Dublin

So Dublin is craaaaazy! I got here on Thursday evening, and Bart and his roomie Soren welcomed me very nicely into their home. Both had come from work (I tend to forget that people aren't on vacation like moi) and we chilled in their place. Bartek and I went to this pretty cool tapas place called Market Bar and had some fantastic food, and it's also the site of where I got introduced to my first Bulmers - the best cider EVER. I am inlove with this drink - it's basically a low percentage cider/beer that tastes like water. Yummm. Anyway, we then went for martini's at a fancy place called Morgan's in Temple Bar and finished off with me having my first pint of Guinness at a pub with local musicians playing. I can't wait to download the pictures, cause that is my favourite shot of the trip so far.

Friday I woke up a little later and cleaned the guys' apartment as a thank you - and also because the woman in me had to clean a boy apartment. I then went for a trip to Howth, a kind of spontaneous idea that Bart said would be good. It was a 1/2 hour trip from Dublin and the biggest surprise of my trip so far. I absolutely loved the place! It is a port town with a really nice walk in the cliffs to the summit. I walked the path for a while, while getting burned (which I found out later that night) and workin up a sweat (the weather was amazing). I ended up at the summit with time to spare, and bought a Bulmers to enjoy on the patio there. I met and picked up some nice Irish men, one of which had a lovely cane and the other a very snazzy hearing aid. They were, sadly, the most proper and polite of any Irish men I've met here - I have to say the young adult male population leaves something lacking when it comes to being gentlemen.

Moving along... I bought some fresh salmon and mussels on my way back, and got back to the apartment around the same time as the guys. Bart made the mussels and I was really hesitant to try them since I never have had mussels, but they were delicious!! I then made dinner while the boys went to nap, and I have to say it turned out pretty well (thank God, I had my doubts). We then got ready to go out, and made a crazy night of bar hopping and seeing downtown Dublin in all its glory on a weekend-night, which was tamer at first until we got to the Temple Bar area and it got a little later into the night. We started off in a bar that used to be an old church, then moved to Zanzibar, a very Polish place (I have never partied with that many Polish people) and ended off at Fitzsimons, which was a multi-level club right by the Liffey (river).

Anyway, today has been comprised of a later wake-up, some booking of hostels and flights (which I think are done) and some walking around Dublin. It really is a lovely city - if I were to choose to live anywhere but Toronto, I think Dublin would be it. Other than the prices of things though... I just paid $5 for a diet coke, ouch.

Off to see the rest of the city and to try and get some sleep tonight! Which will be difficult, seeing that it's a Saturday night and I feel the air is getting hot... (Dance Music '92 anyone?)