Dublin part 2, Ireland

Day 2 We woke to another cloudy, chilly day in Ireland.The night before I thought I was just overtired hence really cold, but now I am understanding what a "wet cold" feels like... br.. I Made sure to bundle up with sweaters, jackets and a rain jacket. Even when I wear (almost) everything in my backpack, I'm still a bit chilly. The Irish locals are also disappointed by the unexpected dip in temperature considering it's June. But one lesson I learned fast, is the Irish try not to dwell on the gray cold weather... they make the best of it, layer up, and.. drink more Guinness?...;)

We caught up with a free walking tour which was a informative way to check out the main sights. Our guide was a young history graduate who was a freelancer- making his income by showing tourists his city at no cost. Tips are how he makes his income. It's a great idea.. tourist simply google 'free walking tours' (mostly in Europe) and then sign up for a time and show up at the designated spot. The tour guide is outgoing, energetic, and always full of good stories, myths and facts about their country. This particular tour was about 3 hours in total, including a bathroom/coffee break ..

If you want to check out a city on a walking tour, I highly suggest this route.

Anyways, below are some pictures of our walking tour.

The Dublin stainless steel "Spire" is a needle like structure that is 121m tall. It is the largest sculpture in the world.

Dublin's Castle was built in the 18th century. (it's not the most impressive castle ).. and I learned  where the saying "shit stirrer" came from! Apparently back in the day members of the clergy  would travel and occasionally pick up lice in their clothing. They would then arrive at the castle and strip off their clothing, which would then be hung near a pile of sh*t. Lower members of society would have to take on the role of the 'shit stirrer'. They would literally stir around a big pile of poo which would release ammonia nitrate. This chemical would then kill the lice allowing the clergy to wear their clothes again.

(I did not check my facts before retelling this story, so It might be inaccurate ;) ha ha)

St. Patricks Cathedral. There are 18 dedicated 'bell ringers' and one bell master. Bell ringers train how to ring the cathedral bells and often have competitions across the country

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street cleaner above

Entrance into Trinity College where 16,000 students currently attend. (In a city the size of 1.4 million people)

After our tour we took a train over to Howth which is a nice fishing bay with spectacular views of Dublin. We met a retired Irish couple and ended up walking to the viewpoint with them. It was a nice walk and the sun was shinning :)

After eating fish and chips, we trained back to Dublin...

**Did you know that the Irish Clover Icon actually historically represented Catholicism "The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit" (Hence the 3 leaves)..