On our second day in Ireland, we finished up the north coast
and headed south to Dublin. There were a few more things worth seeing up north
that we’d run out of daylight on the day before, so we headed out in the rain
(perfectly Irish, so no big deal) to see the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge. This
bridge has existed in some form to connect a rocky island to the mainland for
about 350 years, so that salmon fishermen could use the island. It’s a nice
little hike to the bridge along the cliffs, and once you’ve crossed you can
explore the teeny island.
The bridge
Sarah on the bridge!
After the rope bridge, we went to the Old Bushmills
Distillery, which is the oldest distiller of whiskey (note that it’s got an e
here, whereas in Scotland it’s just whisky. The things you learn!). They offer
a factory tour, so we signed up and had delicious lunch in their canteen before
taking the tour. We learned a lot and factory tours are always cool, and we got
a free sample at the end. Neither Sarah nor I are big whiskey drinkers, but we
tried their basic flavor and a hot toddy (hot water, honey, spices, whiskey).
The toddy was pretty tasty on a cold rainy day, and while we didn’t have
anything against the plain stuff it was a little strong for us so we didn’t
finish our tiny sample. I’m sure the locals were very impressed
They keep sauna levels of warm in here, which is really nice on a cold day!
Our last stop before heading south was the Dunluce castle,
which is a ruin that was built in medieval times right on the very point of a
cliff overlooking the sea. On clear days, you can actually see Scotland from
the castle, and the people who lived there did get a lot of their necessities
from Scotland because it was easier than getting it over land from Ireland. My
favorite thing was the remaining frames of the bay windows they had in the
great room. It must have been really beautiful when it was still whole.
Perfection as a castle ruin. Misty and everything!
The bay windows were framed in sandstone. I would love to sit by this window with a crackling fire and a cup of tea!
Especially with this view.
Done with our northern sight-seeing, we hit the road headed
south towards Dublin. It was a very nice drive, but with the occasional stop
and frequent tiny roads and towns, it took us most of the afternoon. We arrived
in Dublin to discover that our city map was woefully inadequate, and found our
hostel only because Sarah is an unqualified genius. It turned out to be a
really cool hostel, and if I’m ever in the area again I’ll definitely be
staying there.
This is our hostel, pretty cool.
It was past dinnertime but not late, so we went for a wander
through the streets of Dublin. The city isn’t large, especially not the city
center part, so we were able to see most of the pub and nightlife districts and
a couple of landmarks before we went home for the night. The Temple Bar
district—full of very typical Irish pubs and revelers—was especially cool.
Dublin's Temple Bar district, from Google. My phone didn't do a very good job :)
Love Katie
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