Weekend in Dublin
For my Dad's 60th birthday last year, by Stepmom gifted him a trip to Scotland, so he could golf all the most famous courses in Scotland. They topped off their trip with a weekend in Dublin, so we flew up to meet them and two of my cousins. We had a late flight in on Aer Lingus out of Frankfurt. I've flown on Spirit Air, Ryanair, Vueling, etc. Aer Lingus was by far the worst experience I have ever had flying. Our flight was an hour and a half late leaving Frankfurt. They would not let us bring food or drink onto the airplane. They actually made us throw away our Starbuck's coffees because they wanted us to purchase the crappy coffee on the airplane. It was one thing after another, so beware when flying Aer Lingus.
We got in late, but we wanted to do something before calling it a night. I was starving, so we found a Chips stand that was still open. I ordered garlic chips and Nate got curry chips. They were delicious, and as we were eating them next to the stand, a woman walked up talking about how this was a famous stand that had been there forever.
On Saturday, we had all pre-booked the Guinness Storehouse Connoisseur Experience Tour. We went to the noon tour, and were sat with about a dozen other people, mainly from the States. The tour cost 48 Euro/person, which I thought was a little pricey at first. However, we were served 4-5 beer a piece by the end of it, and had a really great time. I definitely recommend the experience.
The room we were brought into was a large lit bar in a dark room. We tried four different Guinness products, then we were able to pour our own Guinness draught. In addition, we were given a bottle of our favorite beer (from the four). Then, we were also given a voucher for another Guinness from one of the bars in the Storehouse.
The Guinness Storehouse was a great experience. There is a bar on the top floor, where you can have a 365-degree view of Dublin. If you go to Dublin, you definitely need to check it out. After leaving the Storehouse (tipsy), we made our way to Temple Bar. Temple Bar can be touristy, but it can also be a lot of fun. There is always live music, and the Guinness flows everywhere. Coors Light is also on draft almost everywhere, so I definitely had some of those, since that is a rarity in Germany.
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| Oysters on the Half-Shell and Bloody Mary Oyster Shooters @ The Temple Bar |
For dinner, we had reservations at Fallon & Byrne, after a family friend had recommended it. However, I can say that everyone was thoroughly underwhelmed with the experience. However, the night before, our family ate at The Bank on College Green, and said it was an excellent experience.
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| Basil Gin Martini |
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| Trinity University ~ Dublin |
Once we walked up an appetite, there was only one thing on my mind ~ SEAFOOD! Nate wanted fish and chips, so I ate at Klaw and then we went to the Old Storehouse next door. Klaw was amazing! I ordered the small seafood platter, and it was a delicious treat. I had lobster, crab, prawns, and oysters with different toppings. Nate had a couple Oyster Porter beers with his flame-broiled oysters. I was in pure bliss.
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| Napkin Art |
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| Oyster Caeser |
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| Flame Broiled Oysters ~ 1/2 w/ bacon and 1/2 with cheese and herbs |
At the Old Storehouse, we watched Gaelic Football for the first time. Unfortunately, I thought it was a joke at first, so I think I may have upset some Dublin fans at first when I was laughing. However, Nate and I really got into the game and learned all about the sport from our bartender. After the game, we moved into the main area and listened to some awesome live music and Nate got his fish and chips. We had a great first Dublin experience, and we can't wait to return.
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