Dublin, Ireland
In November 2012 we met our friends, John and Julie, in Dublin for a long weekend.
They live in Scotland so we try to meet up any chance we get.
The weather was extremely cold (for me) and sometimes rainy, so we didn’t do a lot of exploring outside.
We checked into the Butlers Townhouse in Ballsbridge and then headed to the famous Temple Bar.
The boys drank Guinness but I kept it light with Harp.
Despite what the sign says.
We snacked on a meat and cheese tray and caught-up on life.
We didn’t just drink in Dublin, we also ate very well!
I highly recommend The Pig’s Ear, an award winning restaurant in the center of the city.
They offer Irish food with a modern and creative touch.
I ordered the Pork Belly with Jane Russell’s Pudding (blood pudding), Tea & Date Jam, Lakeshore Mustard Mash, and Pork Cracklings:
The desserts were creative, too.
The Vanilla Cheese Cake served in a jar won me over.
And the 70% Chocolate Tart with Salted Butter Caramel and Ice Cream was a table favorite!
One day we did something I’ve never done before.
We hopped on one of those Hop On – Hop Off buses.
It was so stinking cold that this sounded like the best way to explore the city without freezing to death.
Spoken like a true native Floridian, right!?
The driver entertained us and I tried to snap a few pictures.
We hopped-off the bus at the The Old Jameson Distillery.
We went on the Jameson whiskey tour and learned about one of Ireland’s greatest entrepreneurs, John Jameson.
The tour lasts about 1 hour and costs €14.00.
And everyone gets a glass of Jameson whiskey at the end.
Later that night we stumbled into Peadar Kearney’s.
The pub is named after a musician who lived in the building and composed Abhrán na BhFiann (The Irish national anthem).
The live music that night was from Brian Brody, a one man music machine. (Raise your hand if you can see me on the TV screen.)
Hands down Peadar Kearney’s is our favorite local pub experience to date.
On our last day we drove to Wicklow, a town on the coast.
It was still cold and windy, but the sun was shining!
We explored the Wicklow Harbour:
And Black Castle, castle ruins overlooking the Irish Sea.
What a fantastic day of exploring!
Our dinner that night was in Dun Laoghaire, a suburban seaside town about 10 minutes from Dublin’s city center.
The food at Rasam Restaurant took us back to India.
They serve high quality authentic Indian cuisine and have been awarded over and over for their efforts.
Our meal was exceptional!
And so were the desserts!
John ordered the brownie with ice cream:
And I ordered Malai Kulfi:
Homemade Indian ice-cream fudge served with rose scented basil seeds.
We had so much fun exploring, drinking, eating, and dancing in Dublin.
And there is nothing quite like seeing a country for the first time with your best friends!