Last Updated on December 17, 2018 by Cat Rogliano
Last weekend I was lucky enough to spend a few days in Dublin, Ireland’s capital city. Boy was it an adventure!
The weather was biting: windy, sometimes rainy, and always cold. I had several layers on but the chill seemed to seep into my bones. It’s a cold I’m used to living in Washington state, but it was still bitter.
Over the course of 2 days I saw so much history in and around the city. I have also come to the conclusion that 2 days is nowhere near enough time to see and explore all of Dublin.
We started the weekend off with a walking tour of the city which was interesting and fun. We started at Trinity College and ended at Christ’s Church. Along the way we saw the Spire, Dublin Castle, and several O’Connell statues. It was a very interesting tour filled with history and fun facts. After the tour, our group broke off into smaller groups going in all different directions. Myself and three other girls from AIFS went back to Trinity College and the Book of Kells. This was my number one must see in Dublin considering the fact that I’m an English major. All I can say is WOW. Between the Book of Kells itself and the Long Room I was completely blown away. The Book of Kells was incredibly beautiful. The detail was incredible!
Though I think my favorite place was the Long Room. Most people call it Trinity College’s Library, including myself at first, however, it is no longer used as a library for students. Everything was roped off, likely warding off people like myself whose fingers were just itching to touch one of the many fabulously old volumes of work. Unfortunately I was unable to get any decent photos, but the smell alone will stay with me. For an English major, it smelled like heaven. The history and brilliance was breathtaking!
After this adventure, we went on a little something called a Viking Splash Tour. This was the coldest part of the weekend but it was so much fun it was worth it to freeze a little. We got to wear viking hats and growl at random people all over the city! Back home, these tours are called Duck tours, we even have one in Seattle. They are given on crafts that work as both automobiles and boats. The tour guide was highly energetic and knew his stuff about the city. It was a fun and neat way to explore Dublin and I highly recommend it!
The next day, three of us from the group went to the Dublin Zoo. I know it sounds like a little kid thing to do but it was so much fun! I think the Red Pandas and the Okapis were my favorite. We spent about 2 hours just wandering around the zoo and enjoying seeing all the animals. We figured going on a Sunday there would be less people but boy were we wrong. By the time we were ready to leave there were TONS of small children being chased around by their parents. They had some great animals and exhibits. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys fueling their inner 6 year old. And to top it off, after the zoo I was able to watch the last 20 minutes of the Ireland-All Black rugby game.
Overall, my weekend in Dublin was fantastic! There are still a couple of things I would like to see and do but I will get to do them soon as I will be heading back to Dublin in a week and a half after returning from my adventure in Edinburgh, Scotland!
