Ireland

I met Jesse in Dublin for the spouses end to his meeting.  Flew Ryan Air, a European budget airline.  It's a tight fit.

The first day we visited Dublin Castle which is actually a government building and then Trinity College which was established by Elizabeth I to teach Protestant students in Ireland.  Everything here is divided by Protestant/Catholic, even the public schools.  

Our first evening we joined geriatric tour groups at this hall called the Merry Ploughboy.  It was a legit pub downstairs but upstairs there were four old guys playing Irish songs and then a group of 5 college aged kids doing a Irish dance show.  It was a bit odd but fun songs, hearty food and the kids danced really well.

The next day Jesse and I walked to the peak behind the hotel and saw the most beautiful late sunrise over the ocean.  The hotel was by Bono's house, but try as we did, we didn't get an invite.

We met the group and all went down to the Wicklow Mountains.  We did a relatively strenuous hike for over two hours and the scenery was gorgeous.  Afterwards we went to yet another large pub and ate more meat and potatoes.  

Because we were with Jesse's work we didn't get to explore Dublin as I may have liked but I'm very glad I got to see Ireland at all.  It's a beautiful place, stereotypes seem to ring true and there's no shortage of Guiness.