Landing in Dublin, Ireland

One of many pedestrian-only streets in Dublin

After a few days of fighting the ugly beast known as Jet Lag, I’m finally able to jump on and lay out my first post in Dublin (sorry for the delay).  I did arrive safely and the trip has started off on a positive note.  The flight was a bit long, but somehow I was lucky enough to be upgraded to first class — so it was Mimosas and hot towels the whole way over.

Additionally, there is a running joke here that there are only 2 possible weather forecasts for Ireland: “It’s raining” and “It’s not raining yet” – which has certainly proven to be true so far.  Before stepping out the front door each day, I have to continually check that every valuable bit that I’m carrying is sealed tightly in waterproof plastic bags.  Past that, I’ve had a great time tackling some of the amusing challenges that you don’t necessarily think about when exploring a new city, such as how to catch a bus, how to know when it’s your stop, and how not to get lost in a city with virtually no street signs (hint: the trick is to find the River Liffey, as it is the guiding beacon to all things in Dublin).

The River Liffey with the Four Courts building on the left

The city of Dublin itself is a relatively easy city to explore, as the majority of the major sites and neighborhoods are all within walking distance of each other.  I am a bit surprised, however, at how international of a city it is — both from the food and culture standpoint as well as the people you see walking down the street.  For example, I ate breakfast with a group from France, am sharing  a hostel room with a young couple from Switzerland, tasted whiskey with a few Isralis, went pint for pint with an Australian (or at least tried, they are legendary drinkers) and am now surrounded by a group of Italians as I type.

The base of The Spike – one of the more striking landmarks on the skyline

As you can see from some of the photos, I’ve done quite a bit of exploring the city in the few days I’ve been here.  At this rate, I’m going to wear through my shoes in no time at all.

St Patrick’s Cathedral

And in case you’re curious why I’m only posting pictures of landmarks so far, that’s because I’m working on a “Food and Drink” post for Ireland, too, that I’ll try to have up in the next day or two.  And yes, Guinness is involved.

The main square in Trinity College

Speaking of Guinness, taking a tour of the Storehouse affords you the opportunity to enjoy the scenary from their 7th floor “Gravity Bar,” with 360 degree views of the city (one of the best vantage points to see the layout).  It is pretty crowded up there, but as a plus, it includes a free pint, which is always tough to turn down.

View from the Gravity Bar (the Guinness Brewery is in the immediate foreground)

If you visit and do grow tired of the hustle and bustle of the city, however, a great day trip is to take the DART line (the city’s elevated train) to a place called Howth on the outskirts of town.  After a few days, I was itching to get out and immerse myself in the countryside, and the well-marked Cliff Walk trail around Howth (roughly 10 miles of hiking) was a great escape, providing some great scenary, as seen below:

The Cliff Walk Trail around Howth

Another view from the trail

One more for good measure (last one, I promise)

As far as plans going forward, I’m catching a bus tomorrow morning headed for Cork, Ireland, on the Southwest Coast, and may potentially move up to Galway after that.  Until then, cheers!