Last full day in Dublin and I have a few things to check off my tourist list still. Today the plan is the Dublin museum of Archeology, the Guinness ness Storehouse, and Kilmainham Gaol (which is pronounced jail...seriously). The Museum of Archeology was first and had some interesting exhibits, from gold working to Viking weapons and pottery, to human remains that were centuries old. A lot of history and finds for such a small country. Still, I was out of there p...

Met up with a tour group today to get the lay of the land here in Dublin. Our guide was great, native to Ireland and a graduate of Trinity college in history and drama (betting this wasn't the job he was aiming for, lol) but the combination made him a great guide. We toured through the temple bar district, past Christ Church Cathedral, and Dublin Castle. Tons of tidbits of interesting history that I will probably forget. Though one of the more major streets, O'Co...

Got into Dublin a little later than planned so the explore plan was scrapped. Plan b, find dinner. Oh my god, found this tapas restaurant in the heart of the temple bar district, Fade St. Social. Great cocktail list (I had this awesome gin and elderflower with fresh grapefruit combination) and the best tapas I've had since Seville. Octopus carpaccio, pork belly, potatoes with hollandaise....it's moments like these when I think I should probably take some cooking ...

Off on a day trip again today, to the little coastal town of Kinsale. I seem to be having much better luck with the weather on the southern side of Ireland. It lacks the breathtaking beauty of the west coast, but God it's nice to be out of the rain! Wandered around the town a little and had a late snack before heading on a relatively easy hike out to Fort Charles, which guards the river mouth of Kinsale before it joins the ocean. Apparently quite a few battles w...

Cork, well it's kinda just another city, you know? Nothing about it really stands out as pretty or unique; it's just another faceless European city. No big, there are places nearby worth visiting. I pretty much got here, got to the hostel and dropped my bag, and got on a bus. One of those quintessential Irish things you have to do? A visit to the Blarney Stone. It's actually an adorable town, with beautiful grounds and gardens surrounding the tower that holds the...