Hello everyone,
So this past week we had a bit of a hectic schedule. We went to Dublin, Ireland with 2 of our English friends, Louise and Sam. It was a good time. We flew out from Gatwick Airport, took a taxi to our hotel, got dinner, and went to bed early. The next day we first went to the Guinness Factory, which Kyle was very fond of :). It was neat because it took you through the process of how beer is made, and at the very top is a gravity bar, which is one of the highest points of Dublin, and you get your free Guinness! Apparently there is a correct way of pouring a Guinness....it is poured about 3/4, and then allowed to sit for 2 minutes, and then the rest of it is poured. It is an art, apparently. After the factory we ventured on to Dublin Castle, which was more like a huge mansion. It was fun....but then it started raining. Anyway we had the best Irish dinner every that night. It's called a Boxty and it's essentially a pancake filled with either chicken or steak, and covered in this amazing sauce. The next morning we headed to Trinity College and Christ Church Cathedral (which is one of the oldest buildings in Dublin- built by the Normans.) A quick shopping trip concluded our Dublin adventure!
Friday night we went to Stratford-upon-Avon, William Shakespeare's hometown. It was an old quaint village, and after having dinner, we went to see Taming of the Shrew in the Courtyard Theater. The theater was interesting in that no seat in the house was a bad seat. The seating arrangement is situated in a "U" formation around the stage, with the stage being in the very middle of the U, and there are 3 tiers, with about 4 rows in each tier. It was a small theater, and "The Taming of the Shrew" was excellently executed. Next morning we explored Stratford- saw Shakespeare's birthplace and....his school...and that was about it. Next up is Paris!
(Again, any of these pictures can be enlarged by clicking on it!)
DUBLIN!!!!
It was an educational experience: the ingredients of beer (i.e. water, straight from the Mountains; etc). This is also Sam and Louise, a couple of our beloved British friends.
The picture says it all. And by "Brew" they meant "fun." jk.
Danger, Danger:
Our "Free" pint of Guinness at the top of the Factory! And yes, it was, somehow, the best Guinness I have ever had. The art of pouring the GUinness results in a beautiful glass like this.
This is at the "Gravity Bar" which is at the topmost level of the Guinness Factory. It is a circular room, bar in the center, with floor-to-ceiling glass walls that overlooks Dublin. Unfortunately, Dublin looks like an industrial city, but it's the thought that counts.
Dublin Castle: kind of small, but it was fun.
At Night:
Famous Irish Pub with real Irish Music.
Real Irish Music!!! Picture Lord of the Rings, the first one, at the very beginning when they are all celebrating Bilbo Baggins' Birthday. Just like that, but the people were a little uglier and taller!
Second Day: Christ Churh Cathedral. It was 6 euro to get in and I'm cheap, so we didn't go in. We peaked our heads in and didn't look like we were missing much. The outside is the coolest part anyway.
Trinity College in Dublin. Graduated great minds like Jonathan Swift. I still think Trinity College, San Antonio is better. Graduated great minds like Kristen Ng and Kyle Pozza.
Did loads of shopping the second day. Apparently, after the Guiness Factory, that is all there is left to do in Dublin. The ol' bait and switch. This is us wandering the several streets lined with stores (the background is a huge "spike" near our hotel, the tallest thing in the city).
We had some time to kill on our second day so I decided to open up a Coffee Shop in Dublin. Better than Starbucks. I'll give you guys a discount when I bring it to the States.
STRATFORD-UPON-AVON!
Love, K&K
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