In Our Own World: Fall Break, 1 of 2 - Dublin, Ireland

The kids are on Fall Break which means it's time to pack the bags and hit the road! One of the families we're close with planned a trip to Ireland for the week so we decided to join them for the Dublin portion. We'd never been to Ireland and we were excited for a new adventure. The highlight of the trip? The people. The Irish are such welcoming, polite and friendly people. Plus, you can't help but love the accent. The hotel we stayed at was terrible (only mentioning so when we look back years down the road we don't forget the experience) but our time in and around town was excellent. Enjoy the pics and stories.

Jonathan was able to pop into the cockpit to chat with the pilots for 2 minutes as we boarded.

Just outside of our hotel was the Skyview Tower (aka Smithfield Chimney) which stands 170 feet tall and was built in 1895. It was originally constructed as part of the Jameson Whisky distillery, which is located just behind the smaller building in the picture, but is now used for sightseeing. Pics from the tower further below.

We were thankful for the "Look Left" and "Look Right" markings on the street since they drive on the opposite side of the road in Ireland. We joked that they got tired of Americans and other foreigners getting hit by cars so they had to label all the streets :)

We went for a walk Saturday morning to check out the sights before the streets were busy. Below is the River Liffey, which is dyed green every year for St. Patrick's Day.

St. Audoen's Church, which we initially thought was a castle.

Can you spot the hidden leprechan?

This is Dublinia, a historical 'living museum' that focuses on the Viking and Medieval history of the city.

Dublinia is linked to the Christ Church Cathedral (right) and connected by this cool bridge.

Jonathan likes making the below NPC (non-player character) face, which is supposed to make him look like a random character in a video game. He'll randomly strike a pose, make the face, and causually look around while not really looking at anything specific. And he's foolish enough to do it front of random people to see how they react. It's kinda funny and makes us giggle.

Below is John's Lane Church, which has a large bell tower and is beautiful inside.

Heading into Dublinia with our friends.

One of the random figures at the museum, Kaitlyn made a friend :)

Heading up to the viewing tower of the church.

This is the inside of the cool bridge that connects Dulinia to Christ Church.

Christ Church Cathedral

The crypt in the basement held several antique pieces, some of which were several hundred years old.

The kids earning their spot in the dungeon.

The two pics below are from the Cobblestone, which was a well-known Irish Pub 3 minutes from our hotel. What's special about this pub is it's the only place where Irish musicians can come and play traditional Irish music anytime for free. They don't get paid, they're there for the love the music and the pub...what a fun and authentic experience (video below). We had our first Guinness here, which is Ireland's most famous and exported beer.

We chatted with a local named Denise for a while and she insisted on taking a family picture of us to remeber the moment (the Irish are very sentimental). She was a sweet, older, spunky woman with her two dogs: Albert and Lily. When she first entered the bar she said 'excuse me' as she entered the narrow pathway. I started making way before she spoke and as she passed by she wispered "not you, dear, it's all these f#ckin foreigners'. Little did she know :) The kids enjoying fries while the parents enjoyed a tasty adult beverage.

That evening we toured the Guinness factory at St. James Gate. It was a great tour and we learned much about the history and tradition of the company, which started brewing beer at this location in 1759. Fun fact #1: Guinness uses nitrogen in its beer which is why a pint of Guinness looks like a science project when poured from the tap (video below). #2: The original lease signed by Arthur Guinness for the 4-acre property at St. James Gate was signed for 9,000 years. Not sure how/why they decided on 9,000 years but Guinness isn't leaving the area any time soon. #3: Ever pint of Guinness has approximately 30 million bubbles.

Complimentary drinks at the Guinness Sky Bar after the tour.

Jonathan being silly in the morning and dropping down like a bat from the upper bunk.

The following morning I went for a jog in the cool, misty weather. Below is a memorial to the Great Famine of Dublin from 1845 - 1849 where thousands of countrymen died from starvation during hard times.

J-bird wearing the new cap I bought while in Ireland.

A few more pics of Dublinia on a brighter day.

The Jameson whisky distillery in Smithfield. Ed and I toured the distillery while the moms and kids visisted the National Leprecaun museum (we definitely got the better end of the deal).