Trip to Dublin and Wicklow County, Ireland

Hello again - This post is long overdue, and will be immediately followed by another. Last weekend, Brent and I headed west for Ireland. The idea was to make a quick tour of Dublin and some of the surrounding area. Upon arriving on Saturday morning, we quickly found what Dublin has to offer - pubs, pubs, the occasional Irishman, and more pubs. We stayed near Temple Bar (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_Bar,_Dublin), Dublin's notorious bar district chock full of tourists, stag parties, crowds, and street vendors. We spent the day touring Dublin, including a trip to Trinity College and the Book of Kells (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Kells). Although Dublin seemed wonderful, we were left wanting more.

Enter Sunday, we took a day tour through Wicklow County, the Wicklow mountains, and Glendalough (http://www.wicklow.com/glendalough/). The Irish mountains, countryside, and rural hospitality was everything I dreamnt it would be. The beauty of the landscape lived up to the hype, and proved greener than anywhere I'd ever seen before. The lakes, mountains, rural roads, streams, and tiny towns were amazing. It was good to get out of over-crowded Dublin for a day of fresh air. Rural Ireland seemed the type of place you live for a long time. The last stop on our tour was Glendalough (Glen - da - lock), home of a monastery dating to the 11th century.

So, back in Dublin on Monday for one last day. We did the only logical thing to do - tour the infamous Guiness Storehouse. We encountered a few obstacles on our Monday morning quest for Guiness. The first was waking up. Our Sunday night was spent in an authentic Irish pub (off the beaten path of Temple Bar). Being the only Americans in the pub, we were quickly inundated with Irish hospitality, song, and the pints of drink that go with it. That said, it took some time to find the Guiness Storehouse. The tour was good, but the best part was the 360 degree view and pint of fresh Guiness at the top. To my surprise, the beer was cold and tasted exactly as it does in London, Kansas City, and everywhere else I've had one.

For pictures, check my Fotki site - http://public.fotki.com/raggett/.