Week 6: Finally some sun!

This past week in Dublin has really felt like summer, with the nicest weather we’ve had. Saturday was the hottest day yet, so Emilia and Rayna and I decided to go to Howth for the day. It ended up being one of my favorite days on this trip! We took the train out in the morning, and even though Howth was only an hour away from Dublin it felt like an entirely different world. The town was so nice, it reminded us of an American coastal fishing town that you would find somewhere like Cape Cod. As soon as we settled down on the beach, we immediately felt so relaxed and happy. Although there was no sand so we had to get comfortable on rocks, no one had a complaint because we were too excited to be laying out in the sunshine. Brad, Max, Nick, and Tennyson also met up with us there later which was fun. We ended up spending 7 hours on the beach! Afterwards, we were all in the mood for seafood so we tried Howth’s famous fish and chips spot called Beshoffs Bros. It definitely lived up to the hype and we all agreed it was the best fish and chips we’ve ever had! We took the train home and nursed our sunburns. I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited to get a sunburn. Even though I am currently peeling, I am so glad to have finally spent some time out in the sun on the beach. Sunday, we headed over to the Gaelic Games. I had pretty low expectations because I am probably the most unathletic person you’ll ever meet so I didn’t think I was going to enjoy myself. Although I definitely struggled learning the tricks and understanding the rules of the game, I still ended up having a lot of fun participating and watching everyone get competitive. I liked Gaelic football better than hurling, because I found it difficult to pick up the ball with the stick. It was an entertaining afternoon, watching everyone get so into it. On Monday, we had the Kilmainham Gaol prison tour. It was really interesting learning about the prisoners there, such as the executed Irish nationalist Robert Emmet. When we got to the big panopticon style room, it was cool to be able to actually walk into the prison cells and think about what it felt like to be imprisoned there, stuck in a small room with nothing but a bucket and a bible. Overall, I’ve had a great week. Time is moving so quickly, I can’t believe we’re almost done!

Beautiful Howth!