It's a Lovely Day for a Guinness

 Wednesday September 6, 2023

We slept in this morning--no bag check or breakfast time requirement--it felt pretty good!  Today is supposed to be the hottest day of the year--it got up to 77 degrees and everyone was commenting on the broiling heat!

Today was a "free day", so we set out to "Do Dublin" on the Hop on Hop off bus.  It took awhile to find the bus stop, but we got our steps in.  We checked in for the Guiness Storehouse tour.  Guinness began brewing beer here in 1759 and now brews 1.5 million pints per day! 

We found out it is quite a science, as Guinness was the first brewer to introduce nitrogen into the beer. This helps create the creamy white head.  Of course we got to sample a pint from high above, at the Gravity Bar on top of the facility.  What a lovely day for a Guinness.

Dublin is the capital of Ireland, and bustle of activity, with lots of busses taking people in and out of the city.  There is a light rail line called "Lewis" that means "speed" in Irish.  It is quite speedy, and moves a lot of people throughout the area.   There are scenic views around the river Liffey which runs through the center of the city. 

Of course we had to see the famous statue of Molly Malone.

On our walk back to the hotel, we came across sculptures dedicated to the Irish people forced to emigrate due to the famine.   They show the starving people walking toward ships to take them overseas, away from hunger and poverty.  It's almost haunting to see the statues, especially after seeing the ship they were headed for.

On a lighter note, everyone here is getting excited about the Rugby World Cup starting this weekend. It's a big deal for the island of Ireland, as they are ranked #1.  The team represents both the Republic of Ireland, and Northern Ireland.   The games will be played in France, and Ireland's first match is Saturday night.  I'll be cheering for them!

We have made our full circle tour around the island, and it has gone quickly.  We've been kept very busy but have seen so much.

We are ready to get home.  We've been here so long, we may start talking like the Irish.

"How are yas?"

"No bother"

"It's lovely"

To go is "Take Away"

"Booking" means reservation

Restroom is "Toilet"

H is silent, so Third is "turd", and Thing is "ting"

Point is "pint" 

I wonder how the Irish say "Your suitcase weighs too much?"