Jay-Z sure knows how to make a city sound exciting and Dublin didn't let me know. I had a two day stint in the home of Guinness and had a good time, even if the skies were gray (cues Method Man).
Jet-lag and meetings left limited time for sightseeing so I did most of my touring at night which turned out to be pretty cool. I went down to Temple Bar for dinner and drinks and heard about The Boxty House from one of Rachel Ray's specials on The Food Network. I soon realized how much pride the Irish have in potatoes...and drinking. Boxty pancakes and other fried potato delicacies were fantastic! Paired w/ arugula and an Irish Ginger Beer my meal started off wonderfully. I ended up sitting with an American father-daughter pair that were visiting Ireland to choose a veterinary school and enjoyed a delicious trio of stews and my favorite a fluffy slice of Bailey's cheesecake with blackberry compote.
I checked out grafitti and other pubs in Temple Bar and hailed a taxi to see the sights. The Irish are a warm bunch, hearing the words "lad" and "mate" often made me smile. I liked my driver so much that I paid him to take me around and get photos which turned out wonderfully. He showed me where U2 met, where Bono got his name (a hearing aid shop), and also the neighborhood an Irish Soul Band made famous in the 1991 film
"The Commitments". He then proceeded to tell me that the Irish are the blacks of Europe, Dubliners are the blacks of Ireland, and North Dubliners are the blacks of Dublin - hence the soul band I guess lol. After a long session of hop out, take a photo, hop in - I was exhausted and headed back to the hotel.
The next day I decided to spend my final hours in Dublin at the Guinness Experience which was actually pretty cool! I am a spirits, ciders, lambic kind of girl but learning the process was dope and the smell was pleasantly aromatic. The constant "taste experiences" were a nice touch. My favorite was a small booth where they paired different stouts with yummy apps like smoked salmon, dark chocolate, and roasted vegetables. After I learned all I could about the importance of hops, yeast, and fresh water I headed to the Gravity Bar for an awesome 360 view of Dublin and my very own fresh pint of the good stuff.
I'd def suggest a stay in Dublin during your next trip to Northern Europe - be sure to hit some places I missed, including the famous Copperface Jacks, Europe's busiest club open and packed 7 days a week.
Ciao for now!
Sasyrae
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| Dublin from the Gravity Bar |
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Approaching the Guinness Storehouse
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Beware of Imitations!
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| The Dublin Concert Hall |
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| Pubs on Pubs on Pubs |
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| St. Patrick's Cathedral - the largest church in Ireland |
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| Trinity College (Older than the USA) |
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| Entryway to Temple Bar |
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| I'm a fan of concentrated places to imbibe |
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| Electric Culture Graffiti |
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| Dublin Lights |
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| Yummy Bailey's Cheesecake |
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| Boxty Potato Pancakes |
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| The Perfect Pint |
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