We had two days in Dublin while Matt and Kat were at work, so we did a bit of exploring.
The first day we went to Phoenix Park, a park created by King Charles Ii's man-on-the-ground as a hunting park in the late 1600s. The park is still the home of a herd of wild Fallow deer. We saw droppings, keep-off-the-deer signs, but no deer. The visitor centre suggested we go stand on the Papal Cross (a hilltop memorial to the fact that Pope John Paul Ii once gave mass there - to one million people!), which lead us finally to our prize.
We then went to the Guinness Storehouse, and did the big tour. I tried some Guinness (to which Greig said "Wow... Just... WOW!" in a later text) - it didn't seem to taste like whatever it is in beer that makes me sick, but it still wasn't enough to make me want to drink the free pint that we were given in the cafe at the top of the building. Want to like the stuff, just can't.
The next day we caught the DART regional train around the city. We went first to the Bree end of the line, where there's some nice beaches and a little coastal village feel. We then went back into central Dublin and had lunch with Matt at Google. Of course my non-disclosure agreement prevents me from telling you anything (read: I still don't know what he does), but I will mention that it was Mexican day, I ate too much, the ice-cream was fantastic, and I'd be twice my weight in a month if I got a job there.
The port in the other direction is Howth - more fishing and sailing here than beachfront, but still some fantastic views. I think this is the smallest dog I've ever seen outside Paris Hilton's handbag! The Irish president lives in Phoenix Park, but I hear Bono has a house at Howth.
We had an 8am flight so arranged a taxi for 6:30am - of course, the taxi driver decides to pass someone on the left and pops a tyre on the way. We were not impressed.
I'd like to thank Matt and Kat for opening their apartment to us and being incredibly generous and hospitable during our visit. I'm sorry we didn't bring any Pineapple Lumps!
Tags: travel
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