stuff, changed and set out to hit the streets of Dublin! By this time we are all starving, so we try and find a pub or somewhere to eat at. But of course when you're looking for something -- it's not there. So after much debate (big groups and decision makings dont work) we all came to an agreement and settled for Bewley's Cafe on Grafton Street. It is in the Rick Steeves book, so you know it's legit! It was very good, not a pub, but very good. So we all had lunch, got fuel in the system and looked over what we wanted to do that day.

{The streets of Dublin! Basically looks like Kilkenny and Inistioge, but on a much larger, more crowded scale}

{Some of us on Grafton Street}

{Where we ate lunch -- Bewley's Cafe}

{Just call her Katie Steeves}

{The list...}

{Trying to navigate the map...}

{Such a great guide book to Ireland -- we are officially Rick Steeves groupies}

{If you look real closely, I labeled "shopping" on Grafton Street -- trying to keep my priorities in line}

After researching at lunch, we decided to do a touristy event for the afternoon and dive right into Dublin. So how do we do this? Touring Jameson's Whiskey Distillery! No better way to get a "taste" of Dublin than by seeing where their oldest and most famous whiskey is made. It's about a 15 minute walk there, so we got to see some of Dublin along the way. Let me tell you about the weather here -- it's windy and dark and cloudy and it could rain at any given moment! But I am ok with that because I really like that kind of weather. So we got there, purchased our tickets (I, of course, thought I was being smart by leaving my passport locked up in my room so I didn't bring it with me -- and to get a cheaper student ticket, you had to have some sort of valid student ID like my Visa... And the cashier wouldn't take me up on my offer to ask me anything I might have learned in college to prove to her I was a student so I didn't get the discount... depressing). The tour started almost immediately and we all followed our guide. There was first a movie, explaining the history of the distillery and its founders. Then we got to tour the stages of the process of making whiskey. The distillery isn't actually used today, but they had it set up like it was when it was used. It was so interesting! I am not much of a whiskey connoisseur and didn't think I would care for this tour, but I learned a lot. All of the steps, from beginning to end, we're so neat. So when the tour was over (it took about 30 minutes -- I liked it! Quick, informative and to the point), we got to the bar area. Here they fixed us a drink (I went with Jameson and Ginger Ale... which may be a new favorite of mine) and we sat down for the last entertaining part of the tour -- a taste test. This taste test was done by 8 lucky people from our tour group (Katie Simmeroth was one of the chosen ones) and they sampled Scottish whiskey, American whiskey and Irish whiskey. All of the contestants were quick learners and, in the end, chose Jameson as their whiskey of preference!

{The group outside the Jameson Distillery}

{Ticket photo courtesy of Becca Mikkleson -- she's going to teach me her ways with her camera. She's amazing with that Canon!}

{Loving the Jameson movie theatre}

{Dum, dum, dummmm... the history of Jameson Whiskey}

{I forgot what step in the whiskey-making process this is, but it is really neat}

{The triple distillation room -- this is what sets Irish whiskey apart from Scottish and American whiskey. Irish whiskey is distilled three times, where as Scottish whiskey is distilled twice and American whiskey distilled once}

{Becca, Katelyn and Michael with their Jameson drinks!}

{Kasi and I}

{Katie Simeroth at the testers table! Let's see how good that palate is...}

{Contemplating her taste test...}

{And she passed!!}

I was sad to see the tour end, but excited to explore Dublin at night. So we all slowly walked back to the hostel, sight-seeing as we went, and got ready for dinner.

{Pretty bridge in Dublin}

{Soooo we take a picture on it!}

{Isn't our hostel so cute? You'd never know it was a hostel from the outside, that's what I love about it. It blends in with the rest of the buildings around Dublin. The whole city is precious}

{I told you the whole city was precious}

{FIFA flag flowing in the breeze}

We had heard about this restaurant called Bad Ass Cafe multiple times, and the name is too tempting to resist eating at. So we looked at their menu and decided it was a good call for dinner. Well, while my burger was very tasty, the only thing Bad Ass about it is it's name. Kind of a disappointment, but we can't win them all so it's alright!

{A group of 11 trying to make a decision...}

{We all finally got to wear our leather jackets! This is the one I got in Florence -- I love ittttttt!!}

Bad Ass Cafe did have a good location -- it was in the Temple Bar area of Dublin. This is where a lot of good restaurants and pubs are. So after dinner we walked around the streets and stumbled upon the Temple Bar. Now I have heard about the Temple Bar before -- it's a very famous pub in Dublin. But supposedly it is overpriced and you can get the same scenery and drinks at any local pub in town. So we walked in, under the impression that we were just going to poke our heads in, see it and then leave. Well, when we walked in there was a live band playing, the Ghana-Uruaguay game was on TV and there was an open table big enough to fit our group. How could we leave?? So we sat down, ordered a few drinks and watched the game/listened to music. Well, you're not going to believe this, but as we are all sitting around, watching the game and talking, the lady singer starts singing my jam... yes, my karaoke song of choice... something I have no will-power to resist belting out... yes, she started singing Son of a Preacher Man. I hear the opening chords and nearly jump out of my seat! So do the girls with me, because they have listened to my terrible rendition of this song many times this summer. So you know I have to do it -- I start singing at the top of my lungs as if I am lead singer (which I sometimes think I am). It was the absolute highlight of my trip! Sitting in the Temple Bar in Dublin, drinking Bulmer's Cider, wearing my new leather jacket I scored in Florence and singing Son of a Preacher Man. I should just stop right here because it can't get better. But it does! (Minus Ghana losing...) We stay there all night, sing, dance, meet leprechauns (we like to think so) and just have a good time in Dublin! It was one of the more fun nights we've had! Dublin sure knows how to welcome us to their city :)

{The Temple Bar -- it will forever be one of my favorite Dublin memories!}

{Caitlyn, Katherine, Becca and I in the Temple Bar. I don't know why I'm resting my head on Becca so awkwardly -- I apologize}

{So this is in the middle of my Karaoke session to "Son of a Preacher Man" at the Temple Bar. I would have to bet that at the very moment this picture was taken, I am apologizing to everyone around me and saying "I'm so so sorry, I just can't resist -- I have to belt it out!" Luckily they didn't kick me out or give me a noise complaint!}