If you missed our wedding blog post, we decided that we wanted a few more stamps on our passport instead of saying our vows in front of hundreds of people. We had the travel bug and when my Dad offered to fund our travels instead of a big wedding, we decided to hop on a plane over to Europe! First stop; Dublin, Ireland.
We had been traveling for almost 24 hours, but the minute we got off the plane in Dublin and got through customs, we hopped on a double decker bus and headed straight into the city center to find a bar that was open at 8:00AM. We were exhausted and probably smelled, but beer from the motherland and an Irish breakfast were top priority.
Dublin is absolutely breathtaking. The city is covered in florals and bright colors. We were just in awe as we explored a bit before heading to our hotel to catch a few hours sleep.
Everywhere you looked, there were flowers. At bus stops. In window sills. Covering the ground. All over.
Some of the things that might ring a bell when thinking of Dublin might include; Trinity College, Merrion Square, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin Castle, Guinness, and many more historical landmarks. Dublin has such rich history and so much to see that the two days we were there weren’t enough time to eat all the delicious food and explore all their rich culture.
One of the best ways to explore an unknown city, hands down, is a bike tour. I will say if the city is mostly flat (like Dublin), it’s a huge bonus. We happened to find a fabulous tour that took us all over Dublin and it ended at a pub with beer. I mean, perfect ending. We cannot recommend this company enough, our guide was awesome and energetic and showed the group a good time! Find more information about Dublin City Bike Tours here.
The bike tour was perfect for our length of stay, because it packed in a lot of sights and we got to get up close and personal. We were able to ride our bikes into the courtyards of castles, through gardens and parks. We were only in Dublin for two days so we wanted to see as much of the city as we could while we were there.
Perfect on our honeymoon/wedding celebration, we stumbled upon Love Lane while walking the streets of Temple Bar.
After reading a bit about it, Dublin City Council had started granted rights to artists to turn dark alleyways in open air galleries. Such a great idea to add more color and light into the city.
Another major tourist attraction is Temple Bar, where you will find small shops, tourist bars, local music, cobblestone streets and delicious food.
While exploring Temple Bar, we wanted to cash in on some fresh seafood being so close to the ocean (we are used to being landlocked living in Kansas City) that we came across this tiny but delicious restaurant, Klaw. This place was so good, we came back a second time (only staying two days, that’s saying something) and grabbed a quick bite before we headed back to the airport to hop on a plane to our next destination.
Dublin is a city that you MUST visit. Just thinking of all the flowers makes my heart happy, and just deepens my want to go back and spend more time there. All the beautiful buildings and unique architecture, the history that surrounds you, the smell of delicious foods that lure you from corner to corner.
Dublin, we will be back soon. We want to get to know you better, on a deeper level. And this time, we will bring our daughter Edith with us to experience all the culture and magic Dublin has to offer. Until then, I’ll be dreaming of the fresh oysters lightly salted from the sea in that tiny restaurant in Temple Bar.
Next, we hop on a plane over to Dingle, Ireland! Sign up via email to get an update when our next travel adventure is live on the blog!
Until then, thanks for visiting!
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