Talbot Place Dublin!

Hey Everyone!

Sorry it's been so long, just wanted to give you an update. This past weekend was my first trip out of Galway! I ventured to the incredibly large city of Dublin. I couldn't believe the size of it (you would understand if you saw Galway and why Dublin was such a change of pace). I'm going to share with you a few stories and images to give you a gist of what my trip was all about!

The People: First there was the API couple, Max and Kay who ventured to Galway together from Massachusetts. Then, of course, was my roommate Evita and our new pal Ryan (who I call "Ry" out of habit due to my friends at home).

The Place: This was my first Hostel abroad. We stayed at Jacob's Inn located a bit out of the main part of the city on Talbot Place. We had a six bed ensuite that had an empty bed (thank goodness) so it was just our group. The bathroom was amazing. I know that sounds weird but our bathroom at home has a broken toilet seat and limited space and hot water (making it nearly impossible to shave my legs, so I just haven't done it yet). If I bend down in my shower at Gort my head literally kisses the glass walls that encase me. Europeans must be tiny, or just always with hairy legs.

The Activities: On Friday it was pouring when we arrived by bus so we ventured from coffee shop to coffee shop sipping on tea and exchanging stories. In the evening Ry, Evita and I went on our first pub crawl which introduced us to a lot of great pubs and live music! I have to say the best part of Dublin was the music scene. They had unique instruments and great sounding bands no matter where we had a pint! Saturday was a different story, we took a "short" trip to the Guinness factory that only lasted five hours. That was the best Guinness of my life and we snapped a million great photo's! That night we ended up going to a nearby pub and meeting fellow Jacob's Inn hostelers that were travelling from London. They were extremely entertaining and curious about Americans. They asked so many questions and even tried their best American accents, which were terrible. Sunday was a full tour of one of the oldest jails in Ireland. The building was unbelievable and eerie, but completely different from anything I had ever seen. After visiting Alcatraz in San Francisco I had something to compare it to. The history was bleeding from the walls (somewhat literally) and taught me loads about the Irish people and the IRA! I enjoyed the shopping, good food, and great people all weekend!

SURPRISE FACTOR: We managed to land in Dublin during the annual TradFest! How lucky were we? There were stages set up in the middle of the cobblestone roads with unbelievable women musicians playing both Saturday and Sunday! People gathered all around and swayed to the talent that was presented on stage. It was a good weekend and I cant wait to travel again soon!
Until Next Time,
Lex