St. Patty's Day Weekend in Dublin.
A weekend filled with beer, lots of green, and a bunch of Americans.
The beer. It's everywhere and it's good. Immediately after getting in on Thursday, we went to the Guinness beer factory tour which was actually really fun + you get free Guinness! I had tried Guinness before but wasn't sure if I actually liked it or not. I thought it tasted like a combination of chocolate and coffee and beer...I mean I like all three but not mixed together. Well, when I tried it again at the tour, I really liked it. It's definitely not something that I want everyday, but it's nice for sipping on and having on occasion. At the top of the Guinness building, there is basically an observation deck with a big bar that you can see the city from which was really cool. This weekend I also tried a Doolin beer which is a red ale lighter than a Guinness but still heavier than a blonde. I love beer. On Saturday we slept in (much needed), had brunch and got festive. Sarah, Angie and I bought green spray paint because why not? and spray painted the tips of our hair green to get into the St. Patty's day mood. We went over to our friends' airBnB and got ready before heading to this Irish Beer and Whiskey festival where there were stands filled with different types of beer (some dyed green!) and whiskey tastings. There were also different food vendors and people just hanging out. We met up with some people from TCU who were also there before going to a bar with some of our friends from Barcelona. 
The green. Early morning on Friday, we decided to do the Cliffs of Moher tour which involved an 8am departure and a 9:30pm return, but was so worth it. You can only sit at Irish pubs, drink, and eat for so long. So we decided to sign up for the tour to see another part of Ireland while we were here rather than just stay in Dublin the entire weekend. We made various stops along the way, seeing various castles, the baby cliffs and more of the countryside. It was beautiful. When we finally got to the actual cliffs, we were given an hour and a half to take pictures and walk around. There's something about nature that is absolutely breathtaking. I always love seeing famous monuments and architecture, but the Cliffs of Moher were really something else. Although it was a long day, we did have Wifi on the bus and a tour guide who made the ride back entertaining playing Backstreet Boys and joking around.
The Americans. I'm pretty sure every single study abroad student was in Dublin this weekend. On our flight from Barcelona, there was actually one family. Even though there were so many Americans there, I didn't think it was overwhelming. Being able to hang out with friends from TCU who are studying in London and Florence as well as friends from Barcelona through my program was probably the best part about this trip and being in Dublin meshing your friends from college with friends that you have met while being abroad. A city can be so fun, but the people who you are with is what really makes it too. This was definitely one of my favorite weekends because I was able to see the city of Dublin, hang out with so many people and see a part of Ireland that I will probably never go to again.
I have a pretty busy week ahead...a couple of projects and a paper due before Spring Break. The fact that Spring Break is in two weeks is actually crazy. Ang and I are headed to Brussels this upcoming weekend. I'm excited for chocolate and waffles and more beer! See ya next week
