Dublin Day 3

This morning I visited my company's office in Dublin. It was an easy walk across St. Stephen's Green to get that. What a nice commute that would be each day! It was interesting to learn a bit about the office, the similarities with my office in Atlanta, the differences, etc.

I got back to the hotel mid-day, and we headed out to lunch. As I noted earlier, vacations revolve around food. After lunch, we continued our walk to the Old Jameson Distillery. We took a tour where we learned about the whiskey making process then enjoyed a sample. Scott had his neat (i.e. plain, no ice). I had a Jameson and cranberry juice. We bought a few souvenirs, then started our trek back to the hotel. (Tomorrow, we head to Bushmills; pretty soon, you'll think we're lushes.)

We did a bit more window shopping and took a number of photos of cute alleyways with flower-lined balconies, including those in the Temple Bar area. Then stopped in at a coffeehouse for coffee and cake before getting back to the hotel.

As I'm typing this, it doesn't seem that we've done much today. Yet, it was a full 7-hour excursion. Again, tons of walking...but we gotta work off our meals somehow.

Tomorrow, we leave Dublin for Northern Ireland. We're renting a car and will surely explore lots of country backroads along the way.

Dublin Day 2

It was a very warm day in Dublin--approximately 75 degrees Fahrenheit according to an outdoor temperature sign we saw...and I'd believe it. It was considerably warmer than yesterday and almost too warm for my thin longsleeve shirt, especially to be walking as much as we were. The sun was out as well, and it was a very pretty day.

We started with breakfast in our hotel, then a nap before venturing out to the Guinness Storehouse. Along the way, we saw several historic sights, including Christ Church Cathedral (founded in 1030 and located in the heart of medieval Dublin). We also stopped at Dublin Castle, founded in 1204.

But most of our day was spent at the Guinness Storehouse--touring the old storehouse (the fermentation plant for the brewery from 1904 to 1988), learning about the brewing process, eating lunch, sampling the beer, etc. There were great views of the city from the Gravity bar at the top of the building (7th floor).

All total, we walked about 5 miles, so we're back at the hotel room resting for a bit before heading out to dinner. Funny, how on vacation it seems that it's always time to eat.

More tomorrow...

Day 1 in Dublin

We arrived in Dublin around 10 a.m. local time today and took a taxi to our hotel--Stauntons on the Green. It was constructed in 1750 and was originally the terrace of 3 Georgian houses. The room wasn't yet ready for our check in when we arrived, so we left to walk around a bit.

The hotel is immediately across from St. Stephen's Green, a 22-acre public park. So, we strolled through the park, then walked along Grafton Street, a popular shopping area to do a little window shopping and pick up a couple of items we forgot at the drug store. We ate a late breakfast just before noon (our 2nd breakfast since we ate on the plane as well). We had a breakfast sandwich--sausage, bacon, and fried egg between two thin slices of white bread. Healthy! ;-) Yea, right. At least we walked some of it off.

The weather is a bit chilly when the sun isn't out, but I'm generally okay wearing a long sleeve shirt and hoodie. I did have to put on a scarf when we sat down to eat because it was a bit breezy in the outdoor area we were sitting, and it's naturally warmer when you're out walking. The sun would peak through every now and then when we were sitting in the park watching the ducks and other birds. The park was rather crowded when we walked back through on the way to the hotel around 1:30 p.m. Lots of families, tourists and nearby office workers enjoying their lunch outdoors.

We took a nap when we got back to the room because we didn't get much sleep on the plane and what we did get was a bit uncomfortable. With free internet at the hotel, we were able to check in on e-mail, Facebook, etc. and provide this brief update on our blog. Now, time to start thinking about what we'll do for dinner and where we'll explore tomorrow.

Global phone is set up...missing my Droid X already (sorry Blackberry). We depart in approximately 8 hours.

Test

The next voyage begins in

The next voyage begins in T minus 2 days! Ireland and Scotland here we come.

Thinking about vacation

I'm on my way back from a whirlwind business trip from San Francisco--short notice and a quick turnaround. Boy, do I wish I could have stayed through the weekend. The weather was absolutely gorgeous! Perhaps if all goes well, I'll be back soon with more advanced notice to clear my calendar for some fun.

So, as I return to Atlanta, I'm thinking about this year's fall vacation. We've pretty much determined that we'll visit Ireland, Northern Ireland and Scotland in late September/early October. I've narrowed down the locations and think we can fit it in nicely in a 10-day trip with a few extra vacation days at home to prepare and recover. I certainly want to make sure I get my packing done right. For this short trip to San Francisco, I forgot so many things, but I survived...with the help of my colleagues and a nearby Walgreens to take care of the basics. I know I was rushed to get out of town, but not that rushed. Just juggling too much at one time I guess.

As we get more details about our trip locked in, we'll keep you posted. In the meantime, I've got a brief beach visit on the books for a girls' weekend in Panama City, Florida in May. Can't wait! The beauty of having friends who live in pretty places.

For now, I'll look for things to distract myself for the remainder of this flight. Another hour and a half to 2 hours to go. Thank goodness for inflight internet.
Dana