Dublin, Ireland
Day 2
After a long day of traveling, I woke up this morning gazing at the city of
Dublin from the comfort
of a Studio Suite at The Westbury Hotel. Although I was still on Virginia time, and therefore a little jet-lagged,
there was no way I was going to stay in my four-poster bed all day. I had things to do!
Once I was dressed, I made my way to Herb Street Restaurant where I had a scrumptious short
stack of
blueberry pancakes with orange and honey butter. I was so
pumped up for my first day in Ireland, that I didn’t need any caffeine—so I
ordered apple juice instead. I happily paid my 13.58 and headed to my first
activity of the day: A walking tour of Dublin
Castle!
On this tour I learned many things about the castle, including that it
served as the seat of British power for over 700 years. I was also able to
take pictures of the Ladies
and St.
Drawing Room, The Throne Room,
Patrick’s Hall. After the tour of Dublin Castle was over, I
decided I needed something with a little more excitement, so I made my way to one of the oldest zoos on the
planet: The Dublin Zoo. Even though I thought the $20.00 admission fee was a little steep, I’m glad I paid it
because the zoo was amazing. I especially loved the African Savanna which had zebras, giraffes, and an
ostrich. The House of Reptiles made me a little queasy with the giant lizards and Gila monsters with venomous
saliva, but overall I had a great time.
Next, I walked downtown where I had lunch at Fire Restaurant. The sweet corn and tomato chowder
was TO DIE FOR, but the ricotta and spinach ravioli was a little on the bland side. For $32.00, I guess I
expected something a little more… appetizing.
By this point the jet-lag was really catching up
with me, so I decided to head back to The Westbury for a
short nap. On the walk back, I saw a flier advertising a
free comedy show at The Comedy Crunch, and made a
note to stop in after dinner.
After the relaxing nap, I woke up starving. I guess
that’s because I didn’t finish my lunch. I had to hurry to
make my 7:00 reservation at
Thornton’s, but it was
well worth the hustle. Deciding to go out on a limb, I
ordered the Magret of Moulard Duck with Braised Red
Cabbage. To be honest, I still don’t know who Magret or
Moulard are, but the duck was divine  The apple tart with pressed apples for dessert was enough to make
my wallet, empty of 98 dollars, a little less angry with me.
My night ended with a free visit to
The Comedy Crunch which was hilarious! There was a nice mix of
locals, students, and tourists. Even though I had a difficult time understanding some of the comedians, I felt
right at home the entire night.
Now, I’m going to sleep with a bit of a belly ache ( I should have never had that second serving of ice
cream at Comedy Crunch—but it was free!) and
dreams of what tomorrow will bring.