The Perfect Long Weekend Getaway : Dublin

Hi guys! I can't believe how quick this month has gone by! Last month I went on a lovely weekend getaway trip to Dublin. I must admit Ireland has never really been on my radar but now I am so glad I went! Dublin is absolutely gorgeous and definitely gave me the travelbug! The people are so friendly, never mind getting lost...you probably WANT to get lost, just to hear their beautiful accent. Coinciding with the 100 years uprising of the Irish, apart from the fact that we almost died on the rooftop of the Guinness Factory of overcrowded suffocation, the Irish passion for culture and history only made us love Dublin more. Below you can see a quick guide of places worth going to.

 

The Dean & Sophie's

Weekend getaways require a good place to sleep and even better breakfast options. Enter The Dean, with it's rooftop bar and restaurant, Nespresso machine and Mumford and Sons vinyl record, who could say no? Staff are super friendly and as it is closely situated to Grafton street our legs and our heels thanked us on many occasions. Sophie's a renowned restaurant by its own name was so good that we ended up having most of our meals in house! Another day and it would have become room service material. If you ever get to visit Dublin, do not give this hotel a miss, especially that carrot and kale juice..I don't like anything healthy in life, but trust me it's well worth a visit however you may have to dig a little deeper into your pockets ;)

The Book of Kells/ Trinity College 

Ever wonder how Harvard would look like in Europe? Well Trinity definitely has made the right impression. Founded in 1592, Trinity College Dublin is one of the seven ancient universities of Britain and Ireland. Filled with onsite student led tours and exceptional architecture, if there has ever been a time you have wanted to try out that panorama option on your camera, this is the place! Trinity College is exceptional visually, I particularly loved the three sets of tennis courts right in the heart of the campus and the Library, most notably housing the Book of Kells which is notably insured for 20 million pounds.

Dublin City

City breaks are a fantastic way to go for walks and explore. Dublin had a lot to offer, especially with the Irish spirit so high for the 100 year anniversary. Dublin uses Euros and I cannot say we had much left after the weekend.

Guinness Factory

Coming to Dublin and not going to the Guinness Factory almost feels like a crime, forfeiting such an acquired smell. After a never-ending queue when we finally did make it in, it was quickly established that

a) Guinness is flipping amazing in the factory and yes it tastes different to the usual b) there really isn't a way of not being tipsy going up 5 floors each with taster corners. Personally I loved the factory, although shame we didn't have enough energy to go into the academy or the actual bar. Far too many people with kids and others with professional cameras made themselves to the top with us, hence although we only spend a short time with the amazing 360 view, honestly we were happy to get out nevertheless. I have vowed the next time a come over I will make sure to take the audio tour and take a full day out for it! The factory literally tells you everything and you can even see/taste/touch all ingredients from its production line. Long live Diageo!

Bunsen Burger

Now as you might have guessed I take my food very seriously! Holidays should be about having fun and eating yum. So with some good research mainly on Instagram (as you do), I just couldn't give Bunsen Burger a miss! I really can't describe how brilliant they are. How cool is it that they took our details and we could follow them online to see how many people were waiting before us. Can I please remind you that this is solely a burger joint, but we love how seriously they take food! Also we loved whilst waiting, their recommendation to try out the pub opposite called "Against the Grain" which is a fantastic option if you like craft beer and want to try something new. Unfortunately we were so preoccupied meeting an Irish Fiona (yes this happened) that I couldn't take any photos, but some of the cool things we drank included a coffee flavoured beer and a lemon beer. Love love love!

Cafe en Seine

One of my colleagues at work recommended this beautiful cafe, the Cafe en Seine on Dublin's popular Dawson street. In 1798 after the aborted uprising, French prisoners of war were kept here, one of them believed to be the inspiration for the Statue of Liberty! So deeply in rich Irish history, this is the perfect place to go to sit and actually just look around.

Irish Whiskey

You just can't come to Ireland and not try a good Irish whiskey...wait okay..maybe you can..but I didn't! Alcohol seems to unite a lot of people in this country, the rest of us should watch and learn. But getting back to the point whilst a Guinness is literally in every corner, if you are in an experimental mood, why not try Teeling Whiskey. Word of caution: this is definitely an acquired taste if you get what I mean. I don't think the bartender is going to ever forget me ordering a Coke in order to digest that Whiskey ha!




Catch me soon on my trip to Barcelona! Adios!


MissBonda