12/31/2008 Last Day of 2008!

A nun cut me in line for the bus today. Yes, a nun. I let it slide since I figured her chances of getting through Heaven's Gate are far greater than my own. (Shocking, I know.) Besides, I have the gift of eloquence now. That's right, I kissed the Blarney Stone! Since no one else was interested in making the trek down to Blarney, I bussed it on my own.

Growing up (as all little girls do) I wanted to be a princess and live in a castle. I don't think I share those feelings today after visiting a real one. Castles are cold, dark and dreary. Yet, somehow, they still remain magnificent.

It was nice to freely explore and wander through Blarney Castle. The grounds were spectacular with tons of walking paths. And, once you get to the top, you have the pleasure of kissing the stone.

The process of Kissing the Blarney Stone was uneventful and probably one of the least ladylike moments of my life. One man flips you over and shoves you far down this hole to kiss the stone while another takes your picture. I know, eloquent indeed.

Day 2 12/30/2008

Finally! I got my suitcase last night! Having clean clothes is definitely a relief.

I went to the Guinness Storehouse last night. I cannot believe that they have been brewing in the same exact place since 1759! Normally, I could care less about where/how they brew the beer but this place was really neat. I even stopped to read the plaques with information. Most importantly though, I learned how to pour the perfect Guinness; in, where else? The Pour Room. (The above picture is me enjoying the beverage at the Guinness Ghostbar).

After the brewery I went out to eat to enjoy another Irish dish. The food here is so heavy, hopefully I will get used to it. I promise, you cannot even get a salad in this country.

Since I did so much traveling yesterday, today I took the day off to relax, get out of Dublin, and get over jet-lag.

Day 1 12/29/2008

It's day two in Ireland and yes, my suitcase is still missing and I have been wearing the same clothes for 3 days (includes sleeping!) nice, I know. Now that that is out of the way...

Today I went and toured Dublin Castle. It was pretty neat. I was not blown away but was happy to be inside a castle! After all, is it not the dream of all little girls?

After Dublin Castle, I went to Newgrange, which was AWESOME. This place is indescribable. It is over 5,000 years old, and took over 400 years to be built (all man power and no mortar)! The guide told us that it is thought to be the oldest roofed building on the planet.

The picture above is me standing in front of Newgrange.

Travel Day 12/27-28/2008

After arriving at Heathrow International, I stood in line for our fourth security. As I walked through the metal detector, I set it off. I then was pulled aside to be violated (I'll just leave it at that) by a female TSA. Groggy, smelly and tired after travelling for 20+ hours, trust me, that this the very last way you wish to be welcomed to Europe (or maybe you do). Once I arrived in Dublin my luggage was lost. So far, my trip was not off to a good start. Upon my arrival at the hotel, my first order of business was to shower, the second (of course) was to find the closest pub. The pub was exactly what I needed. Great music, fantastic food, and even better beer. I promise, Guinness does in fact taste better in Ireland. I'm not sure why exactly. But I assure you, it does. After gorging myself with a heavy Irish dinner (or would it be breakfast?) I arrived to my hotel to see my suitcase still lost...