Weekend in Dublin/Glendalough

Last weekend, we went to Dublin for the first time. It was a crazy, lovely, last-minute trip with some friends from the states. The weather was chilly but mostly sunny--we luuuuucked out. Dublin is a fun city, though I really want to go to the West Coast next time (I'm a West Coast lover, no matter which country I seem to be in. West Coast Best Coast, etc). I seem to be gravitating towards smaller towns these days. Cities have their perks, but they are all pretty similar. Dublin reminded me of a really US East Coast city, oddly enough. Like Philly with different weather. And I like Philly, and I like Dublin, but what I really like is a town with little houses. I also love water and sheep, but Dublin & Wicklow, fortunately, have those aplenty.

Best parts of the trip: Trinity & the Book of Kells. I have waited my whole life to see them. The museums were also hilariously fun--particularly the Natural History Museum (we lovingly referred to it as the Dead Animal Zoo). Four floors of dead, stuffed animals. Ah, the smell of taxidermy! We also went on a day tour of Wicklow and Glendalough, which was beautiful. But the most charming bit was when our friends danced to some live music in a pub and everybody hanging out by the band absolutely loved it. Our friends are really, really good at dancing. It was so much fun to watch. Made me want to dance again. Maybe, maybe. Now I'm daydreaming about a new pair of ghillies. *sigh*

But I know what you want. You don't want nostalgia, you want pictures. I can help.

overwhelmed by emotions

me + stuffed baby walrus 

"The Band" shot

Gotta work on my Irish before we go back and hit Galway and Cork.

Until next year, Ireland. Stay classy. And maybe chill out on the knife crime.*


*we were walking about 30ft behind two cops walking their beat. First, we heard the police yelling a little, then we (at the same time as the police) walked by someone lying on the ground. Thank goodness the police were already there and pretty much witnessed the whole thing, because all I saw was blood and someone (a woman) holding their face and laying on the ground. Turns out, we missed a woman getting either stabbed in the face or severely kicked and beaten or both, by about all of one minute. She's ok, the news tells me. I was pretty rattled the other night, though. I think that's why I didn't have the #1 best impression of Dublin. But I'd like the give the city another chance. Hopefully that kind of violence is not a regular thing. Definitely won't be walking around town by myself, though. I think this is why cities have become less charming to me. Even in a city as small as Oxford, I hate walking around by myself. I get cat-called and harassed constantly. And people laugh when I say I want to learn krav maga.