Occasional Adveturer: December 2013

I would not call myself a seasoned traveler but that is the goal I have in mind. There are so many reasons why I am drawn to travel- the experience, "escape", learning, chance, love and all of that other cliché stuff. While I prep for my journey home I am also prepping for my week in London as well as a quick trip to France and Amsterdam. What can these places hold? Nobody knows for certain.

“Travel is like love, mostly because it’s a heightened state of awareness, in which we are mindful, receptive, undimmed by familiarity and ready to be transformed. That is why the best trips, like the best love affairs, never really end.”Pico Iyer

I share this story that was recently posted on reddit about travel and true love. It's heart warming so I recommend pouring a glass of wine and grabbing a piece of chocolate.

I returned this morning from a three day trip to Dublin with Rachel. I have never been to Ireland so I was pretty excited to figure out why they call it the Emerald Island. We took the plane with Ryanair which was pretty cheep and only a half hour. Despite coming down with a bit of a cold I still had a great time. The country side was beautiful, covered in fog. None of the pictures I took could do it any justice. I would love to return one day, rent a car and travel along the country side. Maybe I could meet a burly Irishmen and fall in love like some sort of romantic comedy.

First day in Dublin we spent most of the day walking around. Our plan was to visit some museums but we learnt that museums are usually closed on Mondays. We briefly walked around Trinity College but I personally didn't really understand what the fuss is about so we left. If anyone knows, pass on the knowledge please! We then went to Temple Bar and got an Irish coffee which is made with whisky of course.

The next day we made it to the National Gallery and seen some bodies that were found in bogs. Then we made our way over to the Guinness factory to pour our own pints and then the Jamison distillery to try out some Irish, Scottish and American whisky.

Tried some "Tim Hortons" which was just part of a corner store. Got a Boston Cream- was delicious

Guinness uses only the best water for their brew

Guinness for ants. This part of the factory was actually super cool. It felt like a scene from Willy Wonka. The one from the 70's not the shitty Johnny Depp remake.