Our time in Dublin was short. We arrived Saturday morning and met with our guide Tom who took us around Dublin and showed us various areas of Dublin. One of the restaurants he noted during our walk around Dublin was Gallagher’s Boxty House. So I decided to give it a try for lunch. I had their vegan boxty dumplings and for dessert, I had a white chocolate tiramisu. After lunch, we regrouped and continued with our tour.
We walked over to an area that was filled with shops and cafes before making our way to our hotel. Once at the hotel some people we out to a Jameson tasting. I’m not crazy about drinking so I stayed back and talked to my mom to give her an update on my trip. After our break, we meet up for dinner at Harbour Master Bar & Restaurant.
The next day we got an early start to meet our guide for a bus tour of Dublin. During the tour, we visited Dublin’s 5 iconic Georgian squares which span the north and south sides and are surrounded by homes with colorful doors. Then we visited O’Connell Street, a bustling street filled with monuments. We also saw Stephen’s Green, the Largest of the five Georgian squares. We visited St. Patrick’s Cathedral and ended the tour at Phoenix Park and the presidential residence.
Glendalough
We were given free time to explore Dublin for our last day in Dublin. A group of us decided to take a bus ride to Glendalough and see the countryside of Ireland. The bus ride was roughly an hour and filled with beautiful scenery of the countryside. When we got to Glendalough it was recommended to take the 15-20 min walk up to the upper lake and well as check out Glendalough Monastic City.
We were given two hours t explore so I started my adventure by walking up to the upper lake. During the walk, I took in the scenery which reminded me a lot of the Smokey Mountains with all the green. When I got to the upper lake I found a place to sit, closed my eyes, and mediated. It was a nice moment of zen after a busy week of sightseeing and learning. I then made my way down to the Glendalough Monastic City.
After making it back to Dublin, I grabbed some vegan Mcdonald’s to try before making my way to the hotel, which was good. I hadn’t had Mcdonald’s in years and was nice to ability to grab a quick bite to eat. To pack and prepare for the long journey back to Denver.
Final Thoughts
Now that I’m back in Denver, I would like to take some time to reflect on my trip. It was my first time traveling with a group and going overseas. I had a great time overseas, but bow was it exhausting. I did a lot of walking and standing during the day. So, by the end of the day, I was exhausted so I didn’t want to venture out on my own too much. Next time, I bring better walking shoes. Overall, I had a great time and loved experiencing a different culture outside of my own. I definitely see myself taking more overseas trips in the future.
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