It is our third day in Ireland and we are all loving it. We have had a lot of free time. We know Dublin like the back of our hands (kinda). Dublin is a very large city so there are a lot of areas to explore.

Day One

Everyone was exhausted due to the plane ride. We arrived at our hotel by 10 a.m. and were off ready to explore on a bus tour by 11:00 a.m. We were split into small groups to go explore the city. Everyone went to the Kilmainham jail, this was a place where key political leaders were held during the conflict. This was an eye opening experience.

Everyone also enjoyed the tour of the Guinness factory, especially the 4th and 7th floors. The 4th floor was a taste testing room where they specifically told you how to drink Guinness (see steps below). The 7th floor was a gravity bar, where we had 360 degree views of the city. Trust me - it was amazing.

How to enjoy a Guinness:
1 Take a deep breath in.
2 Take a hefty gulp.
3 Swish it around in your mouth.
4 Swallow and breath out your nose.

That evening we were treated to a 3 course meal at an Irish restaurant called Boxtys. We all loved it. There were some traditional Irish meals as well as more Americanized food. We all went to bed by 8 or 9 because we were so tired from traveling. Most of us ended up with about 12 hours of sleep that night.

Day Two

Again we had the morning to explore in Dublin. Some of us explored the cathedrals, some walked around Dublin, and others went to the Jameson Whiskey Museum. We then had a class discussion about what we saw and suggestions for others to go and visit. Again we had the night to explore. Most of us went to see some Irish dancing and singing. We all loved it, it was a very enjoyable environment. Afterwards, most of stayed in the area called Temple Bar, where there are a lot of shops and pubs. Most people stayed out and explored at night to try to meet some Irish natives.

Day Three

We started the morning off with another class discussion about a text we are reading. Earlier this afternoon we had an entertaining walking tour, which lasted about 2.5 hrs. We loved our tour guide, he kept us laughing the whole time. He taught us more specifics about the conflict and showed us some keys components of the violence. He had many sarcastic remarks but we all enjoyed his company very much. After the tour we have had the night free.

Some things I have noticed about Ireland:
1. They do not pronounce their 'th's, they only say the 't'.
2. Their bacon tastes and looks different.
3. They like to joke around a lot.

We are headed up north to Derry tomorrow morning.

Cheers!

Chloe