Day 20 VCUK (DUBLIN)-28 June 2019

I woke up at 3am to moms phone call. I barely slept I was having stress dreams all night.

I talked to mom for a couple minutes and then got ready and stood at the window waiting for my car.

He came early at 3:30 and I went down and got in.

At the train station I found the platform and waited for the train to open. Once on the train started late cause something about the electrical connection delayed it.

It’s actually amazing how much free WiFi there is here. Most restaurants have it if you ask, all the chains have it, all train stations have it, trains have it, and sometimes there’s areas that just have WiFi sponsored by BT or The Cloud.

The train finally started going but it was slow and fully stopping every 5 minutes which made me nervous it was breaking down. Eventually it went though. I thought it had 3 stops but it said it was a direct train when I got to the station. But then it’s stopped at one other London stop before going straight there. It took about an hour.

The airport was small and I waited for my ticket and then did security and had to do an extra security thing and then waited to find out what gate I was at. There were no outlets in the entire airport which was annoying. I ate an apple and my Nutella sandwich for breakfast. It was the size of Trenton airport pretty much.

Eventually they announced my gate and I rushed over. There was a huge line and another like for priority I was nervous they were gonna turn around and tell me it’s overbooked but it went fine.

We got to walk onto the plane! Like a little stairway up to it! I felt like the Beatles or Obama. Very exciting

The flight was boring and hit my head. It felt like the air pressure was off or something. I had a window seat and I slept a little bit.

We landed and had to walk off via stairs again! Then I went to the bathroom and then straight to customs. Customs took foreverrr it was ridiculous! I was literally waiting for over and hour and there were only 2 booths open for non eu and then eh had 4 but no one was going to them cause there was the camera ones.

The customs lady I got had actually lived in Delaware for a couple months and she liked it very much cause it was close to dc philly and nyc.

After customs I found the bus help desk and they sent me to another bus desk (aircoach) which is what I read about online but I couldn’t find it cause it was outside. I told the guy what I needed and then went to pay but they only accepted cash or contact so I went and set up Apple Pay for my travel card cause taking out 12 euro is not worth it. It worked and he gave me the tickets and I got on the bus.

It was about a half hour and It was the third stop and dropped me off on this bridge that’s right near trinity college. I walked until I found it and then wandered around the college a bit and then went and saw the book of kels. It was eh. I’ve seen a lot of illuminated manuscripts and touched them and stuff so I wasn’t really impressed. I mean we only got to see 4 pages and I still don’t understand why it’s such a big deal. It was pretty though. My favorite part was the library upstairs which was grogeoussss.

Then I went and walked down to st Patrick’s but first I stopped in a Korean place for lunch. It was okay and I got bibimbap.

St Patrick’s was pretty and pretty large and my ticket apparently gives entrance for life which I think is a bit ridiculous but also awesome. Don’t know when I’ll ever come back to see it though. I’ll probably have lost the ticket by then. It was a gothic church and had a few tiny flying buttress on the outside.

Then I sat in the park next to it for a bit. Apparently st Patrick is famous cause he’d perform miracles from a spring at this church. I think.

Then I walked over to the Guinness storehouse which was soooo far.

It was amazing. I got in and looked at the gift shop and then started the tour. It’s not a guided tour like I thought but you sorta just wander through. I spent alll afternoon there.

First floor was all about the different stuff in Guinness so the hops and the barley and the water and stuff. It was very nicely designed for a whole lot of nothing. There was literally a waterfall just to explain that water goes into it and if that’s not the most extra thing. Also you could walk behind it and it reminded me of Disney at jungle cruise when they are like “the 8th wonder of the world the back side of water!”

The next floor had more info about the making process of beer. They heat barley to 232 degrees which is what gives it the flavor. If it was 1 degree more they’d catch fire.

Then the next floor had a bar and there was a music event happening so I hung out there for the music. It was a free tasting of their sirachi red beer which is new and they taught us how to properly taste beer. First look at it in the light to see color and look at the head. Then cover the top and swirl it and then stick your nose in to smell it. Then when you taste it take a deep breath in brought your nose then take a swig and swish it and swallow it then breathe out. It was ok bubble wise but the taste was not my Guinness.

Then a drum guy in a kilt cane out and then all the servers started Irish dancing.

Then I went to the 2nd floor cause I skipped it originally and then I went to the tasting room. In the tasting room they have 4 scents in little bowl things that you can smell of the different parts of Guinness. Then they poor tiny Guinness’s that are the size of the shots glasses I have and they had us all taste it. It has 4 tastes on the tip of your younger you taste the something, the sides you taste, the top you taste, and the back you taste . I can actually taste it all after she mentioned it which was cool and I never noticed before. Apparently every morning there are tasters that go through and taste all of the different cats of Guinness to make sure it’s ok and they use these type of glasses.

Next floor had a tiny exhibit on how it’s global and the history of Arthur Guinness and the advertising with the different animals. There was also a whistling clam?

Then it was the Guinness academy. I learned how to properly pour Guinness and then I get to drink it for free! You have to pour the first part at a 45 degree angle and fill it up til it reaches the bottom of the inside of the harp then hold the glass vertical and fill it up to the bottom of the inside of the harp. Then you let it sit and the head forms. Then you push the handle away from you for the second part and just fill it up til it’s at the top. Guinness should be served cool.

It was cool and I got a little certificate and everything.

Then I went upstairs to the sky lounge and drank my Guinness. I sat down near these other people and they started chatting with me and they happened to be UD alum! So we chatted about UD a bit and then they left. I took lots of pics and drank my Guinness and then I took my glass and walked out.

Then I walked to temple bar and I ran into the alums about 4 more times. Temple bar was cool looking but packed and their menu was expensive (13 pounds a sandwich) and the menu was different.

So I wandered back to my hostel and checked in. It’s so cute on the outside and way less sketch then the last two. This one is mostly kids my age and some young families. Sadly my room is in the basement allll the way in the back so I don’t have a view or anything. I have to go downstairs then down the hallway through the dining hall through the courtyard up small stairs through the game room up more stairs through the bar and then it’s my room in the bar. I have a top bunk in the back under the window. No one else seems to be here yet.

Then I looked up a pub with music that had food I would eat and I went. I went to the old storehouse. It was cute but also expensive(15 pounds for a salad! Not including tip). It was really good though. I got a beer, goat cheese, pomegranate, candies walnut, salad. The live music was good he played Irish music and then some Johnny cash too. He did black velvet band and go lassie go and ragle Tagle gypsy. He didn’t do wild rover though which was sad.

I stayed way after I ate and paid which I felt bad but it wasn’t too busy so mom said it was fine.

Then I went back to the hostel and charged my phone and watched a terrible live stream of the women’s World Cup game that cut out every five minutes and reloaded and also cut out if someone texted me. I watched the first half and then went to bed since we were clearly dominating and we’ve been having a good year so I think we’ll win. (We did).

I was so exhausted I got ready for bed and locked my stuff in the little bin locker thing and went to bed. I’m charging my phone on my portable charger since there’s no outlet. It’s the worst when hostels don’t have outlets. Cause Im busy all day and need my phone but don’t have time to charge it during the day.

A group of college guys from California came in at midnight ish and then these girls from California came in and we’re super loud and then they both got excited because they’re from the same schools and their friends are friends. I think I was the only one sleeping honestly. They all went out.

Then I went back to bed and woke up again at 4ish cause the girls left for the airport and then 6 cause the alley my window is right next to is super loud with people and seagulls.

I woke up early this morning and got ready. The rest of the room was dead asleep. When I went outside there was a guy passed out on the floor which I thought was hilarious.