Dublin: The Sights

Ah Dublin. You sure did give two girls the weekend of a lifetime.  That city will have a special place in my heart for the rest of my life.  I've divided the Dublin experience into two posts: sights and food.  To be fair, we did a lot of eating and just walking around.  We went in with zero expectations, and left with hearts full of new memories. 

 On the second day, we walked to the Temple Bar area.  Once we arrived at the actual pub, we decided to disregard (partially) what Noel, our cab driver told us.  We went in for a half pint, paid our 9 euro, and enjoyed the moment.  We went in the middle of the day, so there weren't very many people inside.  Honestly, it seemed like a typical pub to us.  It is definitely neat to say that you've been there, but I wouldn't put it on a must-do list.  We enjoyed the Temple Bar area tremendously.  It is full of historic buildings, cobblestone streets, plants hanging from the sides of storefronts, modern businesses and restaurants.

 There's obviously another angel statue staring this one down. Don't blink.

 We stumbled upon this amazing little shop called FIND. Filled with items both vintage and new, Megan and I could have purchased everything inside. If you're in Dublin and looking for china, bunting, happies, and small furniture items, you definitely need to check this store out.

On Saturday, we went to see a stage production of Pride and Prejudice at Gate Theater. We happened upon the box office Friday afternoon and bought the last two tickets! Since we are Jane Austen's biggest fans, we were chuffed to get to see the stage version of our favourite story! It did not disappoint.  The venue was absolutely gorgeous, the actors were brilliant (including the gorgeous Sam O'Mahony who played Mr. Darcy), and we had a wonderful afternoon! If you're currently in the Dublin area, hurry up and buy your tickets!

 After Pride and Prejudice and dinner on Saturday, we decided to try out a bit of the famous Dublin nightlife. Again, that did not disappoint.  I'll talk a bit more on that in the food post.  The night was completely successful and I did wind up with a guy's phone number.  If you're reading this, Mark, sorry I didn't call!

 We went and actually toured the Dublin Castle on Sunday afternoon.  There was a choir from Dublin University singing inside the entrance to the palace.

 I have no idea who this guy is, but he looks really uncomfortable.

 There was a 5-minute excerpt of The Nutcracker that was playing in one of the rooms.  There were live dancers and everything! The whole palace was decorated in Nutcracker-themed Christmas decor.

 This was our last night together! After being with each other for almost a month straight, it was definitely sad to have our final moments!

 After Megan left on Monday, I set out to do some touristy things on my own.  The top thing on my list was to visit some cathedrals.  Unfortunately, St. Patrick's Cathedral was closed that day, but St. Patrick's park next to the church was open.

 I passed the Christ Church Cathedral on my way to St. Patricks.  This one was open for visiting that day, so I paid my 6 euro and went in.

 Touring churches and cathedrals is one of my favorite things to do.  It is incredible to see all the houses of worship where Christians have worshiped God for hundreds of years.  The great detail that is put into old cathedrals reminds me of the Temple that King Solomon built for the glory of God.

As you know, I have a special place in my heart for choir and worshiping God through music.  This plaque brought me to tears thinking about all the musicians through the history of the world making music for the purpose of glorifying God.

       "To commemorate an eminent family of musicians whose rare gifts and culture were devoted to the glory  ofGod in this cathedral church and whose personal dignity and noble compositions added lustre to the art which for upwards of a century they were foremost in promoting."

I also went by on Monday to see the remains of the place when Handel's Messiah was first performed.  Unfortunately, there's nothing left of the original building except the archway to the courtyard.  It was still amazing to see the place where something dear to my heart was first debuted.