November 25 , 2003

I Caught a Leprechaun!



Well, actually I didn’t, but the trip to Ireland was wonderful nonetheless. We arrived late on Thursday, so we ended up taking a taxi to our hostel. The driver was quite pleasant and informed us on current American events. I think he was a little confused that we didn’t know anything that was going on in the states, but that’s what happens when you don’t have access to much TV, and you’ve been plugging away on essays.

We didn’t expect the hostel to be anything impressive since we booked the cheapest one we could find, so we were quite surprised when we arrived to find huge rooms with vaulted ceilings and gigantic windows. Breakfast was also provided and included toast, jam, coffee, tea, and juice. Needless to say, the trip started well. (By the way, the name of the hostel is Eccles Hostel, if you’re interested in taking a trip to Ireland.)

The next day we wandered Dublin and toured the Guinness storehouse. The tour gives you the entire history of the storehouse, Arthur Guinness (that wonderful, wonderful man), and tells you how it’s made. It was definitely worth the money, and I would highly recommend it to anyone traveling through Dublin.

On the way to the storehouse we passed Christ’s Church which was rebuilt by Strongbow, and at some point a mummy of a cat was discovered in one of the organ pipes. We also toured the Dublin Writers Museum that featured marvelous exhibits on Swift, Joyce, Wilde, and Beckett to name just a few. The museum is also located in an old mansion that is quite beautiful on its own.