I’ve been in nonstop limbo between getting settled in Aix and exploring Europe, and this past weekend was no exception. (But I love it so no problem here). I went to Dublin to meet up with some friends from Chicago to celebrate one of their birthdays! I’ve known Emily and Liz since I was in kindergarten, and no matter where in the world we find each other, we always have a great time. Emily is spending this semester in Florence and Liz is exploring Paris. The fact that we casually met up in Dublin for a weekend still blows me away.

Waking up for this trip was one of the worst experiences. 4 am is not a time for anyone to be awake, especially when you have a whole day of airports ahead of you. Fortunately the bus routes from Aix to the airport are fairly regular and easy. I of course didn’t leave enough time to get to the station, so in the dead of night I was found sprinting the last few blocks to make sure I got on. The universe was with me and I made it just as the doors were closing, and was on my way to the airport. During my quick layover in Paris I was able to analyze the Charles de Gaulle airport more. All of the big airports are essentially malls, with a few gates thrown in. It’s fun to see what kinds of shops they have, and where I won’t be spending my money.

Air France has been my favorite airline thus far. They are always so nice and the seats have a normal amount of legroom. My flight from Paris to Dublin however was through City Jet, and it felt like a clown car. Every time the woman next to me made any move she would elbow me, and at one point was completely turned around talking to her husband in the row behind us. I’m not sure how that was enjoyable for anyone.

Customs in Dublin was definitely a highlight, because the agent was not only an adorable Irish lad, but he studied in Aix for a year! He was telling me about different places to go in the area and his favorite sites. After that friendly exchange I headed into a cab where the driver acted as a tour guide. Fifty minutes in a cab can be boring, but my new bud was filling me in on all the Irish things to do. The joke later that weekend was the number of times I referenced the cab driver. He really was a great guide.

After having a cheesy reunion in the Rathmines and running into hugs with my friends, we got settled and made our way to a pub. It was nice to catch up on all things Europe, and get to know Liz’s friend from her program, Zoe, who also joined us for the weekend. The next step was naturally the Guinness factory, and wow was that an extensive tour. I’m no beer fan, but even I was appreciative of all the detail and time it takes to get into each cup. We found our way to the top of the store where you could get a free pint of Guinness (included in your ticket) and lookout over all of Dublin. Many attempts later we finally got some good pictures, and went on to our next location The Brazen Head, Ireland’s oldest pub. We enjoyed the rustic charm over dinner and made plans for the rest of the weekend. Another early day was ahead, so post dinner we passed out.

Waking up was hard yet again, but worth it as we nearly sprinted to make our Paddy Wagon tour. The end destination was the Cliffs of Moher, but we made a few stops in each direction. Most of the trip was spent sleeping on the bus, but when we did make stops we were given a taste of Ireland. The first was at a little café near a castle an hour out of Dublin for breakfast, and then we went straight to the Cliffs. I was absolutely blown away, literally. The wind speed was so strong that I was either pushing through the current to move forward or being forced to run down the hill. The view was gorgeous though, and we got to spend an hour walking around taking in the sights. I’ve always wanted to see the Cliffs, and it was well worth the wait.

 

We stopped for lunch in a little town of Doolin, where the only option was a buffet. To my surprise it was an amazing meal, made up of ham, mashed potatoes, gravy and vegetables. We also were finally in a wifi zone, so I got to update my family with pictures. Our last big stop was to the fishing town of Kinvara. I wish we had more time to explore because it was so perfectly Irish and had buildings with lots of vibrant colors. The tour guides joke throughout that stop was “If you go down to the water you can see a Galway Hooker,” the joke being the hooker was a type of ship. After hearing that at least 5 times we were headed back to Dublin.

 

Our Saturday night was spent on the town, first a pub then to a bar/club. We made a few friends and danced to good music, then headed home to bed. One thing I really do like about the Irish drinking scene is the pub life. Everyone is with friends enjoying each other’s company and a good beer. I did force myself to drink a Stella cider, which may be the bridge into the beer life. Sunday morning was spent sleeping in a bit then getting fish and chips before the airport. We went to a place called Beshoff’s that was one of the originals, and for fish and chips they were amazing. It’s not something I could eat every day, but I had to try it before I left. The chunky chips were my favorite part.

Dublin was quite a fun experience and I’m so happy I went. It was so wonderful to see my friends and enjoy the Irish life. While I did have a great time, I feel satisfied with my Irish experience. I can’t wait to see the rest of Europe this semester and see what else there is in store.

Next stop, Munich!