In Dublin's fair cityyy, where the girls are so prettyyy...

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I first set my eyes on sweet Molly Ma...Oh, sorry. Got a little carried away there.

I'm on fire for Dublin, folks. This past weekend was one heck of an adventure, packed with ever so charming locals, crowded tourist attractions, and a sporting event to boot. The Brazilian and I headed to Dublin early Saturday to meet up with Aoife (from Kildare), Aurelie (our Frenchie), our South African, Cobus, his lovely wife, Marisa, and their friend, Manny. We stayed along the Liffey at Abigail's Hostel, which I would whole-heartedly recommend. Affordable, clean, friendly staff, great breakfast, amazing location. Hats off to Cobus for that find!

First stop after check-in was the St. James Gate Guinness Brewery. We spent the afternoon salivating over the knowledge that a "free" pint awaited us at the end...I mean...learning about the brewing process and the history of Guinness. We ended the tour in the Gravity Bar on the 7th floor of the factory. Its panoramic views paired perfectly with the richest and most delicious pint I've ever had! We absolutely lucked out to have had such beautiful weather! Thank you Lord!

Our pints topped with adorably foamy little shamrocks. Talk about SKILL:

We then headed to the Aviva Stadium to watch the boys of the IRFU take on the South African Springbokkes. The stadium was packed and buzzing. It was an amazing atmosphere for my first live rugby experience. The wave, chants from the fans of both teams, even a little fight in the stands. Oooh sports. South Africa walked away with the W, but the Irish never hung their heads. They still sang the whole ride back to the city centre on the public transit. The best!

After a quick bite to eat, we shuffled over the Gogarty's (http://www.gogartys.ie/) in Temple Bar. More traditional Irish music and dancing than this little American could handle! It was a dream. We bounced, clapped, and laughed the night away alongside tons of gleaming South Africans in facepaint and jerseys.

Sunday was an early morning of groggy packing and attempting to get ready quietly in our shared hostel room. (Sorry guys.) Mariana and I met a tour bus at 8am for a trip to County Meath. There we visited the Hill of Tara and Newgrange passage tomb. We dozed off...I mean...soaked in loads of historical facts from our tour guide, Mary, and even got a short presentation from an adorable 80 year old book shop keeper/author in Tara. He sang us the most enchanting little ditty about the history of Tara and showed us some old slides. I truly felt transported.

We headed home that afternoon, wallets empty and hearts full. Now, back to work!

Slainte,

Whitney

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Photos

Alive, alive, oh!
Here she is, Molly Malone herself.
Photo by: Cobus Breytenbach

Storehouse Fun!
Our group pre-gamed at the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin! Never had a more delicious pint!!

Slainte!
The Brazilian Diva and I in the Gravity Bar at the tip-top of the Storehouse building. Gorgeous 360 view of Dublin. Loved it!

Our Crew
Brazil. France, Ireland, and South Africa. <3 Wonderful friends.

Livin' Aviva Loca
South Africa ended up victorious against the Irish rugby squad on Saturday. We still had quite a blast!

Dublin Skyline
Perks of being in the nose-bleeds: GREAT VIEW! :)

Newgrange
This ancient passage tomb is older than Stonehenge. A really great experience to visit!

Hill of Tara
We spent part of out afternoon on the Hill of Tara, a historically sacred place with a holy well, gorgeous church, and a charming bookshop, among many other places of interest.