So It Does Rain In Ireland…

With our time in Belfast done, we’ve come full circle. We’re now back in Dublin where we started our little tour of Ireland.

The last few days have felt less like travel and more like a long weekend. With three full days, plus the the time we had in Dublin at the start of this trip, we didn’t feel the same need to cram things in and check boxes. That isn’t to say we haven’t been tourists while we’ve been here. Just to prove it…

Day 0.5

We arrived in Dublin by train just after 10am and made our way to our new apartment. For our first stay in Dublin we had picked an apartment near the train station for our trip to Cork. Of course, that also put us conveniently close to the Guinness Storehouse. This time, we chose an apartment in the city centre, just off of Grafton, a bustling pedestrian street. 

Though it meant having only a one bedroom apartment (Ella ended up sleeping in the kitchen), the location was well worth it. Our first afternoon we decided to give Ella a break and head to St. Stephen’s Green, a park at the end of Grafton. 

On the way, one of the many busker acts we encountered really caught Ella’s attention. 

Eventually we did reach the park, it was almost as competitive as the one in Cork. Ever the rebel, while all the other kids conformed to the up the stairs, down the slide trend, Ella chose her own path.

The park also had a nice little pond with ducks and some swans. The ducks Ella was excited about. To the swans she said, “I fart in your general direction”.

The day wrapped up with a great little restaurant called The Kitchen conveniently located about 5 doors from our apartment.

Day 1

It is Ireland after all, so we came expecting some rain. The thing was, until this point we’d been really lucky. Most of our time here has been sunny. When it has rained, it managed to do so while we were inside or in transit any way. Our first full day in Dublin that finally changed. It rained all day, and it rained hard. 

Though it might have been the smart thing to do, we didn’t just want to sit around the apartment all day. So, after a leisurely breakfast, we headed out and hopped on a hop-on hop- off bus. Of course, with all the rain, we didn’t do any hopping and just rode it for the full circuit. Still a good way for us to get the lay of the land.

With no sign of the rain letting up, after the bus ride, we tried to stick to indoor activities for the rest of the day. 

We enjoyed the local pub culture.

Did a little shopping at the South Street Market.

We even enjoyed a little pre-nap quiet time back at the apartment. 

Eventually, though, we had to face the elements and we decided to venture into the rain to visit the Dublin Castle.

In the middle of the castle courtyard there were 4 sand sculptures. Somewhat miraculously the rain seemed to be having little effect on the sand.

While we were out, we also stopped to get some dinner at a nearby Lebanese restaurant. Much to Ella’s delight they had hummus (a.k.a. hummy!). 

Full, and thoroughly waterlogged, we headed back to the apartment to hang up our things to dry and get some sleep.