Dublin was the start of our 4 month backpacking trip!! The plane ride thankfully went smoothly, no turbulence! We were picked up by the Paddy Wagon-a large and green, so Irish bus. We're super money conscientious, which is how our adventure is going to last so long, so we are booking with places and companies that offer a lot for a good price!
The Suitcase!!!
About to board the plane
Plane over Dublin!
The Paddy Wagon Bus that picked us up from the airport :) Highly recommend if you are going to be hosteling about in Dublin. The pick up alone will save you a nice chunk of money$$ and you get free walking tours and a free day tour! However, my FAV. part about hostelin' it is meeting people from all OVER the world, which is exactly what happened :)
Dublin!
Irish foot shot, naturally.
Genuine Irish stew at the Porterhouse (there are two in Dublin, one is this deliciously divine restaurant, the other is a deliciously stocked beer house, 4 stories! So awesome, we went to that one as well on another night). We were so jet lagged we fell asleep at the restaurant waiting for our bill.
Seafood chowder. yum.
Meet Ben: Ben was our very own Aussie. Met him the first night in Paddy's Palace, I was skyping with my friend..the jet lag had already taken over, didn't know the day of the week. Then from across the room, I hear the answer "it's Tuesday"...So began an instant friendship with BEN.
BusFUN
one trail of Glendalough
Old Glendalough church
Alana being intrepid in a stream!
The Paddyyyy Wagon!
Glendalough
Ben discovered color saturation on my camera...my life hasn't been the same since. I'm obsessed with the feature now.
Ben, Alana and I having a Kilkenny beer in Kilkenny!
Hanging in Kilkenny
At Kilkenny Castle :)
"Camera Saturating" by the Kilkenny Castle
Locks for love-Dublin
So a Canadian, American, Ca-American and an Australian walk into an Irish pub...
Temple Bar, went there for two nights. fun fun. The first night we went out dancing...but before we even got to the Temple Bar area-I popped/sprained..straight up destroyed my ankle, while walking over a treacherous uneven tile. I heard a pop and it was really bad. However, I also really wanted to go out and have fun as one of our German friends' Charly, was leaving the next day. I had to YOLO.
So that night my ankle was fine but when I woke up the next day it was larger than a GOLF ball...it was bad and ugly, bugly. I was a gimp for about 2 weeks, which is pretty long for that to heal but it makes sense because we were/are nonstop wherever we go. The next day we went to an Irish Pharmacy, Ben, who is seriously such a knowledgeable man's man helped me out and I got a foot brace and an anti-inflammatory cream. Godsend! So that helped a bit.
Natural History Museum of Ireland. Basically a wide variety of exotic taxidermied animals. From Grizzly's from Alaska to kangaroos from Australia. We also visited the National Ireland Museum. Learned about the ancient Irish people and there was a big focus on preserved Irish bodies that had been murdered, sacrificed and or assassinated, either way endured an unpleasant death and thrown into the "bogs". So they had about five different people/bodies on display, it was creepysad but interesting.
Ben and Alana on St. Stephen's Green. We all had a wee nap in the LUSH grass.
St. Stephen's Park
Ben having a snack, Alana.
St. Stephen's Green was so relaxing. It hit me then that I can do that whenever I want for the next four months. No constraints. Though it was odd for a second that I don't have work the next day or the next day after that and so forth, which is weird for me since I have been working and have had a job since 17. With the last two working years being waking up before the sun and getting home without the sun, I don't miss that aspect whatsoever. I love being able to enjoy the DAY. Laying there in the super green grass I had a sense of peace, reflection and reality. Truth: unemployed in a scary somewhat inconsistent economy. Truth: saved up my money and I am seeing beautiful Europe and having amazing adventures for the next few months of my life. So it made me happy :); Truth: also miss my crazy family but I've always wanted to take a long trip and enjoy and experience this oyster of a world.
LOVING life!
Happy in Dublin!
Our Dutch boys/hostel roomies!! We loved them. They were a blast and we all got along great...little did we know we would see them very soon (to be read in my Netherlands post)
So Belgium, we were only there for a day but I'll never forget the amazing taste of the truest Belgian/Nutella/powdered sugar waffle I have ever consumed. It was literally a piece of heaven (comparable to my amazing large and in charge pancake in Amsterdam) ! Bruges so beauuuutiful!! It's actually a very popular honeymoon destination and looks virtually untouched since 1709--or just really old. There were lace shops everywhere, so delicate and beautiful--and super expensive. So I just stuck to my waffles, I was quite satisfied with that :).
Divinity, in physical form. My Belgian Waffle.
Bruges (photo credit Alana)
Photo Credit Alana
Gorgeous Gothic. Photo credit Alana
Bruges Famous "Markt"
I love canal cities. Photo Credit Alana
Brussels is a very important European "Business" city. However, after seeing Bruges, I didn't really care for Brussels (eh), plus it was rainy and we were only there for a day. So we didn't have much time to do anything in Brussels except hate our hostel and frolick about the city at night, get stuck in the rain and eat. All in all we made the most of our time there. :)
I love them
How can I emphasize this enough..? do NOT stay here, I repeat do NOT stay at Brussel's youth hostel. period. No towels, who knows what was on the floor, and the floor got flooded when we showered so we had to use their cardboard sheets as towels, utter ew, just ew! We even put the sheets in the shower b/c the tile was too questionable.. but definitely made for a memorable experience. ;P
It was rainy, it was gross but it was fun
No umbrella? No worries. Naturally we used our mysterious Hostel sheets.
Brussels Cathedral. Photo Credit Adam C
Again, we were only there for a day, we did as much exploring as we could. I'd definitely love to return to Bruges. Very beautiful and untouched.
