Returning Home

Last weekend was our first trip outside of England. Eight of us decided to go to Dublin for the weekend. I was in Dublin for a few days back in 2004 and was excited to return.

It started around 4am on Saturday morning. We caught a bus (actually two buses) at 0430 which took us Euston train station so that we could catch the 0525 train. We made it just in time. It was a nice train. The doors between each car were very cool, you pushed a button the the doors slid open like Star Trek. They were a lot nicer than Amtrak where you need to kick or punch the dingy door to get it open. The bathroom was futuristic too. Push a button and a curved door opens up. Once inside you push another button and the door closes and locks. Then another button unlocks and opens the door again. Craziness. We changed to a commuter train at Crewe and arrived at Holyhead just before noon. We were scheduled to take a ferry shortly thereafter to Dublin. Sadly the weather was not so good, gale force winds and rough waters, so we were delayed a few hours to a later ferry. I was thinking it was like the Catalina Flyer, but it was more like a mini cruise ship. Three hours later we were in Ireland.

After a short boat ride, we arrived at our Hostel, Shining Hostel. The halls were painted blue and red, but thankfully there was no boy riding around on a tricycle. This was my first hostel experience and it was not so bad. There were 8 beds in the room, so we had the room all to ourselves. It was nearing dinner time and we headed out to explore the town. We were located a block from the main street, O'Connell St. I had remembered a chain of fast-food restaurants called Supermac's and while walking down O'Connell St. we ran into one. I suggested we go there and it was delicious. That night we wandered around Temple Bar area, a couple of blocks full of very old pubs.

The next day, Sunday, we got on a bus tour that allows you to hop on and off for the whole day at a variety of stops. Our first hop off was the Guinness Storehouse. I am not much of a beer fan, but they have a nice set up. As you wind your way through the building, you slowly climb to the 7th floor. The brewing method is described, the history is covered, and they have tons of advertisements on display. On the 5th floor, you can pull your own pint. And on the 7th floor, they have the Gravity Bar. It has a wonderful view of the city, nearly 360°. This is where you get a free Guinness. The view was gorgeous and I found that fresh Guinness is not so bad. I will probably never want to drink it again, but when in Ireland. We hopped back on the bus and passed through Phoenix Park and back towards the center of town. I am going to have to return and explore some of the outskirts. We got off on the west side of O'Connell St. for a late lunch. We next went to Grafton St. A pedestrian only shopping street. This is where a lot of musicians and street performers are. This is also where some scenes from "Once" were filmed. That night we returned to Temple Bar and found a lively pub with lots of fun music to sing-a-long to and excellent Irish music to enjoy.

The next day, Monday, we went to the Jameson Whiskey Distillery. After the tasting there, it became the new favorite mixer of the group, especially with ginger ale. We continued our whirlwind tour by to Trinity College. A few went to see the Book of Kells but I had seen them a few years ago so a few of us wandered around. After rejoining, we went back to Grafton St. and visited a pub. My friend Katie and I went to the top of Grafton St. to Saint Stephen's Green. It is a small park in the middle of town. Absolutely gorgeous. A few scenes from "Once" were filmed here as well so that was exciting to see that. We returned to our hostel to pick up our stuff and got on a city bus to take us to the airport. When we got on at O'Connell St it was very crowded but by the time the bus arrived at the airport, there were very few others besides the 8 of us. We decided to fly home so that we could have more time in Dublin. Our flight was scheduled to leave at 2200 but was delayed about an hour. About an hour before our flight left, I noticed some people lining up. I did not understand this but since have learned that on Ryanair (which is the carrier we used) does not have assigned seating. You line up and first in line gets first choice. We were towards the front of the line so we got to sit together. Less than an hour after take-off we were back in England, but not yet in London only in Luton. Due to the flight delay we had to wait an extra hour for the next train to come at 0107. Finally after arriving at St. Pancras Int'l and taking the same two buses as the first morning, we arrived at our London home around 0230 Tuesday morning.

Nearly 72 hours after leaving for the Emerald Isle, we all returned in one piece and with a knowledge of hostels and a love for Dublin (at least I did).

Until we meet again,

-Maggie the traveler