Its crazy to think that I have only been in England for 3 weeks and have already been to 3 different countries!This past weekend I was in Ireland with 6 otherpeople.Brooke, Hannah, Mallory, Jennifer, and I all took the same flight to Dublin on Thursday, and Greg and Eric came on a seperate flight a little later than us.It would have been smarter for us to leave Friday morning because we could have saved money on the hostel but we all decided that going to Dublin on Valentine's day made the holiday not so lame!We didn't get to the Four Courts Hostel until about 11:00PM and we were all pooped from all the traveling but we went out anyway!We had heard that the night life was great in Dublin and we quickly found out for ourselves that that was no joke!Our hostel was located right along the Liffey River, and if you look on a map you can see thatthat the city of Dublin is split by the river into the North and the South sides.The Southside is thought to be more of the upperclass, good shopping area and the North is more of the tourist, middle class area. Although everyone makes fun of how difficult it is to get around Dublin, because none of the street signs are in clear sight ((which is true)), we found it fairly easy getting around, using the river as our reference point.We found that the easiest way to find anything was to just walk the streets of Dublin and that's exactly what we did the first night!The first pub we stumbled upon ended up being our hang out spot for the night.The Fitzgerald Pub was in the Temple Bar area, which was just down the street from our hostel.We were lured in by the live music playingon the first level, but it didn't take us long to discoverthe 3 other floors, each playing a different genre of music.The ground floor was more like a club so that's where we danced the night away before heading to bed sometime around 3:00AM.

Friday morning we all got up around 9:30 to eat our complimentary breakfast that consisted of toast and jelly, and ceral.We headed right back to our rooms to sleep some more before heading out for the day. We wanted to get more familiar with the city, so we walked around Dublin all afternoon, ducking in and out of souvenier shops,and stopping to get something to eat at Eddie Rockets.Yes, we chose to eat American food.There seems to be more Americanized restuarants around than anything else.I wanted meat, I wanted a hamburger ,I was so hungry, I don't thinkI even chewed my food that meal!Hannah and I are working on taking smaller bites and counting to 20 before swallowing!After eating we went to the tourist information center to find out more about bus tours and then we headed to the grocery store, where we thought we would be saving money on food.We were wrong, the only thing I walked out of the grocery store with was apples!Everything is so expensive in Dublin!We decided that instead of making food, we would eat our breakfast every morning at the hostel, and then eat a mid day meal at our restaurant of choice.By the time we got back to the hostel it was time to get ready to go out for the night.A girl from the night before recommended that we go to Hartcourt Street to see and hang out at more traditional Irish pubs with Irish students and not many tourists.We tried to find it and ended up at the Bleeding Horse Pub.It was crazy crowded and pretty much the stereotype image of an Irish Pub, but they were playing American Music…granted it was good music!The only thing I wanted the whole entire weekend was to river dance and I never got to because all the pubs play American music!Mallory, Jennifer, and I met these Italian men and danced to oldies with them !It was a blast!

Saturday, Eric and Greg left early to go to check out the Blarney Castle in Cork, Mallory and Jennifer finally checked into the same hostel that the rest of us were staying in, and Brooke, Hannah, and I had to switch rooms because someone had already booked our room for that night.Crazy start for the day!Mallory, Jennifer, Brooke, Hannah and I were planning on taking a bus tour of the city but decided that we could just as easily walk it and we would save money…and we are all about that!Our first stop ended up being the Guiness Factory, and I didn't think that we were going to go in but there was such a long line that we decided that it had to be good!I don't like beer at all but the tour was really interesting.I even learned that the Guiness Book of World Records was started by a man who managed the Guiness Factory at the time!Crazy huh?It was either the Guiness Factory or museums and we decided that wecould go to a museum anyday, and the Guiness Factory was something unique to Ireland!We were given a free pint at the top of the facoty, but we had tried a taste in the tasting lab, and didn't really like it so we all drank diet cokes insteadJWe really wanted to try some traditional Irish food so we ate beef and Guiness pie at a cute little quaint pub- Bakers…it was sooo good!After that we were told we needed to tour Trinity College.I'm still not exactly sure why it is a "must see" other than the fact that it is a really really pretty college and the Book of Kells is kept in the college Library.We were too cheap to check that out.We passed lots of historical cathedrals including Christ's Church, and St. Patricks.That night Brooke, Hannah, and I went on a pub crawl.Dublin is known for their night life and pubs so we thought we had better do it.We met some American boys that were studying in Belgium and hung out with them for the majority of the time on the pub crawl.Our tour guide took us to 2 different pubs, 1 bar, and a club.Temple Bar is where most tourists hang out so we didn't go anywhere near that on our pub crawl.Again, it was another late night….the reasoning behind me getting sick I know I know!

Sunday morning Brooke, Hannah, and I went to service at Christ's Church.The church has lots of historical significance, and after the service we were invited to go down to the Crypt to have coffee and tea.It was my first experience in a crypt and it was like being in a dungeon or what I imagine a dungeon to be like. There were monuments everywhere of significant people in history, such as surgeons, generals, etc.After church we went back and napped for a while.Traveling and touring takes everything out of you!Greg and Eric got back from Cork and after exchanging stories with each other we headed out to walk the streets of Dublin again and look for a good place to eat.Let me tell you we found a good place to eat.It was the first time all weekend that I was not able to finish my entire plate, it was amazing I was actually full!After eating, Mallory and Jennifer left to go back to Hull and the boys, hannah, brooke, and I walked around some more and happened to stumble upon the area where the Irish Film and Television Awards ((IFTAS)) were taking place!The set up was a lot smaller than the British Academy of Film and Television Awards ((BAFTAS)) but then again there aren't as many well known actors/actresses from Ireland.We heard that Mel Gibson was supposed to show up so we said what the heck and stayed.Once again we were on the red carpet…right at the beginning where all the stars walked out of their cars!What at the odds of that happening?This weekendHannah and I will be in France…we're thinking that there won't be FAFTAS? But it would be pretty ironicJWe left the IFTAS just in time to walk to grab something to eat at SuperMacs ((yes, it is like Mcdonalds)) and head to the comedy club.We called it a fairly early night ((1:00)) that night.

Monday morning Hannah and I got up early so I could finish getting all my souveniers before going on our bus tour and leaving the country.The stores weren't open as early as we expected so we wasted some time walking around ((whats new))and then we headed to the tourist information center, where I was able to get everything I was looking for.We found out that our bus tour left just around the corner from the tourist information center, so instead of leaving from the location where we initally were going to leave from and meeting up with brooke, we took the chance that Brooke would find the location on her own.Once again we do everything the hard way!It is so difficult without having cell phones though!We took a four hour coastal tour ouside the city of Dublin.We wanted to try to see more of the country side since we had only seen the city.The tour was worth is just because we were able to see "real" Ireland or at least what you think of when you think if Ireland.We only made one stop at the PowerScourts Gardens.The entire garden was amazing and green…lots of waterfalls, gazebos, a little castle, statues, and a pond.We made it back from the tour in time to catch something quick to eat at SuperMacs.Our bus ride to the airport took longer than we thought it would so we almost missed our flight but somehow, Hannah and I always manage to make it.Let's just say we were those people running through the airport and I was sore the next morning!Hannah and I have just learned to laugh at everything we do wrong…theres nothing else you can do!

Dublin was an amazing trip, expensive, but amazing!If I had another chance to go back to Ireland (( which I hope I do)) I definitely want to see more of the coast and country side…"the more authenticIreland"…and next time I will riverdance!