Once in Edinburgh we were pelted with rain. This made walking around not so much fun. We stopped at Starbucks and sipped some delicious frappuccinos and waited for the rain to lift. We then made our way to the Scottish Parliament building since we didn't get that far when we were in Edinburgh before. We then decided to head to the airport.
At the airport everything went smoothly...that is until we began to board at about 5:45ish. We were waiting in line to start getting on the plane when one of the workers came and said that due to mechanical issues our flight was being delayed until 10 pm!! Tucker and I shared and exasperated look and I texted Natalie telling her what was going on. She said we were very fortunate that RyanAir was getting another plane to take us because normally they just cancel the flight and then make us sort it out...I'm very glad that did not happen!
For the next four hours Tucker and I wandered the Edinburgh airport. We killed time in the bookstore. We killed time staring out the window. We killed time reading. We even killed time people watching. Finally it was time to board our flight. The rest of our travel to Dublin went off without a hitch.
Once we landed Natalie came to pick us up at the airport. It was a little hectic because there had been a big football (soccer) match that day in Dublin, and as many of you are aware, the Queen was visiting. Luckily we arrived at Natalie's house in good time and finally got a chance to relax. We ate some food and then went to bed. We were worn out!
Thursday morning we got up, got ready and headed into the city with Natalie on the bus. Natalie had to teach a class during the morning so Tucker and I got to explore on our own for most of the day. Our first stop was the Old Jameson Distillery. We had to wait a little while for the tour to start but it was well worth it! We got to learn all about the whiskey making process and what makes Jameson whiskey different from the other leading brands. The end of the tour was the best part because we got free drinks! Tucker enjoyed his whiskey straight up on the rocks while I had mine with cranberry juice. I would highly recommend the tour to anyone going to Dublin!
Enjoying my whiskey!
Tucker enjoying his whiskey.
Tucker and I outside of the Old Jameson Distillery.
After visiting the gift shop and consulting our map, we decided that our next stop should be the Guinness Storehouse. We wandered the streets of Dublin and found the storehouse with no problem (we are expert navigators and map readers!). We then explored the museum (it is a self-led tour so you can spend as much or as little time as desired) and learned all about how beer is made. It was kind of funny doing this right after the whiskey tour because apparently the first few steps are exactly the same. Anyway, after learning all we could, we made our way to the top of the storehouse, where there is the bar. Like the distillery, the best part comes at the end when you get a free pint of Guinness! It was really cool because the bartender made a shamrock on top of my pint! It was pretty wonderful! We sipped our drinks and enjoyed the view out over the city!
Being silly in the Guinness Storehouse.
The cool clover on top of my pint!
Enjoying my Guinness...
After visiting another gift shop and looking at our map once more, we decided that we needed to find food and make our way to where we were meeting Natalie. We walked around the city, found a little sandwich shop, and ate our lunch on the steps of Trinity College. We then headed back to meet Natalie at the spire (a giant needle looking thing in downtown Dublin). We walked around and signed up to go on a tour on Friday to the Wicklow Mountains and the town of Kilkenny.
Tucker on a bridge.
Trinity College
The giant needle looking thing in the middle is the Spire.
St. Patrick's Cathedral.
Once reunited with Natalie, we grabbed the bus to our next destination. Natalie works for a tour company called Viking Splash, these are the tours that are in DUKWs, you know the big trucks that drive on the road and then turn into boats and can go in the water. Natalie was able to get us on a tour that afternoon while she had to go to a meeting at the office. Tucker and I had a lot of fun riding around the city on a giant yellow boat truck wearing viking helmets and seeing the sights.
On the Viking Splash tour.
U2's recording studio.
After the tour, we rode all the way back to the garage where we found Natalie once again. Then we headed back to Natalie's house via bus where her mom had a delicious dinner waiting for us. That evening we were exhausted and we had to get up super early to get into the city to catch the bus for our tour and Natalie had to work all day Friday. Natalie and I played a game of Life while Tucker turned in early.
Friday was a wonderful day! We got up super early and headed into the city. Tucker and I got on our tour bus around 8:45 and Natalie headed off to work. I was a little skeptical of the tour at first, but as soon as we stepped on the bus all my worries went away. Our tour guide was wonderful and it looked like we were going to have a great time.
The first stop on our tour was the Dunmore Cave just outside of the down of Kilkenny. We went on a tour of the cave and it was really interesting. Apparently lots of bones and artifacts of vikings and Irish people have been found throughout the years in the cave.
Inside of Dunmore Cave. This is called the buffalo.
Walking up so many stairs on the way out of the cave!
After leaving the cave we made our way to the town of Kilkenny. Tucker and I had just enough time to walk around a little, find a nice pub for lunch and then check out the Kilkenny Castle. The pub was really fun and we enjoyed pints of the local Kilkenny Brewery beer (apparently this is the oldest brewery in Ireland).
The pub where we ate lunch.
Kilkenny Castle
After Kilkenny, we went on a scenic drive through the Wicklow Mountains. We stopped at the top of one of them and were able to get out and take pictures. We then got back on the bus and headed to Glendalough where there is an old monastic settlement from the 6th century. By this time the sun was shining and we were able to enjoy a hike up to the two lakes near the settlement as well as a nice wander around the settlement. We enjoyed some ice cream and took lots of wonderful pictures. Before we knew it we had to get back on the bus to return to Dublin.
Atop the Wicklow Mountains.
At the lake in Glendalough.
The tower in the monastic settlement in Glendalough.
The cemetery at the monastic settlement.
Once back we met Natalie and headed for home. Her mom made another delicious meal and we shared our experiences of the tour. After dinner Natalie took Tucker and I around her neighborhood and we got to enjoy some gorgeous views out across Dublin. We went to the pier and walked along it as the sun was beginning to set. It was beautiful! That evening Natalie and I convinced Tucker to play a game of Life with us and we had a great time...Tucker won...he lucked out and got a good career and just happened to land on the "find buried treasure" space.
Tucker and I atop a cliff in scenic Ireland!
Ireland is beautiful!
Natalie and me being silly.
Natalie pointing to her boat...it is one of those.
Enjoying a sunset in the harbor.
Saturday morning we slept in and ate a leisurely breakfast. We then gathered our things and went into the city for lunch. We ate at Natalie's favorite little restaurant before we had to say our goodbyes and part ways...Natalie to work and Tucker and I to catch the bus to the airport.
The return trip went more smoothly than the getting to Dublin because our flight was more or less on time. However, the Dublin airport was a zoo! It was the longest I have ever had to wait to check in and go through security! Not fun!
We arrived safely back in Dundee around 10 pm and were worn out from a marvelous time! I am so glad that Tucker and I had the opportunity to go visit Natalie and see another beautiful country!
It was my last big adventure before I head home...TOMORROW!
Cheers!
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