Ireland - Day 4 ...Nighttime

February 21st

So out we went out after I sent our daily email to everyone; Aaron took a quick snooze.

We never made it to Trinity College today. Instead we walked to Old City again and ran into madness! It was packed to the brim with tourists, college students and rugby fans. We had a hard time finding somewhere to eat a late lunch. We ended up going to Byblos, a Lebonese restaurant. I ate their version of wings and Aaron had their version of meatloaf made of lamb. Expensive, but ono.


Me outside of Byblos where we had a late lunch


And look what I found around the corner?!

To escape the crowds, we walked back north up the street to Burgh Quay by the Liffey River for a pint at Messrs Maguire, a pub suggested by one of my Oberlin students. At first I thought I wanted to leave - it smelled like toe jams. But I discovered someone sitting next to us eating fish and chips with vinegar. It was all good once the food was removed.


Aaron in front of Messrs Maguire

I liked this pub a lot - it was filled with some sports fans but not packed like all the other pubs in Temple Bar or the Old City district. We sat at the bar and watched a soccer match - Manchester vs. Blackburn. Aaron had his daily pint of Guinness as well as one of their own stout. I shocked myself and had a shot of Jameson (bad idea again as you'll see in a minute). I discovered I like watching soccer, oh sorry, European football. Or was it the alcohol hitting my brain?... I started feeling sleepy (aka tipsy) so we headed back to the hotel.

I couldn't help it - I fell asleep! My new plan to not take a nap so I would be up for dinner time back fired.

Aaron went out to Temple Bar without me. That suited me fine - I avoided the crowds and enjoyed the comfy, warm bed! Aaron hung out at his favorite pub, the Temple Bar. He came back at 12 a.m. with a surprise - dinner from Hungry Harry's for me, how sweet! It was the best f#*kin' tasting burger and fries I've ever had! -- probably because I was so hungry and slightly drunk. I felt so much better from my nap and dinner; I got ready and went out with Aaron again.

However everything was closing so we ended up just walked around the block. And it misted rain too. We walked over to the Quay and the Ha'penny Bridge, a pedestrian bridge built in 1816 and named after the cost of toll to cross it back then.


The Ha'penny Bridge behind me -- I wished the wind didn't blow my hair to give me a flat head!


Aaron on the Ha'penny Bridge -- see the rain?

We also strolled along the Bachelor Walk located on the north side of the Liffey, and O'Connell Bridge back home!