Ireland was one of those spur of the moment ideas, jokingly suggested and then seriously considered. We were in London, my friend Ashley and I, and we had exhausted our must-see list. We were lounging about our Airbnb when I began searching flights to Ireland for a day. Twelve or so hours later, we were on an 8 a.m. flight to Dublin, determined to see as much as we could before our return flight at 6 p.m.
First we took a bus into the city and got off at a random stop, with no other goal than to find a hearty Irish breakfast. Thirty minutes later we were scarfing down eggs and toast and discussing what we should do next.
With so many options and so little time, we decided on something that sounded just ridiculous enough to be great: The Leprechaun Museum.
We were led through a tunnel designed to make us feel as though we were shrinking and then we were told a few legends and fairytales about leprechauns. My favorite part though, was the room with the oversized furniture.
Overall, definitely a fun visit. With that done, we hurried off to our second activity, also just ridiculous enough for us to be very excited. I give you: The Viking Tour.
The viking bus was old and less than half-full but we put on our viking hats and made the most of it. The driver told cheeky jokes that landed as often as they missed. The people in the streets stared with faces best described as tiredly amused. The best part? Shouting at these passerby’s was encouraged. For whatever reason, the other passengers did not deign to shout at the people, but rest assured that we shouted for them.
By the time the viking tour was over, we were almost out of time. It was now cold and raining and we ducked into the first restaurant we saw to get a quick dinner before leaving. After some overpriced but delicious mashed potatoes and fries (I wanted my fair share of potatoes before leaving Ireland) we hurried to the airport. Our day in Dublin had come to a close.
Obviously we did not do Dublin, or Ireland, justice in our short trip but I am glad I got to experience the things I did. The viking tour is still one of my favorite ‘touristy’ things I’ve done traveling.
If When I go back, I want to spend a long weekend in Dublin, and then make my way north to Belfast to see more of the natural beauty of Ireland. Until then, I’ll leave you with some pictures of a few friends I made in the parks.
Strange Travels 