Ireland 2013: Part 3

Mom and I gladly disposed of the rental car in Dublin and got our free shuttle ride back to the airport and then waited and met up with my cousin Kate and bff Vanessa. Ness flew in from Munich and Kate from London. We finally all connected after a bit of confusion and we took a cab to our cool hotel nearby Grafton Street and Trinity College. It was very swank and a big change from our b&b's. Then we went for a walk on Grafton street and found a very lively pub to get some lunch. We stayed there for a long time before going back to Grafton and poking around some shops. We found a nice quiet bar to spend the rest of the night. When we got back to the hotel, Ness and I grabbed some wine in the hotel bar to catch up some more. The next day they were both leaving that afternoon. We went to Bewley's Cafe for breakfast and really enjoyed our croissants and hot beverages. Then we were able to go to St. Stephen's Green. Even though the weather was unpleasant we really enjoyed strolling through. We saw an intense swan chase too! Then we stopped for more coffee to warm up and then poked into the National Gallery for a bit. Then we grabbed lunch by the hotel. I really enjoyed my food but the service was terrible. I had to yell at them to get a move on. Then we had to say our goodbyes to Ness and Kate. They shared a cab to the airport. We were sad to see them go but so grateful we could all spend time together. I don't fully remember how we spent the rest of the day but I think we went to their archaeology museum which was really, really cool. I had very low expectations and it blew my mind. Great for a rainy day! Not only was the building beautiful, the exhibits were so cool. We both were really impressed with the bog people exhibits which showed pretty intact remains of people found in bogs. Gross, but cool! Then I think we hit up some shops before returning to the hotel. Then we just grabbed dinner there that night and I think we watched really funny Lifetime like movies the rest of the night. The next day was our last full day in Dublin so we had big plans. We went back to their National Gallery and really enjoyed the galleries and also tore it up in their gift shop. We also went to Trinity College's art gallery which was very unique. We went into the Trinity bookstore and walked on their quad too. We bought more Butler's chocolate and then we went back to Bewley's for lunch. They were supposed to have a mini play but no one knew what we were talking about so we just enjoyed lunch. Then we went back to the hotel to dispose all our purchases and relax for a bit. Then we walked to the castle and did a tour which was great! We really loved our guide and enjoyed the tour a lot. He went over his time so we missed the opportunity to get into one of the cathedrals we wanted but we did get to go to St. Patrick's which was a great experience! It was a bit of a hike but definitely worth it. We really enjoyed seeing it and we got to catch part of the choir performing! We snuck out before they officially started and grabbed dinner at a place called the Queen of Tarts. boy was it delicious! Such a great way to end the trip. The next day we went back to Bewleys for a quick breakfast and then we took a shuttle to the airport. Overall it was quite an adventure and a wonderful time! I'm so lucky to have had the opportunity to go to Ireland with my mom!