tuckered out

Hi all!

Erin and I are in Dublin! Yay! Yesterday, we both arrived at our hostel later than expected because we had such a hard time trying to find it. I could find the place where my bus was supposed to pick me up to take me by the hostel. This resulted in draggin my suitcase through the streets of Dublin, saying to myself, "I think I recognize this" or "Oh, there's O'Connell Street!" Yeah...

Anyway, Erin and I got settled into our tiny tiny tiny room and then decided that eating something might be a good idea. And magically, Sarah and Casey showed up at our door! We wandered around Dublin and eventually just picked a random place: the Metro Cafe. Sandwiches and salads for all. And, as usual, what is listed as hot and spicy on an Irish menu, barely has a kick to it. It was lovely to see Sarah and Casey again. It's nice to know that even though we rarely see each other, we still get on just like old times :)

Erin felt like walking around, so we did. Sarah and Casey went to a pub and so we parted ways. I showed Erin Temple Bar (I <3 Temple Bar) where we got some Maud's Ice Cream and sat on the curb listening to Irish music pouring out of a pub. Sleepy z's set in, so we went back to the hostel, planned out our next day of tourism and headed off to bed.

Notable things: I had to use earplugs to fall asleep, as I am not used to city noise having been in the middle of nowhere for six weeks. I also lost both earplugs. At about 4am, both Erin and I were woke up by some horrendously loud thunder. Thunder, lightening, and buckets of rain.

Which - it was still raining when we got up this morning. We had only gotten a couple blocks down the street when we decided it would be better to turn around and change into more apropriate clothing and put some umbrellas in our hands. We then proceeded on the following itinerary:

• St. Stephen's Green
• National Gallery of Ireland
• National Museum of Ireland
• Trinity College, Dublin
• Temple Bar/Bagel Haven for lunch
• Chester Beatty Library
• Dublin Castle
• Christ Church Cathedral
• St. Patrick's Cathedral
• Dinner!

We got almost everything done. A few things went awry. The Nat'l Museum was closed due to flooding. Things that cost money were less appealing (cathedrals, seeing the Book of Kells, Dublin Castle). And the most disappointing part of all: Bagel Haven is no longer on Cows Lane. I've GoogleMapped it, and it might have moved to the other side of the Quay, but it is not certain. There's another restaurant in it's place called "Cha Cha Cha" that served primarily crepes. I would've been tempted to go there except for the fact that I'm going to Paris in a few days where I can get some truly authentic crepes. We went to Gallagher's Boxty House in Temple Bar where I experienced the tastiest Irish food I've ever had. Oh, and there was a fly in my soup. No joke. A fly. Sitting at the bottom of my soup. Which meant a free meal. Why do these things keep happening to me? Maybe God knows that I can't afford to pay for it, haha.

After attempting to visit the cathedrals and deciding that it would be better to attend a service rather than pay to do, we went back to our hostel for email checking and naps. Naps turned into a two hour (for me, three hour, for Erin) affair with our pillows. Perhaps we will visit for Evensong tomorrow.

Tomorrow is a trip to Belfast! Huzzah!