After the factory, we were back out in the cold. All that walking and drinking made us hungry. Chris remembered reading about this pastry shop (yes, pastry) in our online guide. The place was appropriately named "The Queen of Tarts." Clever, right?
We enjoyed a "Queen's Chocolate Cake." Topped with Gooseberries and whipped creme, this was a perfect choice for a "Before dinner" snack. Now for dinner, we ate at a local burger shop on O'Connell Street. Although not as good as McDonald's, the meal was adequate.
We were beat and needed the comfort of our hotel room. Luckily for us, our hotel was adjoined with a bar. We sipped another pint of Guinness by the fire and ended our long day with some warmth.
Next Mission: Get some Fish and Chips, more beer and get to the airport on time.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Guinness Storehouse - Day Two (December 29th)
The Guinness Storehouse was worth the walk. Brick walls and enclosed gates, we were walking into a palace. Seven stories high, we would see everything from how the beer is made, to the marketing campaigns of Guinness. The seventh floor is where we wanted to be.
On the seventh floor is the bar area, which gives everyone a 360 degree view of Dublin. Along with the 360 view, comes a free pint of Guinness. Of course, we were going up for the view.
It was interesting to see how the process of beer making works. From barley to hops, the method is quite complex. Washing, roasting and so many other aspects, we learned, make great beer.
The storehouse had a museum atmosphere that slowly climbed each floor. Seventh floor, here we come! Finally, we reached the seventh floor. I imagined it to be somewhat like that Empire State Building. A landmark anywhere you looked, and I was not disappointed. From the top, we could see St. Patrick's Cathedral, the Spire and many other landmarks. With beer in hand, we sat and just gazed off into the distance.
I was very pleased with the experience. Guinness is a great beer and worth the climb!
On the seventh floor is the bar area, which gives everyone a 360 degree view of Dublin. Along with the 360 view, comes a free pint of Guinness. Of course, we were going up for the view.
It was interesting to see how the process of beer making works. From barley to hops, the method is quite complex. Washing, roasting and so many other aspects, we learned, make great beer.
The storehouse had a museum atmosphere that slowly climbed each floor. Seventh floor, here we come! Finally, we reached the seventh floor. I imagined it to be somewhat like that Empire State Building. A landmark anywhere you looked, and I was not disappointed. From the top, we could see St. Patrick's Cathedral, the Spire and many other landmarks. With beer in hand, we sat and just gazed off into the distance.
I was very pleased with the experience. Guinness is a great beer and worth the climb!
Day Two (December 29th)
Location: Dublin, Ireland.
Mission: Explore the city, trying too hard not to look like tourists.
Transportation: Good ol' "pat and bend" (Our feet).
We always say we should wake up early and get our day started, never happens. After a good night's sleep, it was time to start our adventures. We decided that a visit to the Guinness storehouse was a must, everything would fall into place on the way there.
Just our luck, Dublin was windy and rainy. Good thing we brought our umbrella with us, right? Turns out that the umbrella was smaller than expected, half our bodies fit together underneath. Great start to a great day!
Our first stop was McDonald's, we are in Dublin HELLO, why not McDonald's? :D Euro menu, have to be cheap! Stomachs full, we headed towards our destinations.
O'Connell street would be considered the main street, pedestrians and cars working together in unison. Tall buildings make up the city scape, along the way, we encountered Trinity College.
The grounds were green and buildings were gray and old. The feeling was very rustic and vintage. Aside from the cold settling into my feet, we were enjoying the view. Next stop, Guinness Storehouse:
As stated earlier, everything was in close proximity of each other, wrong again. The trek to the storehouse seemed endless. Rainy streets and winds that would not cease created a, not so pleasant, atmosphere. Churches and statues distracted us from the reality of the walk, finally we saw the Guinness gates!
Mission: Explore the city, trying too hard not to look like tourists.
Transportation: Good ol' "pat and bend" (Our feet).
We always say we should wake up early and get our day started, never happens. After a good night's sleep, it was time to start our adventures. We decided that a visit to the Guinness storehouse was a must, everything would fall into place on the way there.
Just our luck, Dublin was windy and rainy. Good thing we brought our umbrella with us, right? Turns out that the umbrella was smaller than expected, half our bodies fit together underneath. Great start to a great day!
Our first stop was McDonald's, we are in Dublin HELLO, why not McDonald's? :D Euro menu, have to be cheap! Stomachs full, we headed towards our destinations.
O'Connell street would be considered the main street, pedestrians and cars working together in unison. Tall buildings make up the city scape, along the way, we encountered Trinity College.
The grounds were green and buildings were gray and old. The feeling was very rustic and vintage. Aside from the cold settling into my feet, we were enjoying the view. Next stop, Guinness Storehouse:
As stated earlier, everything was in close proximity of each other, wrong again. The trek to the storehouse seemed endless. Rainy streets and winds that would not cease created a, not so pleasant, atmosphere. Churches and statues distracted us from the reality of the walk, finally we saw the Guinness gates!
Monday, January 11, 2010
Day One (December 28th)
Monday, our departure date, are we ready?
Packing seemed more difficult than it should have been. How could we possibly fit 13 days worth of clothes in two carry-on bags, when everything else (camera bag and laptop), must fit as well?
The solution: Three pairs of pants (to be rotated), roughly six shirts, two sweaters, a handful of socks and underwear, two coats and only the shoes on our feet. Good idea? Maybe not…
Three hours until departure, disaster strikes the team. As we leave the apartment, to go to the store, Chris realized he did not have the keys to the apartment. What?
Do not panic, DO not panic, we could just ring the bell. Someone has to be home. No one is home, PANIC!!! After a short brainstorming session, we must find RAFA (Chris’ roommate). He is at work, SCORE! GO FIGHT WIN, WORK!
Time to depart! The airport always makes me so grumpy. Security and all that jazz, so not necessary ;). Ryanair, known for having the most on time flights, was late. How late? A good hour or so, of course, I was cranky!
We finally got to head through the departure gate, we were led down a dark corridor (Seriously, no light!) After our trek through the haunted hallway, we were shuttled onto a bus that took us to our airplane...
We were set to arrive in Dublin with just enough time to catch the public bus to our hotel (no couch surfers were available). With the delay, we had to take a taxi. Of course, we got a grumpy cab driver and he quickly took us to our destination. 25 Euros later, we were in the heart of Dublin.
Our next mission: Find the Abbey Hotel and get some sleep!
Packing seemed more difficult than it should have been. How could we possibly fit 13 days worth of clothes in two carry-on bags, when everything else (camera bag and laptop), must fit as well?
The solution: Three pairs of pants (to be rotated), roughly six shirts, two sweaters, a handful of socks and underwear, two coats and only the shoes on our feet. Good idea? Maybe not…
Three hours until departure, disaster strikes the team. As we leave the apartment, to go to the store, Chris realized he did not have the keys to the apartment. What?
Do not panic, DO not panic, we could just ring the bell. Someone has to be home. No one is home, PANIC!!! After a short brainstorming session, we must find RAFA (Chris’ roommate). He is at work, SCORE! GO FIGHT WIN, WORK!
Time to depart! The airport always makes me so grumpy. Security and all that jazz, so not necessary ;). Ryanair, known for having the most on time flights, was late. How late? A good hour or so, of course, I was cranky!
We finally got to head through the departure gate, we were led down a dark corridor (Seriously, no light!) After our trek through the haunted hallway, we were shuttled onto a bus that took us to our airplane...
We were set to arrive in Dublin with just enough time to catch the public bus to our hotel (no couch surfers were available). With the delay, we had to take a taxi. Of course, we got a grumpy cab driver and he quickly took us to our destination. 25 Euros later, we were in the heart of Dublin.
Our next mission: Find the Abbey Hotel and get some sleep!
The Amazing Race - Carlos and Chris
Mission Objective: visit Dublin, Paris, Porto and Lisboa in 13 days.
Method: Ryanair and public transportation systems.
Contact: Couch Surfing hosts in Paris and Porto.
Method: Ryanair and public transportation systems.
Contact: Couch Surfing hosts in Paris and Porto.
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