BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND
You would not believe how excited I was for this day to arrive! I landed at the airport in Belfast just a short hour before Chris which gave me time for a coffee and to scout the tourist station at the airport for information about the city. Running to Chris fresh off the airplane was so exhilarating and marked the start of an incredible two-week whirlwind vacation!
After checking into our place, we decided to take a lazy approach to walking the city. We started at St. George's Market (rated top indoor market in the UK) for a delicious lunch and a look at the local art, followed by a walk around the city to catch the sites. Not to mention, we also needed our first Guinness! That night we had a great BBQ meal at a joint called Bubbaque - pulled pork sandwiches and mac 'n cheese - before jetting off to try to catch a pub crawl that started in the city center. Unfortunately the pub crawl did not meet that night so we were off to our own devices. It did not keep us down though, we found live Irish music and great new friends. Not to mention, we went to the oldest bar in all of Northern Ireland!
You would not believe how excited I was for this day to arrive! I landed at the airport in Belfast just a short hour before Chris which gave me time for a coffee and to scout the tourist station at the airport for information about the city. Running to Chris fresh off the airplane was so exhilarating and marked the start of an incredible two-week whirlwind vacation!
After checking into our place, we decided to take a lazy approach to walking the city. We started at St. George's Market (rated top indoor market in the UK) for a delicious lunch and a look at the local art, followed by a walk around the city to catch the sites. Not to mention, we also needed our first Guinness! That night we had a great BBQ meal at a joint called Bubbaque - pulled pork sandwiches and mac 'n cheese - before jetting off to try to catch a pub crawl that started in the city center. Unfortunately the pub crawl did not meet that night so we were off to our own devices. It did not keep us down though, we found live Irish music and great new friends. Not to mention, we went to the oldest bar in all of Northern Ireland!
GIANT'S CAUSEWAY TOUR The next day, we had an early morning! We met our tour group by 9 AM to see some of the countryside in Northern Ireland. Driving along the coast was phenomenal filled with beautiful pastures and water breaking on the shoreline. I highly recommend doing a tour like this one if you are ever in Northern Ireland. It was a great treat to walk across the Carrick-a-rede Rope Bridge and to see the infamous Giant's Causeway. The bus tour was a full-day and also included breaks along the way at various castles and important viewpoints. For lunch we stopped at Old Bushmills Whiskey Distillery, the oldest whiskey distillery in the world. Lunch was a great Irish fare and included free whiskey tastings. Too bad Chris & I weren't the biggest whiskey fans . . . The Tale of Giant's Causeway: |
ST. PATRICK'S DAY FESTIVAL | DUBLIN, IRELAND
DAY I: Welcome to Dublin!
On Monday, Chris & I bussed down to Dublin early morning. We made it to the city by 9:30 and were squared away at our B&B early. Chris did a great job at picking our accommodation which was conveniently close to St. Patrick's Cathedral & Garden.
Right away, we went on over and met up with my DG sorority sisters at the Guinness Storehouse! It was an incredible tribute to the Guinness legacy that tracked everything from the ingredients and time that went into brewing a Guinness to the marketing and sales.
After the storehouse, we made our way to St. Stephen's Green and Grafton Street. It was a party in the square outside St. Stephen's filled with dancing and live music! Chris and I joined in on the dancing and really worked up a good appetite that night.
In the evening, we went south of the green to some of the local college bars. In addition to the bars in the south, we went up to Temple Bar to meet with everyone that came into Dublin from USC.
DAY I: Welcome to Dublin!
On Monday, Chris & I bussed down to Dublin early morning. We made it to the city by 9:30 and were squared away at our B&B early. Chris did a great job at picking our accommodation which was conveniently close to St. Patrick's Cathedral & Garden.
Right away, we went on over and met up with my DG sorority sisters at the Guinness Storehouse! It was an incredible tribute to the Guinness legacy that tracked everything from the ingredients and time that went into brewing a Guinness to the marketing and sales.
After the storehouse, we made our way to St. Stephen's Green and Grafton Street. It was a party in the square outside St. Stephen's filled with dancing and live music! Chris and I joined in on the dancing and really worked up a good appetite that night.
In the evening, we went south of the green to some of the local college bars. In addition to the bars in the south, we went up to Temple Bar to meet with everyone that came into Dublin from USC.
DAY II: ST. PATRICK'S DAY Tuesday was the big day! We made our way out to the parade path early and walked around for a couple of hours until we found an ideal spot to see the whole affair. We ended up sitting on top of phone booth! They were the best seats in the house, I'm sure of it. The parade was such an amazing show of Irish pride! There were bagpiping groups and bands from all across the world putting a show on for all of us. I especially loved the local art groups from Ireland like the children's dance groups, etc. After the Parade, we spent time walking around the city and enjoying the festivity of it all! It was an amazing sight to see - everyone happy enjoying life and in full-green. Our night started back down at the bar from the first night meeting new friends. Our little group hopped between four or some bars across town which ended at a bar called the 'Nowhere' bar near the Temple Bar area. What a night! |