My heart dropped. Mommy Camp (what I call the time while he's gone) is usually only a week--a busy, fun-filled week that keeps me occupied so I don't miss my little rugrat while he's gone.
He did a two-week camp a couple years ago, and it was too much--for me. The first week was a blast, but the second week was hard. I found myself lingering at his bedroom door, surprised that the room was still clean, staring sadly at his empty bed. I realized if he was going away for two weeks, then I was, too.
And that was how I found myself in Boston Airport, anxiously scanning the security lines for my friend Amber. We were off on an adventure to Ireland while Mark was gone, and I couldn't wait!
After a long dinner together, and an even longer red-eye flight, we awoke in Ireland. The Emerald Isle was gorgeous--a giant ocean with an island in the middle of it! The land was green, all of it, everywhere. I was in love with this place before we even landed!
We boarded a bus into Dublin, and gasped as the scenery rolled by, lush open fields and row houses with colorful doors. As the bus changed lanes and entered the highway from the opposite side of the road, we congratulated ourselves on a wise decision NOT to drive in Ireland! (I can't speak for Amber, but I'd have crashed the car in the first five minutes!)
The bus driver dropped us off in Temple Bar, the hectic tourist area filled with about a bazillion pubs, restaurants and souvenir shops. He promised a quick 10 minute walk to the hotel. It probably was, but we were jet-lagged, sleep-deprived and a little disoriented, so it took a lot longer to find the place. We got a nice tour of the area, though, and it was the only time we ever saw the streets of Temple Bar empty. Apparently, only the beer truck drivers are awake that early in Temple Bar.
Our hotel was great, right on the banks of the Liffy River. Amber and I excitedly crossed over the Ha' Penny Bridge and stepped into the hotel, crossing our fingers they'd have a room ready. (We were desperate for a shower and maybe a quick nap.) No rooms were available, but they offered to keep our bags, so off we went, ready for our first foray into Dublin.
My first impression was that it was busy. The tour buses were out now, and mobs of tourists, all of them crowding the tiny sidewalks and spilling into the streets. The streets were busy, too, filled to capacity with jaywalking pedestrians, speeding cars and city buses, all intent on running us over. I just hoped we'd make it through our first day alive!
In search of a SIM card for my phone, we somehow ended up on Grafton Street, purely by mistake. Grafton, a shopping street, is closed off to traffic, which was perfect, since we hadn't quite figured out which direction the cars were coming.
It was filled with street performers and musicians, all desperately trying to grab the tourists' attention. Amber and I were enthralled by it.
Somehow we made it off of Grafton, and back into the Temple Bar area. We pored over our map, where the hotel receptionist had marked off some restaurant recommendations. Still a bit disoriented, we couldn't quite find our bearings, but eventually ended up at the iconic red Temple Bar pub, where we enjoyed an amazing lunch and our first pub music. It was awesome!
Luckily, our room was ready after lunch, so we returned for showers and naps. Then it was time to see some more of the city! We opted for the green Hop On/Hop Off bus (the HOHO), which took us a couple miles away to the most popular tourist destination in Ireland--the Guinness Storehouse!
That's right, our first "museum" was a brewery (are you really surprised??). Arriving just before 6 pm, our timing was perfect--the whole place was empty! We strolled through the museum part, running our hands through the vast display of hops, watching videos of how Guinness is brewed, learning the history of both the beer and the brewer. We joined the tasting tour, breathing in the four different brewing components--my favorite smelled like roasted coffee beans. We downed tiny glasses of Guinness, as our hilarious guide Sean taught us to smell, taste and savor it. It was all great fun.
The tour also included a pint of "the black stuff," and boy, were we ready for it! The elevator took us to the Gravity Bar on the 7th floor. It was awesome, 360 degrees of glass, and the sun was fully shining, providing spectacular views of Dublin and beyond. We could see all the way to the port in one direction, and the Wicklow Mountains in another.
The bartender poured us a pint, and this is where we learned that the most important ingredient for Guinness is patience. This is not a quick process--you don't just pop off the bottle cap and fill up a glass. Oh, no. Pouring the perfect pint takes time--you slooooooowly pull the tap to fill the glass about 70% full, and then you wait. You wait for the foam to subside, which takes a good three to five minutes, but get a good bartender like we did, and you won't even notice. He set our glasses down the bar, and shared his stories about his previous life, working with computers. He pointed out the different views outside, and he recommended places to visit. This was the good craic (fun) Ireland is famous for. We had such a nice long conversation, we didn't even notice the beers had finally stopped foaming until he picked them up, and topped them off.
"Enjoy!" he told us, handing us each a perfect Guinness.
Amber and I found a window seat, clinked glasses, and cheered "Slainte!" We were only hours into the trip, and it was the best vacation ever already!
We did have to hurry a little bit, though, to catch the last HOHO bus back to the city center. It was an 8 o'clock bus, but you'd never know it by the light outside--apparently, Dublin is on the same latitude as Fairbanks, Alaska, so the summer sun doesn't set until well past 10 pm. (More time to sight see!)
The HOHO bus drove us past sights we'd see in the upcoming days--Kilmainham Gaol, Heuston train station. It drove into Phoenix Park, a huge public area filled with runners, bikers, and people playing cricket. We saw the zoo, the President of Ireland's house,
and the U.S. Ambassador's house, in a prime location, surrounded by acres and acres of parklands. The wind blew through our hair atop the double-decker bus, and the light softened as dusk approached, making the park even prettier with each passing moment.
We drove along the River Liffy, taking in all the sights of downtown Dublin. I couldn't believe I was really here, 5,000 miles from home, in Ireland. It was so surreal, and exciting, and I'll admit, I got a little emotional about it.
The HOHO dropped us off in front of our hotel. We crossed over the bridge back into Temple Bar, which was teeming with people. The shops and pubs were packed, as were the streets, filled with musicians playing. I dug all the live music, everywhere you turned. With so much going on in every direction, Amber and I were a little overwhelmed. We finally picked a pub for dinner simply because it was in front of us.
It was a pub (surprise!). We followed the hostess downstairs, which was filled with people drinking beer. Two guys onstage sang, one strumming a guitar while the other coaxed a sad tune from his fiddle. The waitress brought us big beers (real 16 ounce pints, not those measly American 12 ounce "pints"!), and then some good hearty Irish food. I dipped piece after piece of thick soda bread into the most amazing seafood chowder, and I realized I was gonna like it here.
Because we ate dinner so late (9 pm), the music ended early. We debated finding another pub, but realized we'd put in a very full day already, especially since we arrived early in the morning, with little sleep, and immediately hit the ground running. So, exhausted but happy, we slowly returned to the hotel with full stomachs and full hearts, and plans for an equally exciting second day.
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