Considering that today is St. Patrick’s Day, I thought I should probably do a post about Dublin. Now, I was only in Dublin for 36 hours last year, but I made sure to visit places that I had heard so many wonderful things about. When I think back on my time there, it really wasn’t long enough. I could spend weeks, if not months, in Dublin, Ireland. The people are lovely, the food is hearty, and it is a beautiful city. Below are some details that correspond with the photos above.
1 + 3 + 5: All of these photos are from Grafton Street. When I was there, the sun came out after a night of cold rain, and it was so nice to see the many people out shopping and enjoying the nice weather. Those flowers are from one of the many flower stands there, and you can see how vivid the colors are; truly beautiful! Lastly, what would a trip to Ireland be without some traditional Irish dancing? This jolly fella was set up in front of a storefront and had music to accompany his moves.
2: The Jameson Factory. I had never tried whiskey before, and I am glad the first time I tried it was in Dublin, here at the Jameson Factory. My friend and I went on the tour, which included learning about the history and process of making whiskey in the factory, and a nice tasting at the end. I had mine with cranberry juice. The picture is in the lobby of the factory tour, which also houses JJ’s Bar. Here, you can order a number of whiskey tastings, as well as an Irish coffee. Of all my tours in Dublin, this was my favorite.
4: The other tour I went on was at the Guinness Factory. It’s a self-guided tour, and if you buy your tickets in advance, you don’t have to wait in the extremely long line that goes out the door and around the corner. I highly suggest doing that! The tour is interactive, which is great, and takes you all over the building to show the stages of making Guinness. There is even a part of the tour that offers free tastes, or you can opt out of the tasting and learn how to properly pour a pint. At the end of the tour, you can head up to the top of the building, which offers a wonderful view of the city, and get a free pint there, if you haven’t already. I have to say, I enjoyed seeing the factory (the room where the ads are was my favorite, as seen by the picture), but I am NOT a Guinness fan. I didn’t down more than 2 or 3 sips of the brew before I gave up trying. To each her own, I suppose.
However, [[this is important]] if you are in the Los Angeles area, I HIGHLY recommend finding a Carmela’s Ice Cream location- W. Third St. or Pasadena creamery storefronts, and other specialty stores including Jones on Third- as they have the MOST AMAZING Guinness flavored ice cream that could possibly be made. This, coming from a person who just admitted she couldn’t stomach more than a few sips. GO TRY IT.
6: As a student at university, I don’t think it’s right to visit Dublin and not see Trinity College. We were extremely short on time, so I was not able to do the tour, but next time I am in Dublin I will definitely get inside. The best I did was the lovely courtyard right when you enter the gates. How gorgeous is this? I snapped maybe 8 or 10 pictures of this quad before leaving, and this is the most picturesque one by far. The background is lovely, no one is right in front of the camera, and best of all, I’m not awkwardly posing in the middle. I can’t get over how lovely this looks!
Not pictured:
Temple Bar. I didn’t have a picture of the outside of Temple Bar to include, but everyone knows a stop at Temple Bar is a necessity.
And lastly, my favorite part of Dublin was a sentimental visit: I went to Whelan’s, the pub where P.S. I Love You was filmed. I looked for the picture the cast signed, and I finally found it right before leaving. I took a picture on my phone, and forever will remember that moment. It seems so cheesy, but that is one of my all time favorite movies, so it means a lot to my experience in Dublin, Ireland.
Happy St. Paddy’s Day, everyone!
Congratulations, Kelly!
