Lucky Boy

So it was Elliot's 22nd birthday last week and as a treat for him, I thought how better to celebrate than to get ourselves out of the country for a few days. 

'Don't plan anything for your birthday. I'm taking you away'

 Neither of us had ever been to Ireland before and Dublin was a place that we had both mentioned on our travel bucket lists. So the excitement of this thought took over me one day and I just booked it, flights'n'all and let Elliot know he was going away. I managed to keep this secret for the two weeks leading up to it (which I'm amazed I pulled off) and let him know where we were going with an Irish themed card and little token present a few days before we went.

We flew early to ensure we could make the most of our trip, arrived at our hotel and without taking too much time from the day, we headed straight out to the Guinness Storehouse to get our first taste of Ireland. How better to get acquainted with the Irish than to dabble with some Guinness.

 

 We were taken into an all white Tasting Room with four steaming pods. With each one smelling like each of the different elements that go into Guinness, we were then handed a little taste of Guinness in the cutest little 'pint' glasses!

The final part of the tour sees you at the Gravity bar. With panoramic views around the entire room, you go get yourself a pint of Guinness, find a seat and enjoy your pint with an incredible view. Now I'm not a massive Guinness drinker, if at all, but it was hard not to enjoy it with the view and sun shining down on us.

We then took a quick taxi to Kilmainham Gaol, an irish prison built in 1796 that held a number of prisoners related to Irish Independence. We walked through the cells and learned about which influential prisoners stayed where, it was a very cold place today, I can't imagine what it was like back then.

Afterwards we were feeling pretty peckish, so if you're ever feeling hungry when in this area od Dublin, head to the little italian above the pub near the jail. It serves some pretty amazing food including this incredible minestrone soup! I could have had 5 bowls of the stuff, gorgeous. 

For all of you heading over to Dublin or thinking about it, we stayed at the Ashling Hotel which is situated on the edge Dublin and a short walk away from Dublin Zoo and the Guinness Factory. Just take a look at how gorgeous the room was.

After a long day of drinking Guinness and taking in the Irish air, we didn't need much convincing to climb into the beautifully made bed and rest up for another exciting day in Dublin. 

More adventures coming tomorrow, including a few furry, scaly and feathery friends.