Das DEUTSCHE Abenteuer!: February 2008

From the very beginning, Dublin charmed me in every way possible! A young, growing city at the same time retaining it's rich culture and heritage, Dublin has remained one of my two favorite cities in Europe. Along with the countless activities housed in this relatively small city, there were quite possibly the friendliest people I've run across in my travels. The perfect example was when Madelaine and I first made our way into the city from the airport. First, the bus driver went off of his route to drop us off closer to where our hostel was to be. Then, walking around Dublin at 10pm (and with no idea of how to get to our hostel) we happened to run across an American from Texas who had moved there. He walked us to the police station in order to get directions to our hostel! Once we got there, the policemen were unbelievably helpful (and not one bit annoyed that our American friend had been banging on the desk window for about five minutes). Without their kindness, it would have been a much longer night...

The next day we started off early (something which those of you who know how much I love to sleep may have a hard time believing...). First we explored the Talbot/Henry Street area where our hostel was, and made our way to the famous Ha' Penny Bridge (people used to be charged half a penny to cross it...now fortunately free! Hey, we're college students...we'll take what we can get!)

The first day was largely devoted to churches and tours. We started out with Christ Church, and upon seeing the 4 Euro entry fee, were a little hesitant (4 Euro to visit a church? REALLY?) However, once we got in we found it WELL worth the money. We were given a pamphlet with extensive explanations of pretty much every aspect of the church (including it's history, and how it had gone back and forth between Anglicanism and Catholicism), and it took us on a self-guided tour including the lower level. Much to my surprise, I also discovered that it was an Anglican-Episcopalian church!

Doors along Merrion Square. Story to come later...

Floor details in Christ Church depicting the "foxy friars"

Christ Church

After our visit to Christ Church, naturally made our way to St. Patrick's cathedral. Perhaps the most impressive aspect of this church was the fact that there were so many artifacts and statues throughout the building. One of the best was the "Door of Reconciliation." The story goes that in a long, bloody fued between the houses of Ormond and Kildare, it came down to the Earl of Ormond taking refuge in the Chapter House. The Earl of Kildare wanted to end it peacefully, but the other did not believe him. In order to gain his trust, the Earl of Kildare cut a hole in the door and thrust his arm in to shake the Earl of Ormond's hand.

St. Patrick's

Stained Glass window in St. Patrick's Cathedral

After grabbing a quick bite to eat, we made our way to Dublin Castle. I must admit, I was a bit skeptical about this part. Mad really wanted to see the state room tour, so I decided to go along with it. I am SO glad that I listened to her! It was much better than expected, and the tour guide was great. We even got to see the room where the Belfast talks took place (Yes, I'm a huge poli sci nerd!). We also got to see where the moat had been surrounding the castle (and still does). We were also told how Dublin got its name - from the gaelic term for "black pool."

Our tour guide in Dublin Castle...and the table where the Belfast talks took place!!! I wonder where Clinton sat...

One of the state rooms used for receptions (still in use, actually)

Original wall of the castle...with mortar made of animal blood and some other component, I can't really remember. This came from the Viking heritage of Ireland (where the red-heads come from...)

After walking by city hall following our tour of the castle, we needed a break. Where to go.....AH, YES! The Guinness Storehouse! The self-guided tour itself wasn't that impressive to tell you the truth...the building has about 7 floors, each with a different theme (advertising, the brewing process, etc). The first three or so were good, but then you could tell they were stretching it a bit.

Our FAVORITE floor was of course the top floow - the 360 Degree Bar! With the tour, you get a free pint of Guinness to be enjoyed in this awesome bar. Other than the elevator, you get a 360 degree view of Dublin while sipping a refreshing Guinness! Somehow Mad and I timed it out PERFECTLY, so we were there right around sunset. Definitely the perfect way to relax after a long day!

My fave advertisement in the tour...

360 Degree Bar

After grabbing a dinner of Fish & Chips (YUM!), we decided that we wanted to really experience Dublin. In the best way possible. If you haven't guessed already, that means going to a pub and hearing some live music. So began our quest to find the perfect pub...

Let me tell you, it wasn't easy. First we tried the famous Temple Bar area (which was definitely hopping), but so many of the pubs were 21 and over, so Mad couldn't get in (some were even 23 and over...what?!?) We kept walking and walking, trying to found one that felt right. We were about to give up, when we ran across "The Celt" which was conveniently about a block away from our hostel. As soon as we walked in the doors, it felt PERFECT! Live music every night, and it had a cozy/friendly feeling to it. We grabbed a pint and waited for the music to start.

The music itself was PHENOMENAL! People were singing along (um...including me) and some even got up and started dancing. If we hadn't planned on getting up so early the next morning, we could have very well stayed there all night!

Beautiful Dublin at night...

Mad at the Celt

Our Pub!!!

Early start the next morning = DEFINITE need for a strong cup of coffee. After accomplishing goal number one, we walked around Merrion Square, which was surrounded with doors painted bright colors. As promised earlier, here's the story behind them: They used to be painted black until one night a drunken man came back to the wrong house after a long night at the pubs. He actually got in bed with the wrong wife, and when the husband came home, he shot the imposter and killed him. Immediately thereafter the wives in the area painted their doors different colors to avoid another mistake...and there you go!

The square had a beautiful garden inside (St. Stephen's Green) with ponds, etc, and an Oscar Wilde memorial.

Seeing as it was St. Patrick's Day, we decided that we should celebrate it properly...by seeing St. Valentine's BONES! A bit dark, yes, but what do you expect from a single girl on Valentine's Day?!? Anyway, the relics were housed in Whitefriar Street Church, and we happened to grab a peek before services started.

St. Valentine's Relics

After checking out the relics, we went meandering around Dublin. We saw the Molly Malone Statue, the Bank of Ireland, Trinity College, and the Liffy River. The last two "academic" stops of the day for us were the National Museum and St. Michan's Church.

St. Michan's Church was probably one of the most bizarre experiences in ALL of my travels in Europe. First of all, our tour guide was a nut. No, REALLY. He must've been certifiably INSANE. Everyone in the tour was trying to stifle giggles as he went on with his sound effects and crypt-keeper-esque voice. The tour itself led us down into the crypts below the church, which are famous for the mummified bodies which are on display dating back from the crusades. They also included rebels who had been executed (hence our guide's sound effects of hangings, being quartered, etc. oh yeah, it was interesting...)

The WEIRDEST part of the tour was when the guide slid the gate away and said we could "shake hands" with the body if we wanted. WHAT?!? Apparently rubbing the finger of the crusader's body was considered good luck. At first we weren't sure if he was serious...oh yes. He WAS.

After St. Michan's, we decided that no trip to Dublin would be complete without a trip to the Jameson Distillery. I now have a new respect for Irish Whiskey. The tour here was MUCH more informative than the Whiskey Experience in Scotland and the Guinness Storehouse tour. It was also neat, in that at the end they did a taste-testing comparing American whiskey to Scotch Whisky to Irish Whiskey.

For dinner we actually went to the oldest pub in Ireland - "The Brazen Head." Good food, and it's always fun to say you've been there, BUT we decided that our allegiance was now with our pub "The Celt," so after dinner we walked along Grafton Street, grabbed a dessert for a treat (c'mon, it's Valentine's Day! Mad's boyfriend was stateside, and I don't have one...we definitely deserved it!)

To end the night, we hung out at "The Celt," and heard some more GREAT music! We also met a couple from Edinburgh who were visiting Dublin, and found out that their son had actually been a ski instructor in Innsbruck, and the wife was a German teacher and had studied in Vienna! Anyway, we talked with them pretty much all night and they even treated us to a couple beers...some of the nicest people I've met! (Although I'll admit, I was still having trouble understanding the Scottish accent...especially after a couple pints)

The Brazen Head - the oldest pub in Ireland

Mad enjoying the Spar sandwiches...YUM!

Me at the Jameson Distillery

Me "shaking hands" with the crusader at St. Michan's

Big still...

Taste-testing at Jameson

Me and my free whiskey...

Shopping center along Grafton Street

Ha' Penny Bridge

The Dublin Spire

For dumb tourists like us...since traffic goes backwards. Not going to lie, definitely needed this at times...haha

Me and Mad at the Guinness Storehouse

Me and my complimentary pint of Guinness in the 360 Degree Bar

Fish & Chips!

Me at The Celt

Live music at the Celt!

St. Stephen's Green...and my coffee. Crucial.

The Molly Malone Statue

Model of Viking Ship at the National Museum

As I said before, Dublin is one of my favorite cities! It's one of those cities where you immediately feel welcomed and at home in! I'd travel back there in a heartbeat...who knows, maybe I could move there after I graduate!

Just when we thought things couldn't get any better...we arrived in Paris! Even though I couldn't help but have rather high expectations from such a famous city, Paris didn't fail to impress me. A city with so much to offer, we barely fit in most of what we wanted to do within our two and a half days there!

After buying our Museum passes, figuring out the Metro system (in itself, a challenge), and FINALLY making it to our hostel - "Peace and Love Hostel" - we decided to that it would be best to get a good night's sleep...after some food. We ended up finding a small cafe about ten minute's walk from our hostel. This was our FIRST encounter with the French language...and thank God I could throw together a few awkward phrases in French. We walked in the door and tried talking to the bartender who spoke NO english whatsoever. He disappeared and about a minute later out comes the cook! In broken english he grabbed us a table and whipped out about five menus (all on standing chalk-boards?!?). I ended up asking what he would recommend for dinner, and got some WONDERFUL beef dish with potatoes which he assured me was "VERY French!" AWESOME. The cook even came out after we had started eating to make sure that we enjoyed our meal - oh the joy of eating in a small restaurant!
Probably the most important phrase that I learned was "Check, please!" I feel like in most restaurants, they won't bring it unless you ask for it. Seeing as pretty much NONE of the waiters whom we had spoke English, I feel like we would've been hanging around forever had I not luckily memorized this phrase...
Ok...this is going to be a lot of writing, so I'm going to try to break it down into two days. Day 1.

We started off pretty early - around 8am I believe - in order to get in as much as possible. Our first stop was Arch de Triumphe...that's when it really hit home that we were in Paris. After taking the tunnel (which went underneath all the traffic) that leads to it (a tip which I learned from close family friends who unfortunately were not aware of that fact...haha), we enjoyed our first real taste of Paris!

After that, we walked down Champs Elysees toward the Louvre. A bit longer of a walk than we bargained for, but at least we got to see a good amount of the city, AND we found a Starbucks along the way...crucial. The Louvre itself was absolutely HUGE. I've always heard that you can spend literally DAYS going through the collections, and now I can honestly say that that is NO exaggeration. It was hard enough to make our way from one wing to the other! We set priorities (thank God) and focused on painting and sculpture...didn't narrow it down THAT much, but it definitely helped.

Thoroughly exhausted...by about noon...we made our way to Ponts des Arts, a pedestrian bridge near the louvre. Then after paying WAY too much for a few slices of salami on a baguette, we broke down and took the metro to the Eiffel Tower - the weather was gorgeous, so we were trying to get in all the outdoor sites. The Eiffel Tower was definitely a great stop...not only is it effectively Paris' trademark symbol, but it also offers a GREAT view of the city! Al and I made our way to the top level - there are three separate levels that you can go to.

Following our Eiffel Tower experience, we walked over to Invalides and Napoleon's tomb. Definitely not what I was expecting...the tomb itself was HUGE. It was set down lower than the level that we were walking on, so that there was a sort of an open circle that you had to walk up to the edge of in order to see in the middle. Such a big tomb for such a little man...

To end our night, we walked to Boulevard St. Michel in the Latin Quarter - a district that had been primarily students, who for a while only spoke Latin. Hence, the Latin quarter. (Once again, a longer walk than we bargained for) After making our way past dozens of small book shops, we grabbed dinner at a cafe, and then called it a night - reeeeeelatively early...we even got teased by the bartender at our hostel (yes, the first floor is a bar) - "LAAAAADIES! It's Friday night...you had better be back downstairs!" Haha - not likely.

Our room in the hostel

Arch de Triumphe

and again...

Notice the tops of the cars from all the traffic in the background. Yep - tunnel it is!

Proof that we were up so early...Champs Elysees toward the Louvre

Place de la Concorde area

Venus de Milo!

One of my new favorite sculptures

To give you an idea of the scale of some of these paintings

Rubens room

Kinda want that hairdo...

The Louvre!

and again

At the top of the Eiffel Tower

Al and I at the Eiffel Tower

Napoleon's Tomb

And now...Day 2.

Once again, we had an early start. With our last full day in Paris ahead of us, we didn't want to miss out on ANYTHING! The first area we went to was Ile de la Cite - the island where Notre Dame and Saint Chapelle are located. Saint Chapelle is known for it's gorgeous stained glass windows, depicting over 1,000 scenes from the history of mankind. This turned out to be waaaay more impressive that I expected. Notre Dame was impressive as well, and we actually went up into the bell towers. We were able to see the Great Bell and the several gargoyles that decorate the building.

After the churches, it was museum time once again! We went to the Rodin museum first...even though it was pretty small, there was a lot to take in. Some sculptures included "The Thinker" and "The Kiss." It was definitely a nice change from the Louvre, where you were just completely overwhelmed.

Musee d'Orsay was next. This museum was my favorite, and is located in a renovated train station. Definitely a neat atmosphere. Once again, MUCH smaller than the louvre, and therefore much easier to navigate yourself in. Orsay is home to MANY famous impressionist works by Degas, Renoir and Monet. (Also Whistler's Mother?!?) As I said before, by far my favorite museum.

The last museum which we hit up was the Picasso Museum. In retrospect, it probably wouldn't be on my list had I known how much effort it would take to find it. (That, and I wasn't really a fan of the artwork displayed there) Still, fairly interesting - they DID have an impression of Picasso's right hand...and let me tell you, MUCH smaller than I would've thought. It was about the same size as Al's hand.

Our last stop (phew!) was Sacre Coeur in Monmartre. This is one area of town that I wish we would've planned in a bit more. If you have ANY sort of artsy streak in you, you should definitely plan on spending some quality time in Monmartre. Just walking through the streets around Sacre Coeur was an experience. A mixture of cafes and art vendors gives this area of the city a certain charm. When we made it to Sacre Coeur, people were lounging on the grass, enjoying a bottle of wine, and taking in the sunset...

We ended our last full day in Paris by (you guessed it) eating out, and relaxing over a glass of wine. Definitely the perfect way to end our time in Paris.