Early...Like early in the morning: Dublin City Tour

So, I have a little arching up to do here. Yesterday, Monday, our goal was to get into the city of Dublin, and take a guided hop-on, hop-off bus tour. To say that Rachael was slammed by jet lag would be an understatement. She had a terrible time getting up, which actually worked to our advantage as it was rainy, but it slowly subsided as the day wore on. The tour had 24 stops, but we had about three that we really wanted to see up close. Being here has really expanded my experiences with public transit. Back home, this is not something that we do very much. After starting my trip nearly two and a half weeks ago, I have been in planes, trains, subways, taxis, and busses. Some of the things that I have learned about myself during this trip are 1) I have an aversion to large cities, 2) the stress and tension I experience when trying to figure out and navigate public transit systems is intense, and goes directly to my shoulder and back muscles, 3) home sickness impacts me much more than I expected, and 4) I am not nearly as much of an explorative eater as I had convinced myself of by watching years of cooking and travel shows.

Anyhoo, our first destination after boarding the tour bus was Trinity College. We walked around, took some pictures, and listened in to some of the tour guides in their funny costumes. Then, we went out for some shopping. First, we went to Peterson of Dublin, a pipe shop. I have never smoked a pipe, but I have great olfactory memories of the man who cut my hair when I was a kid smoking his while I was in the chair. I have always wanted to own a pipe, and since long before I knew I was taking this trip, I wanted one from Ireland. I am super happy with my purchase, as it is a beautiful pipe with a silver band halmarked with the date of st. Patrick's Day 2012. Next, we went to Avoca Handweavers. It is a shop with the most beautiful wool blankets and other things that you don't need, but can't live without. My favorite thing in their store was a sock monkey blanket that, if I had a child, it would be in their room. It was awesome. Then, it was back on the bus until we reached Dublin Castle. Again, we walked around the exterior of the building taking pictures, then stumbled upon their memorial gardens. After capturing their beauty, we set out for my other required destination: Leo Burdock - the best fish & chips in the city. They grabbed two pieces of paper, scooped in some chips, then added a piece of fish. Finally he added salt and vinegar, then wrapped it up and stuffed it in a bag. In all seriousness, I have held babies that weighed less than this perfect parcel of food. I ate while we waited for the bus. By this time we were both exhausted, and just decided to ride out the rest of the tour from the top deck of the bus.