I need to hurry my ass up and write about the Ireland trip before it totally fades from my memory. And let's face it - given the amount of alcohol I consumed on the trip, this is a very real possibility.
First, let me say that I think all the Hydes/Hydebergers would agree that traveling to Ireland together was well-worth skipping Christmas. Jay and I had a nice day to ourselves in Seattle, while the rest of my family was snowed in in Bar Harbor, but by the time December 30 rolled around, the storms had stopped and we all made it to Philadelphia at the prescribed time. We met up at the US Air club and hung out for a few hours, sipping cocktails to ready ourselves for the big flight.
Waiting to fly!
The journey overseas was uneventful...once we got going. After beginning to taxi, our pilot announced we would return to the gate while they TRIED TO START ONE OF OUR ENGINES. Which wasn't firing. Awesome. We were then informed that the plan was to manually crank it to start it and then hurry up and take off. So...basically they gave the plane a hand job to get us going, and we prayed it made it over the seas. Eeeek!
We landed in Dublin on Friday morning, Dec. 31, and made our way to our apartments. We stayed at the St. Augustine Apartments near Christ Church, right along the River Liffey (on the south side). It ended up being so perfect - we were within walking distance (20 minutes or less) of most of the main attractions in Dublin, and walk we did. We got some lunch at Wagamama (Jay insisted) and then took a nap to fight off the jet lag - just in time to bring in the new year!
Siblings ringing in the new year in Dublin
After a really nice dinner at Bang, we made our way to Christ Church, where thousands of people had gathered to hear the bells ring. (Click the link to read about what makes the bells at Christ Church special). That was pretty great. When Dad got hugged and kissed at midnight by a drunken Irishman, we knew the trip was off to a good start. Mom and Dad headed off to sleep while Maggie and Jeremy and Jay and I spent several hours at The Brazen Head pub ringing in the new year with a bunch of drunken Brits who loved Oasis.
New Year's Day was spent somewhat quietly, as a lot of things were closed. After a good long sleep and a late breakfast, Mom and Maggie and I walked through St. Stephen's Green and knit at Neary's Pub while the boys attended a rugby match. Later that night, we got our first taste of traditional music at the nearby Brazen Head Pub, which sort of became our go-to spot for dinner and music. Trad music is probably the best thing about hanging out in Irish pubs.
Sunday we started sightseeing in earnest, spending the morning at Kilmainham Jail (creepy) and then walking around Trinity College. That evening, Maggie, Jeremy, Jay and I attended the Dublin Literary Pub Crawl, in which a couple of actors took us around to famous pubs where Dublin's most notable writers once hung out, and performed songs and scenes at each stop. It was so much fun!
Me, avec jaunty hat, at Kilmainham Jail
By Monday morning, we were ready to adventure outside of Dublin. First thing in the morning, we hopped a train to Kilkenny, about a two hour journey, and checked out Kilkenny Castle and the adorable town. The castle, which dates back to 1195, stands along the River Nore and is missing an entire wall, which is pretty interesting. Also in the town are several really impressive churches, including St. Canice's Cathedral, which is the second largest cathedral in Ireland after St. Patrick's in Dublin, The Black Abbey, dating to 1225, and St. Mary's Cathedral. You get a lot of bang for your buck in Kilkenny, basically, and on the way to and from, lots and lots of fabulous green countryside, rolling hills, mountains in the distance, and of course, SHEEP. Monday night was spent with traditional music and pub food at O'Neill's, another favorite pub of the Hyde clan. Our tummies were stretched with Guinness and potatoes by this point.
Kilkenny Castle
On Tuesday morning, we decided to check out St. Patrick's Cathedral and the interior of Christ Church, both in Dublin. Both are gorgeous and incredibly old. St. Patrick's is the largest cathedral in Ireland, and while it's quite impressive, both Jay and I were struck by how pocket-sized it seemed in comparison to Notre Dame and St. Paul's (Paris and London, respectively). Inside both were gorgeous tiled floors, which really stood out. Also inside Christ Church? A mummified cat and rat, once trapped in the organ, written about by James Joyce, and an honest-to-god heart shaped box with a human heart inside. Exciting stuff, kids. This is why we fly across the pond. That and to drink excellent beer.
Inside St. Patrick's Cathedral
That afternoon, we trained from Dublin out to the nearby town of Malahide to check out Malahide Castle. Jeremy and I decided we would basically like to have it for our own. On Tuesday night, Jay and I decided to go on a little date all by ourselves, and we had a glorious feast at The Winding Stair restaurant (the famous bookshop is below, and Mom and I checked that out the next day).
Jeremy and I at Malahide Castle
On Wednesday, our party split up. Dad, Jeremy, Jay and Maggie adventured out to Galway Bay and took in many ruins, a fairy fort and the stunning Cliffs of Moher, while Mom and I adventured around in Dublin and shopped for souvenirs, toured Merrion Square Park, had a delightful lunch at an Italian restaurant, and generally relaxed. Also on the Sarah-and-Mom agenda was locating a suitable tattoo parlor for Sarah and Maggie's planned tattoo-getting outing on Thursday. That's right - the sister and I had decided to get tattoos while in Dublin, matching tattoos of the Celtic trinity knot or Triquetra. We're Irish and we thought this would be a really neat way to a) get tats (something we've both been interested in), b) remember our trip forever and c) bond in a sisterly fashion. But it was somewhat amusing for me to be touring tattoo parlors, having never been inside one before. Fortunately, I located Dublin Ink, which was hip, trendy and most of all, CLEAN, and made us an appointment. We all met up that night when the tour bus returned and had yet another pub dinner. By this point in the week, we had downed MANY a Guinness, each of us.
The Cliffs of Insanity! (for real!)
i.e. The Cliffs of Moher
Thursday rolled around - our last day, boo! In the morning, Jeremy and Jay went off to sightsee and Mom, Dad, Maggie and I checked out the National Museum of Ireland, particularly the Arts & History building. After a light lunch, Maggie and I went off to be inked, and despite my nerves, it ended up being not too painful and a really great experience. Dad wanted to come, but we vetoed that, so the boys headed off to the old Jameson's distillery instead. Maggie and I were pretty excited about our tats!
Sarie avec tattoo
After the tattoos were complete (watch me and Maggie get inked!), we had a celebratory drink and then went once more to The Brazen Head for a final evening of pub food (finally had my fish and chips!), last Guinnesses (they taste so much better in Ireland!) and traditional music. It was a perfect ending to a great week.
Jeremy and Mom enjoy final night at the Brazen Head
A few overall thoughts and impressions: Ireland is gorgeous, even in winter. It didn't snow on us and it barely rained, but I think that might have been luck. The weather was cold, but clear for most of our trip. And so green. Everything green. It reminded me a lot of Seattle in that regard. Also, the people were hands-down the nicest we have encountered yet. Everyone was so jolly, so proud to be Irish, and so in love with their country. It was nice to go places and meet people who were excited to see us and to tell us what to go see. Beer is a must. I usually don't drink it, but in Ireland, you gotta. And it was delicious. And also, if you like old things (castles, churches, ruins), Ireland is your place. Seriously, there's so much old stuff, you can't even blink or you'll miss something that dates back to like the 8th century. :)
If you want to see all the photos and videos (at least, all the ones I uploaded, you can check out my collection on Flickr. And if you haven't traveled overseas yet, for goodness' sake, skip Christmas and DO IT.
