We were able to spend a bit of time with Erika’s brother and sister-in-law, Justin and Becky, and also see the Hoos end their long losing streak against Tech. Ah - how sweet it is to earn the right to get thumped by Clemson next week.
We found the magic harp and then each crafted and promptly downed our own perfect pints, though all agreed that Simon poured the best pint.
Before we finished imbibing our creations, we took in the views at the Gravity Bar.
Jenna and Kevin then headed back to our Airbnb base for some rest while Erika and Simon hightailed it to Barnardo Square with an Uber driver who had not only been to Cincinnati before but had seen the Bengals win a game (a true rarity). At the square, we joined a Sandemans walking tour and were led around Dublin Castle, various cathedrals, Temple Bar, across the river, and Trinity College with hilarious history lessons from our guide, Jason, from Sandemans.
Finally, we ended the night at Mulligan and Haines for a delicious dinner and celebratory brews and cider with Jenna and Kevin before walking back to our Airbnb. The jet lag is hitting us and we’re off to bed. Check back tomorrow!
We enjoyed watching Justin crack pistachios with a vice grip (and ducking when necessary) before surprising and playing with Jackson and Elia. The medium sized man beat the big man in football and Elia finished a solar system puzzle with Aunt Pants. Justin then drove us to the train station and we took the short train to O’Hare where Simon whined his way into the Swissport lounge and we finally saw Jenna and Kevin, the other members of our Irish traveling team. On the way from the lounge to our gate, we ran into Siobhan, Erika’s good friend from her time in Baltimore, because of course Siobhan would be on our flight to Dublin. Simon also asked a man carrying a cup, “What’d you win?” and apparently made Siobhan’s day when we learned it was the Liam McCarthy Cup, which has been contested in Ireland in hurling since 1920 and is kind of a big deal. What do you know?
Our Aer Lingus flight left early, arrived in Dublin early (so early that Simon couldn’t finish his sudoku), and was half full so we each had multiple seats to spread out and try to sleep in. Or, in Simon’s case, he went four- seats across and slept on a plane for the first time in known memory.
When we cleared Immigration, we headed to the car rental station and picked up our reserved Toyota Yaris. But, after defying the laws of physics and Tetris to squeeze our bags into the tiny car, and thoroughly entertaining the employees there, we realized we might need a slightly larger vehicle if we are planning to drive around the country without killing one another so we were given a much more comfortable CH-R. Kevin then expertly drove us into Dublin and, rightly, stayed on the wrong side of the road the whole time.
We parked near our Airbnb, found a way to pay for it, and walked to have a tasty brunch at Cake Cafe nearby. Then, we took a cab to the Guinness Storehouse at St. James’s Gate for an in-depth and interactive tour of the Guinness factory and brewing process. It’s the Disney Land of beer.
We found the magic harp and then each crafted and promptly downed our own perfect pints, though all agreed that Simon poured the best pint.
Before we finished imbibing our creations, we took in the views at the Gravity Bar.
Jenna and Kevin then headed back to our Airbnb base for some rest while Erika and Simon hightailed it to Barnardo Square with an Uber driver who had not only been to Cincinnati before but had seen the Bengals win a game (a true rarity). At the square, we joined a Sandemans walking tour and were led around Dublin Castle, various cathedrals, Temple Bar, across the river, and Trinity College with hilarious history lessons from our guide, Jason, from Sandemans.
Finally, we ended the night at Mulligan and Haines for a delicious dinner and celebratory brews and cider with Jenna and Kevin before walking back to our Airbnb. The jet lag is hitting us and we’re off to bed. Check back tomorrow!
