Days Hotel Park West Dublin

... high, I had discovered James Joyce, Oscar Wilde, Bram Stoker and Samuel Beckett. I was hooked.

I got on my first airplane on September 14 at 11:25 in the morning. Not nervous…but excited…and ready to go! I was Boston-bound and would arrive by 6:30 pm. I was so excited to visit Lauren!

My flight to Boston was easy, but my bags—they were heavy. I dragged my laptop bag and my hitchhiker's backpack around the Memphis airport for an hour before ...

On Thursday, our "guide" Tony took us around to the south side and city center to see the sights and some of the History of Dublin. We checked out the National Museum (Vikings!), Stephens Green, Grafton Street, and of course all of the pubs along the way.
Then it was off to the Guinness Storehouse to tour the brewery. We got to pour our own pints and drink them while checking out the view ...

... and warm so lights really never made full impact until late into the show...But who cares?...Came for the music and once again they did not disappoint, some wonderful performances of some older stuff tonight...I Still Haven't Found.What I'm Looking For was a highlight...Another great show, but Saturday remains epic.

As the show wound down I stood there thinking, now what am I going to do? Where do I sign up to join the road crew? (ha ha) Ran into some of the really ...

... of the indivuals who were there having lunch.

Aftrer lunch we were hiked high above the city to learn about some of the historical points of the area. (It was quite a hike, too, with some really slipperty slopes coming down!)

Our next stop with the football field to play Gaelic-style football with the help of three local players. We divided into three (pronounced like "tree") groups and after learning the ...

... asked if we were headed to the factory that early and we were forced to deny it.

The factory is really interesting and we learned about the four ingredients in Guiness: yeast, barley (lindsey's favorite- we could not stop her from eating some), hops and water. We all think that we would like to start brewing our own beer when we get home. We learned about the different kinds of Guiness and are ...

... torn up avenues, grassy lawns, tile floors, carpeted floors, hardwood floors, stadiums, up and down stairwells, on benches, thrown to the corner of the room ... slipped on in the beginning of the day ... just to start anew. And then slipped back off, so I could rest myself, and them. The bottoms are getten worn down. The laces are frayed. Then one day ... about a month ago, they stepped off the plane with me into ...

... That evening, we had our fair well dinner. It was a long drive away, in Stellenbosch, but it was well worth it. The place was absolutely amazing - it was a giant tent in a wine farm, with a buffet of loads of different South African specialities being cooked before our eyes. There were meats like ostrich, antelope (yum!) and springbok and well as loads of more familiar ones, and every kind of salad, side and carbohydrate you could imagine - foodie heaven ...

... where you have a complete 360-degree view of Dublin, and, you get your free pint of Guinness, straight from the source. It doesn't get any fresher than this and I have to say, it was delicious. The Storehouse is a must see for any beer lover. And, if you buy a "Dublin tour pass" you get free transportation around the city, admission to the storehouse and other museums around the city and best of all, you get to skip the line. For those with printers, you can book your ...

... of La Familla instead!!! My trip does not really begin until I get on the airport and until I actually look down from the window seat (shotgun now Bar) and see this wonderful island fading away as I stretch up into the clouds I imagine it is only then hit me - that I am leaving this place behind. Also it gives me more miles that I travelled on this trip on travelpod. I leave at a good time too. Arsenal have ...

Our JFK flight leaves at 7:10P and arrives (after 6 1/2 hrs) in Dublin at 7:40A. Great flight, we get some sleep, clear customs, get our Thirfty rental car, find Jury's Christchurch Inn, get parked, check in (our room looks out on ChristChurch Cathedral - cool) and take a taxi to Central/Busaras Bus Station where we make the 10:30A Bus Erieann Glendalough & Powerscourt Gardens & Waterfall tour by 20 minutes......perfect timing - a ...