Irish charm is alive and well....

Oh Ireland....it is everything you have ever heard about it and more.  My adventure started out wonderful right from the get-go.   The Dublin airport brought about the arrival of my parents.  Yep that's right...they just keep following me around Europe and I am so happy about it.  I feel so lucky to have such a great relationship with my family that I love spending time with them.  We found our way via bus, tram and foot to our hotel without trouble.  Our hotel was just outside the city center which was perfect.  Just the way I like it....far enough away you aren't in the middle of the mess but close enough to walk to anything you want to see.  By the time we arrived and

Dublin Castle...Old combined with new.

 checked in it was late and we were pretty close to hangry (no I did not misspell hungry...I meant hangry..look it up if you don't know what it is).  After a ridiculous wait which included being ignored at a tiny restaurant, we finally got some food in us and could become normal people again ready to rest and hit the ground running (or walking) the next day.
As I love to do in every city I strongly encouraged my parents to accompany me on a walking tour.  Luckily it didn't take much persuasion and off we went on a Viking Walking Tour of Dublin.  Our guide gave us a overview of Irish history and it is so much

Trinity College

worse then I ever imagined.  The Irish people have had a rough go over the years and it makes sense why they are so united as a people and try and hang on to their culture and heritage.  Part of that is maintaining the Irish Language.  All signs are in both languages and kids are required to learn it in school.  I am now going to admit some more moments of ignorance...feel free to make fun of me but only if you knew this....I did not know that Ireland was it's own separate country (thought it was still a part of the UK which northern ireland is so I was not completely wrong)  I also didn't know they had their own language

Viking Ruins

just like when I was in Wales and I was surprised my the bi-lingual signage.  It's all about growth and learning right...just getting my education.  Ok, back to the walking tour...Our  very enthusiastic Dublin born and bred tour guide walked us through all the top bits of town.  Dublin Castle was a combo of old and new since 3 of the 4 original turrets and walls were blown up due to an unfortunate mishap with the explosives that they stored inside the castle. Moral of the story...don't store all of your explosives inside one castle if you want it to last.  The new potions that were added to it were quite nice though.  They were in the Georgian style and fit quite nicely with the old.  We also walked through Trinity College which is one of the oldest colleges in the 

Ha'penny Bridge...all my family on the bridge.

town and holds the famous Book of Kells that dates back to the 800's.  It was Freshers week at the college so walking through brought back memories of my early college days...wow that statement just made me feel old.  Anyway,  the campus was beautiful and filled with history.  Tons of famous writers and philosophers have come out of this college.  I will let you do your own research if you want to know all of them.  The most interesting bit of the tour for me was finding out about the Viking ruins.  Apparently when they were digging a foundation for a huge new building in the city they discovered a massive archeological site of old viking remains and items.  Obviously once this was discovered the building was stopped and the dig started.  The thing that broke my heart to find out was that some how before all the items were recovered the city got permission to stop the dig and resume the building.  There are still countless items under this building that we will never see in our lifetime.  Now on a lighter note, the evening I was very much looking forward to...why you ask...well I will tell you.  Remember how I met family in Sweden...well they were in Dublin staying with our other cousin and coming to meet 

Buskers...Live music in Temple Bar

us for dinner that night!!!!  We had dinner near our hotel and then Francesca (Dublin cousin) took us on and evening walk through town.  We walked across the Ha'penny bridge, which got it's name because it used to have a toll of a ha'penny to cross, and lead us into the lively Temple Bar area.  There were tons of bars and pubs with live music.  Most were quite packed for a thursday night but we learned later that it was like this due to a huge Gallic football match that was happening the coming weekend.  We bid goodbye at the station to our family with plans to catch up the next day and headed back into Temple Bar to 

Oscar Wilde...lounging and looking dapper.

catch some live music.  After standing outside for a few minutes I used some gentle persuasion and a promise of a pint and seat inside I got my parents inside Busker to experience some live music and Irish dancing.  We had a great night then headed home to rest up for the next day of adventuring.  

We met up with Lars and Asa near the Oscar Wilde statue (very famous in Dublin) to take a tour of the city by bus and street.  The bus tour was nice and gave us a really great grasp on the true size of the city and also where we wanted to hit the next day.  Since Lars and Asa only had the one day we just kinda let them take the lead and 

Family love in St Stephens park

followed.  The day was wonderful.  Asa had been there for a conference and led us to a park she had been walking through daily which was beautiful.  Especially since we were blessed with beautiful sunshine.  There was a gorgeous pond where we saw a heron perched in a branch, swans and ducks swimming gently around and people lazing on the banks.  Makes you realize how much  people who don't have this weather all the time appreciate it so much more when they have it.  We stopped by a fountain for a chat and some family photos before we headed out of the park to check out the art walk and the historical 

Sunshine, Smiles and St Stephens park

museum of Ireland.  It was so much fun spending this time with my immediate family and the new family I had met just months before.  We had spoken of the possability of meeting up in Dublin when I had dinner with them but you never know when plans that are spoken casually over a dinner will really happen.  I am beyond happy and really overwhelmed in a good way to think that this dinner in Sweden led to the day I was having in Dublin.  We did a quick tour through the museum before Lars and Asa had to head out on the train.  My parents and I headed back to call it a night so we can be well rested for our next day of 

I pulled the perfect pint of Guinness...anyone jealous? 

adventuring.  That next day involved the tour my Dad and I were waiting for...Guinness!!!  That is what Dublin is all about.  I don't think I realized how much until I went on the tour.  Arthur Guinness did amazing things for the city of Dublin.  He provided great jobs with the first paid holidays in Europe.  The saying by women of that day when the brewery was new was marry a man from Guinness and you will be provided for from "the womb to the tomb".  I know...sounds a bit harsh but during that time in Ireland securing the future of your family was quite important.  The bit that was the most interesting to me was learning about the coopers (look it up).  This was such a craft and a beautiful process to learn about. I had no idea what went into making the barrels and seeing the whole process on video from the 1900's.  They had no measuring tools and did it all from eye and created a beautiful water tight barrel.  I was in complete awe.  I know making clothing that if I am off just 1/8th of an inch it can ruin it all so, much respect to the people of that day who could make such beauty without even measuring.  Now let's talk about pouring the perfect pint....for those of you who don't know...I have never worked in any form of 

Guinness pints settling to become perfect...3 from start is mine. 

food service.  Never served a table, made a cocktail or pulled  pint in my life.  Now was my chance.  I was given instruction however I had watched some people pouring them the other night so with my combined knowledge I actually poured what turned out to be the perfect pint.  First half of the pull was exactly at the right level and after the allotted waiting period pulled the second half to just above the rim with out spilling over.  For future reference if anyone ever tries to give you a Guinness in one pull question them.  It takes one pull to the harp on the glass (3/4 of the glass) then wait 90sec and finish off the pull.  It was much fun to learn how to pull a proper pint.  There truly is an art to it.  There also was a gorgeous area at the top of the storehouse with a 360 view of the entire city.  We enjoyed our complimentary pint up there...even my mom had some sips of the lovely beer (which is very unlike her) before we headed back into town and to our hotel to end the night.               

I just can't believe how lucky I am to have been blessed with the life I am able to lead right now.  I am traveling around a new spot every month (give or take) with the most kind and wonderful people.  I know I go on about this a lot but I really just can't wrap my mind around how this is possible.  I do know that I could not have been able to do this with out everyone who has supported me in all ways possible.  From my San Diego friends that helped me when I had no idea what I was doing, to my immediate family who would do anything to make sure I was ok (and be a part of anything I do) to my extended new Europe family who are new to my world but feel like I have known you forever.  Here's to getting started on the next bit of unexplored spots of this adventure...stay tuned for part two of Dublin.