My good friends Ryan and Christine came out for a week to
Dublin on their European tour and made sure to be here during my birthday.
With them in town, Brendan home for two days and friends from school/church to
celebrate, it was really the best birthday I’ve ever had!
Dec. 2nd (Tuesday) started off with B and I
meeting Ryan and Christine for the Dublin Hop-On Hop-Off Tour Bus. We met up and walked to Trinity. The book of Kells was on the top of my
list of things to see and do, BUT guess what was under renovation for the exact
dates R and C were in town… L
So we walked over to the Nation Gallery of Ireland. With two years of art
history in college, I always enjoy art galleries. I love trying to guess when things were made. Sadly my knowledge on art and art history has faded. It was a very
decent gallery though!
We then walked over to St. Stephen’s Green. I had not made
it over there yet. We walked the loop around and I made everyone stop and do "Couples" shots :) They turned out cute
On the other side of the park there was a Christmas Market. Christine fell in love with a minion hat… very cute. B and I tried on a few as well..
I tried mulled wine for the first time. LOVED it.
We then hoped on the bus and rode past City Hall, Dublin
Castle and St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Due to time we decided to skip those.
We got off at Kilmainham Gaol. This is a jail, not is use any more, which housed many famous people from the rebellion. In the movie Michael Collins, they show men killed in a firing line… we stood where this was done. Very powerful. Sad stories. Inspiring stories. It was good to go and learn a little more about Irish History.
We then hopped back on the bus and rode up through Phoenix
Park which goes past the American Ambassador and Irish President’s (?) residence as
well as the zoo… which B and I visited a while ago and our friends visited the
day before. The bus driver during this route was HILARIOUS. Couldn’t believe a
word he said, but definitely made the trip fun. One thing he told us was that the park use to be private, but they opened the park to the public for public worship when the pope was there (where the big cross is). He said the doors to the park were so expensive and precious that they had a man hide them and swear not to tell anyone where they were on punishment of excommunication. Well, the man died of a heart attack a week later and to this day no one can find the doors to the park. So it is forever open to the public. :) There is also something about the deer in the park. Not sure if they're wild, if it's a reserve, or what... I didn't catch what he said.
We then took the bus to the Old Jameson Distillery. Nice little
tour. At the end of it we taste tested 3 different types of whisky. Jameson was
certainly my favorite. Brendan really likes whiskey. He actually enjoyed the
scotch (Scottish whiskey) best.
I made reservations at a restaurant called Odessa in Temple
Bar and invited my friends from school and church. We enjoyed dinner together, then the restaurant made a little area in the bar over by the fire for us. I was SO
blessed by all who came and the gifts I received (So
kind of everyone!)
The deodorant needs explaining… LOL. I had made a comment on
Facebook that I missed “normal” deodorant.
Of course one of my Irish friends had to ask what “normal” means. For me, it’s
the stick. Out here I have only been able to find the spray or roll on which
drives me CRAZY. No. That’s NOT normal J
I’ve gone to multiple stores and 3 different Chemists with no luck in finding stick deodorant… But of
course it was proven to me that it DOES exist out here J
It was the perfect birthday. The most wonderful two days
with Brendan, and a great week visiting my friends from home. Absolutely
blessed.
