Dublin

For my first post I figured that there was nothing better to do than a travel post/diary. When reading blogs myself, I always find travel posts the most interesting; I love learning about different cultures and experiences. So, on we go…

Recently I was lucky enough to travel to Dublin, Ireland with a friend of mine, Holly. The purpose of our somewhat spontaneous visit was to see Ed Sheeran in concert which I can confirm was the most incredible night ( I love you Ed!!). We decided to stay in Dublin the weekend and I was pretty dubious as to whether I would like it. I’d always assumed that Ireland was a cold, dull place and that it was basically just boring. Shortly after we arrived however I literally fell in love with it!

We stayed in the amazing Spencer Hotel right on the riverside about a fifteen minute walk from the town centre and from the 3 arena. I would highly recommend this hotel – our room was spotlessly clean, modern and more than adequate. They also have a fab cocktail bar!

Our first day was uneventful – we ate takeaway pizza and then slept until our concert. I won’t go into the concert (another post maybe?) but I will tell you that if you ever get the opportunity to see Ed Sheeran, go. Like seriously, just go.

On our second day, for a late breakfast we ate at the most incredible little café ever called Herb Street. We were ambling around the quayside and stumbled upon it and it was absolutely without a doubt the best breakfast I’ve had in my life. Ever ever ever.

I had the French toast with bacon and maple syrup, something I had never tried. It was pricey but the location and service more than made up for it – they even provided cute blankets to cosy up with when sat outside!

Dublin has a brilliant shopping district, with a real mix of shops; some of which we have commonly in the UK, but also some different brands. Holly and I got very excited when we found a Forever21!

We spent the day shopping in the city centre and then made our way to Temple Quay, the notorious pub district. Temple Quay was buzzing and reminiscent of Covent Garden or somewhere like that in London. There was live music being played and art everywhere; really unique.

By this point we were hungry and decided to eat in the amazing Gallaher and Co. restaurant where I had a huge gourmet burger and chips. It’s a small but tastefully decorated bistro style place and has really high ceilings and lots of exposed brickwork. After dinner we wandered around the riverside area at night for a bit before going back to the hotel.

For our last day in Dublin, I dragged Holly to the zoo. We got there by the super convenient tram lines that zigzag their way through the city. It was cheap, quick and easy…once we’d worked out how to use the ticket machine! Dublin Zoo itself is a really great day out, situated amidst acres of green parkland, it’s a fairly large zoo. We saw lots of adorable baby animals including my first ever elephant experience. They had baby elephants!! So cute!!

After the zoo we didn’t have much time before our flight and therefore ate at a cheap and cheerful – but still pretty decent – all you can eat Chinese buffet. Named Jimmy Chung’s, it’s situated on the riverside in central Dublin and is a great place to eat if you’re really hungry and just want Chinese food I guess!! Then, after a few cheeky purchases in duty free, we flew home.

All in all I undoubtedly recommend a visit to Dublin! From the UK it’s a quick, cheap trip and the perfect location for a short getaway in a superbly beautiful city. There’s impressive architecture, delicious food and bucket loads to do. There is plenty of choice for shopping and also you can bask in the gorgeous, mellifluous accent! I definitely cannot wait to go back some day soon.

Thankyou so much for reading my first post!! Please leave any feedback in the comments and tell me what you want to read,

Love Cait xx