Kilkenny to Dublin

Another miserable weather day. Really miserable. When I checked around 5pm, weather.com said it was 55, felt like 42. It was rainy and windy all day. Weather like that doesn't make for happy travelers. It was a bummer.

Actually checked out almost on time (8:30ish). Drive about 90 minutes to the Gardens of Powerscourt. Got there and the weather wasn't any better. I was bummed because I did want to visit. But not in weather like that. We walked around the gift shops and saved ourselves €17 and hours of freezing. Wish the weather would have cooperated.

So, with that stop cut very short we headed to Dublin ahead of schedule. If you've been reading this the whole trip you know that driving in towns is not our favorite. Dublin wasn't any better. People sen to drive by their own rules and park in the street, even if it blocks a whole lane of traffic. That wasn't fun.

Made it to the Guinness Storehouse. They certainly have found a way to dramatize the beer making process. Fun fact: I learned after we were there that I don't like Guinness. Ireland is very proud of it though. So is Guinness. They are super proud of their beer. Matt learned to pour a perfect pint. I redeemed my free drink at the Gravity Bar on the 7th floor overlooking Dublin. I got a pop. The free tasting earlier was enough Guinness for me. Forever.

Guinness was only about 5 minutes from our car drop and we made it back with about 15 minutes to spare. Took a cab to the hostel. It wasn't worth trying to save a little money to stand in the rain and figure out the bus system. I will pay to be lazy once in a while.

After 12 nights at lovely and cozy B&Bs, we finished with a night at a hostel (though still recommended by Rick Steves). It was...interesting. Mostly stayed because it was waaaay cheaper than all other central Dublin lodging I looked at. We had a private room and bathroom. It was a step down from a dorm room. The bathroom was about has station quality. Yep. And this place still cost more than our B&B in Cobh (which was pretty nice).

So, it was raining outside, inside was a little scary. That definitely made us ready to be home. Walked around a little and I got soaked. Had fish n chips for our last supper. Seemed appropriate. Went out for our last Irish pints.

This morning we had (free!) breakfast at the hostel. After being served most morning on china with a full cooked breakfast getting our own cereal and toast was a bit of a letdown. BUT the sun was out!!! Such a big improvement!! Walked around about 45 minutes. I much prefer Dublin in the sun! Then it was back to get our stuff, check out, wait for the bus, and have an hour ride to the airport.

Pictures: I realized I have A LOT of pictures of food. Pretty much every meal we had. Anyways: when I learned I don't like Guinness, a pretty church in Dublin, our last pints.