Ireland’s Stunning Capital – Dublin
What has been one of your desired travel destination? Ok, that is an unfair question for many people as there are SO many places with such a diverse array of climates, people, and activities to experience; one can only choose depending on what they fancy most.
For myself, Ireland was one of those must-see countries I wanted to travel to, but unlike my Australian trip, my desire to travel to the Emerald Isle stems from having met a lot of Irish people in Vancouver over the years. All pleasant and fun experiences; very friendly people. So when I touched down in Dublin from Reykjavík, I was super excited. I hope you’re as keen to explore Ireland over the next few blog posts as much as I was for exploring!
My Accommodations
Ah Dublin….such a majestic place. Such history. So much to see and explore around town. When I arrived I went straight to my accommodations, Isaacs Hostel, to check in and off load my luggage.
I found Isaacs Hostel to be a fantastic place to stay because it offers free breakfast, free wifi, has a sauna, common rooms, and many events to participate in. Not to mention it has laundry facilities, and is in a very central location with friendly staff. The location is near Connolly train station and Busaras, which is Dublin’s main bus station. This provides easy opportunities to travel throughout the rest of Ireland.
The building where Isaacs Hostel is, is itself 200 years old, so there is a musky odour downstairs, which only adds to the tremendous amount of character the building already has, and it is a great place to relax and even find some quiet time if you want it.
The rooms itself are not all accessible, although they do have some rooms available for people with mobility issues upon request. Otherwise you have to be able to get up the flights of stairs, but the helpful staff can assist you with your luggage if needed, as they did for me. My only issue, that is not the hostel’s fault, is that it is right next to the city’s rail line, so at least some of the rooms at the hostel are noisy. But they obviously can’t make the sound go away, or relocate the rail line, so just keep this in mind if you book to stay at Isaacs Hostel.
Oh, the Wonderful Music!
I previously mentioned the excellent location of the hostel; it is within walking distance to O’Connell St. and the well known and popular Temple Bar. So I knew this place needed to be checked out! Below is a brief video clip of what I heard when I went to The Temple Bar; it was SO much fun.
When I was in Ireland, I found myself literally chasing the music. I absolutely love the upbeat, vibrant Irish music, and wanted to hear it as much as possible. While I was walking around town, if there was music blaring from inside a place as I walked by, I went in. I love how people can be sitting around a table, then they pull out their instruments, and start playing at any time. It’s so brilliant, and I heard Steve Earle’s Galway Girl many times while there, and still loved each moment.
The Sights of Dublin
There is certainly a lot of statues and monuments of people throughout Ireland’s history. I didn’t catch what they all are, but took photos of some nonetheless. The picture below stood out to me because of the Irish Harp. Can you see it in the photo below? I saw many of the Irish Harp (also known as Celtic Harp) emblem around Ireland. It’s even a symbol of Guinness beer!
To the left is a picture of Dublin’s Spire, it was an interesting sight. Very tall but not yet very big if that makes sense. When I was speaking to some locals about it, I was surprised at the number of people who didn’t care too much for it. When I think about it, I suppose there are several cities around the world who have monuments, buildings, or structures of some sort that some of its citizens are not a fan of. This seemed to be one of them.
Let’s see, now what else are other things to do in Dublin? … well, there is beer! I previously mentioned how I enjoy drinking beers brewed from local countries that I visit. Obviously Guinness is a popular beer there, and although I never really drank too much of it back home in Canada, when I was in Ireland, I found myself drinking it a fair bit. It is really delicious. Of course, there is also the Guinness Storehouse, which is a MUST DO if you go to Dublin! The place is so amazing to check out, even if it is just one pint to enjoy as you take in what the place has to offer.
It seemed to me that the bartenders in Ireland had a way of pouring various beers. They swirl some beers around as they poured, bobbed it up and down, or allowed it to settle before serving. To me, beer was poured and served like an art form. It was neat to watch the bartenders in motion behind the counter.
The following is a pretty good list of things-to-do in Dublin. There is Irish Whiskey tasting, as well as cathedrals, castles, markets, lush green parks and gardens to walk around and check out. There is no shortage of something to do, as there is something for everyone on the streets of Dublin.
Now since I travelled to Ireland by myself, and because I am too short to just drive any car, I had to rely on day tours to get to areas of the country that are not as transit friendly. Thankfully, there are many day tours you can take from Dublin. Popular options include Paddywagon Tours, and Irish Day Tours. I did a day tour to the Wicklow Mountains, which I will be writing about coming up! So don’t forget you can follow me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
