Our Visit to Dublin; a Travel Tale

Hello from the middle of our busy semester. Chris has been busy at work, writing curriculum and grading tests, leaving little time to write about our travels. We have gone on a few trips since our great summer adventures here in Bulgaria. We went to the Black Sea town of Sozopol with our new colleagues. It was a great way to get to know our new friends and see the seaside. In fact we could not stay away from the Black Sea and returned a few weeks later to a town called Nessebar. We went with a group of friends and enjoyed the last few days of summer at the beach. Those trips were short and feel like so long ago. After those trips we had no long breaks and struggled through to the first weekend in November when we finally had a chance to get away.

Our first trip out of Bulgaria brought us to the Irish capital of Dublin. We traveled there with three other friends and we couldn't wait to explore this city steeped in tea, coffee, whiskey and legends. We arrived in the airport and were whisked away to our Airbnb. After checking in we left to find some food at a nearby restaurant called The Harbourmaster where we were treated to tasty burgers and hot stone steaks. After dinner we explored the neighborhood around our Airbnb.

The next day we set out for a breakfast of donuts and coffee at The Rolling Donut and started touring at Trinity College where we saw the Book of Kells and the Old Library. It was fascinating to see the old and beautifully decorated books as well as the old wood in the library where the tomes are actively being preserved but are still able to be used for research. After exploring the campus a little more we took time for lunch. After lunch we stopped at The Little Museum of Dublin. This small house museum is filled to brim with pictures and items from Dublin's controversial past. Our great tour guide combined his knowledge and sarcastic wit to give us a great view of what it means to be from the city. After a quick rest we ate dinner down at the fabled Temple Bar and ate great Irish pub food to a live band. After a quick night walk around we went back to rest for the next day.

The second full day of our trip was a Saturday and we started it out with brunch at the Bakehouse. A few had a traditional Irish breakfast while others had fluffy pancakes. We ate a hearty meal as we were off to the Jameson Distillery to learn about and taste the famous whiskey. We were met once again with a sarcastic and sharp-witted tour guide telling us the story of the beginning of the Jameson brand as well as how whiskey is made. We compared the taste of Irish whiskey, Scottish whisky and Kentucky bourbon. It was a great experience. After the tour we enjoyed a free drink from the bar and each other's company. Soon after we left to explore the town a bit and ended up at the famous Bewley's Cafe. Thanks to the warming power of the tea we felt ready to explore the town a bit more before turning in to our place.

The next day was our last day in Dublin. We of course celebrated with brunch at the Beanhive cafe. This delightful small restaurant served amazing breakfast foods and adorable latte art. It was a great way to end our culinary travels through the city. After brunch we walked around a bit more before heading off to catch our bus to the airport. We really enjoyed Dublin and its many stories and hope to come back and explore the rest of the county.