yesterday was a bit of a write-off after my night of 100 pints on tuesday. i went for a bit of a walk, but turned back pretty quickly when i realized i just wanted to lie down. my first irish hangover! yay!

so we all went to bed early last night and i got up first thing this morning, very determined. i left the house around 9:30 (or what they call half-nine) and caught the tram about 10 minutes away from the apartment. it stops right at st. stephens green (pictured here) which is a giant park and lake right in the middle of the city. so beautiful. i walked around the park for a bit, then headed over to the christ church cathedral.

the church was unlike anything i had ever seen. so big and beautiful. i went in for 4 euros and got to look around the cathedral.

i had some trouble finding it, only because i'm stubborn and won't take a map out on the street. for some reason i think that i don't look like a tourist if i don't have a map? right. i quickly learned that most of the other people were tourists as well, and i would rather look like a tourist than get lost. so i just folded my map up into a nice little square so i could look at it inconspicuously.

then as i was reading my "guide to the church", i realized there were tombs downstairs (jana, i immediately thought "funny, i'm going to the tombs by myself").

anyway, no time to lose! so then i kept walking, heading for the guinness brewery and stopping by some other cathedrals along the way. i got a little lost looking for one street in particular, but the locals seem to notice the moment when i realize i'm lost and offer help. they're so friendly.

i found the brewery. it was a little expensive to get in, and you really don't get to see any actual beer manufacturing (which, i guess, is understandable) but it was still a great tour. you walk around to all the exhibitions, learn about the making of guinness and a bunch of interesting details, then at the end you go up to the top floor which is a bar with a panoramic view of the city.

i'll mention as well that part of the tour is a stop right before the beer is going to be packed up and shipped, and you get to try it right as it's been finished. i think the guy fancied me a bit because he kept giving me samples (pretty much shots of guinness) and telling me to stay and get a fresher one. cute.

so then everyone goes to the top, sits with a pint of the freshest guinness you can get (i thought of you, david) and looks out on the city.

so, i finally dragged myself out of the bar (this was the first time i had sat down in about 5 hours) and set out to find the dublin castle. this proved to be my most difficult adventure yet. first i could not find "castle street" and ended up in some weird area that wasn't quite what i was looking for. finally someone realized i was lost (once again) and helped me find the street. i got to the end of castle street and saw no castle.

so i walked around a bit, couldn't find it, and decided to "get in the map", as joey would say. i was sitting on some steps then finally asked a local where the street was.

local: are you lost?

me: well, i'm not sure. where is dame street?

local: it's right there.

me: oh. where is dublin castle?

local: you're sitting on the steps.

apparently it had been a long day. so, i blushed and thanked her, then went to see the castle. that picture does the castle no justice at all. that's just one tiny part, it's actually a huge rectangular-shaped building with a courtyard in the middle, and that is just the clock tower.

i'm not big on guided tours, but it was actually quite interesting as they take you underground to see the ruins of the viking castle and moat. then you get to see the state rooms that are now used for government meetings, parties, and the presidential inauguration.

after the castle, i was so tired and my feet hurt so i walked back to st stephens green to catch the tram back home.

a lovely dinner, some wine, and a movie, and now i'm dead tired.

it's been a great day! i feel like i got pretty much all the touristy stuff out of the way early and i think i know my way around town pretty well now. strangely enough, i still haven't seen the river liffey (i've probably been steps away from it) but i'll see that tomorrow.

thanks everyone for reading this and commenting. i do love the comments. i hope i can keep it interesting! obviously i've been spoiled with internet in my room, i know i probably won't be able to keep this up... and i imagine my days will get less exciting. but thanks for all your support and making me feel at home away from home.

slainte!

written by  girlbits on September 14, 2006 from Dublin, Ireland
from the travel blog: a britt in ireland.
Send a Compliment

---

Is the glass half empty or half full - oh wait. Kudos on the touring. Nicely done. Good to get that first hangover thing out of the way early too. Loving you, MME

written by  Marnie on September 14, 2006

---

hey kiddo
ummm...wouldn't 9:30 be "half ten"? as an actor, I especially loved the intriguing 2 handed mini-play on the steps. quite the twist ending! and the before-after shots at the brewery.
great stuff again. excellent writing (I really do think this may be published when you get back. of course the pressures really on now to keep it at that quality level. luvyamissya
dad

written by  jano on September 14, 2006

---

I totally learned about that church in art history ... pentagramic arches or sometshit that do something for the structure and it's got a clairstory which is a thingy at the top and, and um... some chairs ...and the floor helps for walking on it and there are some people, they help with the peopleness of the church....

oh and there's jesus. dont forget about jesus.

:|

britt + Ireland = love.

written by  Angie on September 14, 2006

---

I'm super glad that you have interweb access so far... This is only the beginning. You're in for the thyme of your life. I miss you lots, but i'm also superly duperly excited for you. Tell yur mom to call me sometime.

Stay alert! Stay safe!

written by  Dr. Sarah Frances Wex III on September 14, 2006

---

Britt you are such a character, I believe your dad is correct in saying that you need to publish your adventure, hopefully you can save and build on this absolutely wonderful time in your life. I look forward to reading about your daily adventures every morning, sets the stage for the day. Love the part about sitting on the steps directly in front of the castle, too funny. You'll laugh about that for years to come. looking forward to the next chapter.
luv and hugs myrn

written by  myrna on September 15, 2006

---

i am too jealous to speak.

written by  dr. paul nixey, mp on September 16, 2006

---

it is true. i am jealous of your guinness, et al.

written by  baron von d-train on September 17, 2006

comment on this...