Dublin

Probably won't get a chance to post again tomorrow before I take off for Moscow, so here it is. Dublin is rainy. Really rainy. And I shouldn't say that, since today has been just lovely. But yesterday--just walking from the bus stop to the metro (or the Luas as they call it, pronounced like my last name) fully drenched me.

The city has otherwise been very enjoyable to explore. It's what you expect, areas with cobblestone streets, cute shops, and lots of English spoken in ways you can't understand unless you listen carefully. It's really a bizarre feeling not being able to comprehend someone speaking your own language. We took a tour of the Dublin castle yesterday as well as saw the Book of Kells at Trinity College. Will has been an excellent tour guide showing me, Jonathan, and Paul the city and its highlights. Tomorrow we're apparently going to touch mummies. I'll let you know how that goes.

But the real treat was the hike we did today at the fishing town of Howth. Exactly like I had hoped, there were cliffs jutting out right above the sea, green rolling hills, a cloud-spotted sky and even a lighthouse hovering over the water. We lucked out and didn't have much rain for most of the day. At the end, we stopped by a fish shop to pick up some trout for dinner and watched some seals play in the harbor. Yes, Pauline, I have pictures. Simply lovely.

Now it's time to go out on the town. Hope it doesn't rain!