Our trip to Dublin

Looking at some of my friends' blogs from last year, I saw that some of them — particularly Derek Zetlin — seemed to have traveled everywhere in Europe. So, three weeks into my program, Jon and I decided not to wait any longer and book a flight somewhere to get out of Paris for at least a few days. I mean fresh baguettes and three euro bottles of wine are nice, but we were (or at least I was) definitely due for a change of pace after struggling with the French language and people for almost all of January.

Dublin didn't fail to impress. The city, though based on a river and centered around 18th century architecture, couldn't be more different from Paris. The first thing we noticed was the welcoming spirit in seemingly every Dubliner. Unlike in Paris where you need to greet someone and wine and dine them before asking where the metro is, the Irish wanted to help you find your way, and wanted you to have a great time in their great country.
Before I went, I heard Guiness was a pretty big deal in Dublin, but I really had no idea how infused in the culture it actually is. I would say 95 percent of pubs have Guiness on tap, and if you look around, you rarely see someone drinking anything other than "black gold." Obviously, we had to conform, and I had no qualms about consuming a frothy milkshake-like stout.

Our hostel was situated in possibly the best location in Dublin. We were one minute from the Temple Bar district where all the pubs are, across the street from Trinity College and a 10 minute walk from the Guiness Storehouse and St. Patrick's Cathedral. Not too bad for 10 euros a night.

After sleeping through much of the first day, we went out to Temple Bar and had a blast. The pubs there are nothing like they are in the U.S. or in Paris. We also happened to be there during something called the Dublin Trad Festival, which included live traditional Irish music at every pub all day long. We took advantage of that, and since one pint of Guiness can last about 45 minutes, we didn't break the bank either.

On Friday, we did pretty much everything touristy to do in Dublin. We went to the Guiness Storehouse and took a 2-plus hour historical tour of the city. Both were awesome. We learned all about Irish history, all the way from the early settlers to the North-South factions. It was very interesting, and very tiring. We were excited to get back to Temple Bar and relax with a few pints.

At this point, I think I've mentioned Guiness three times (now four). Please don't think I'm an alcoholic — drinking is something the Irish do all the time. Really, all the time. The scene at the bar at 11:30 p.m. on Friday night wasn't much different from the place at 2:00 p.m. With the live music, people like to have a good time and enjoy a truly delicious beer.

Back to the tour: Our guide brought us all around the old medieval district, which isn't so medieval anymore. He showed us the old parliament building, city hall, Dublin Castle, Temple Bar and Trinity College.

After lunch, we went to the Guiness Storehouse, which was probably the best thing we did in Dublin. I had already been to the Heineken factory in Amsterdam, so I thought it would be similar. Fortunately, it was completely different. The museum/brewery is based around an enormous pint glass — the biggest one in the world. The tour ended with a trip to the top of the building, where we got to enjoy a pint in the Gravity Bar, a circular room where you can see all of Dublin. Here's a photo:
Saturday was a bit more mellow. We walked to St. Patrick's Cathedral, which was a bit unimpressive after seeing Notre Dame on a daily basis. It was nonetheless nice to walk around the city and see some parts of Dublin we hadn't seen yet.

But I think the best part of the trip had to be the very end. We had about three hours to kill, so what else to do but go to a pub? We sat down, got a pint, and befriended an older Irish couple from Glaskow. We spent all three hours in the same seat, and the man — Phil — bought us a few pints and we just had a great time making friends with some of the locals. When foreigners come to America, I know I will welcome them the way Phil and Julianne did with us.
I don't really want to bore you with stories that you won't find amusing, so I think I'll just leave it at that. Long story short, it was a great weekend and it was really fun to get a new perspective on European life outside Paris. At the same time, I'm so glad to be back in Paris, and with a new group of Abroadco students coming tomorrow, it's the perfect time to hang out, see the sights, and relax before classes start for real on Feb. 11.