The Guinness Store house was very cool. You start on the ground floor to about the 3rd or 4th floor (I think) where you are shown the beer making steps. But you also get an idea of the dedication and meticulousness that goes into making such a specific brew. About the 5th floor there is the Guinness Academy where you can be instructed on how to perform the perfect pour of Guinness from the tap. There really is a skill to it. Lisa and I did really well. The instructor was excellent (sorry, I didn't catch her name). Then we proceeded up to the 7th floor which is known as the Gravity Bar to enjoy that perfectly poured glass. The Gravity Bar is a circular room with large glass windows encircling it so that one has a panoramic view of Dublintown. Very gorgeous way to enjoy a pint, I must say.
From there we hopped on the Green Bus (the hop-on hop-off bus mention in previous entry) on a bit of a tour of the city. The driver, named Mark, was absolutely hysterical. It was just joke after joke of that dry, sometimes clever but always smile worthy Irish sense of humor. "What is the difference between a hippo and a Zippo? Well, one is a lit'le heavy and one is a lit'le lighter". Not only that, he would comically banter with people outside the bus (he had a microphone) as well, to which he received many smiles. Between the jokes he was describing historical sites as we drove by them.
We decided to get off of the bus just on the north side of the River Liffy, which runs through Dublin and is only a short walk to our hotel. On the way, Lisa noticed that we were walking by the Ha'Penny. We had read about this place many times and saw that it had great reviews. Well, I guess it was time for and pint. Ahhh, but remember, don't go for the one. Especially in Ireland. We sat and exchanged a decent conversation with the barman. He was chock-full of advice (and opinion) in regards to what was good in Dublin and what was "shite". Next to us, at the bar, was a couple that was vacationing here from Tampa. Small world, huh. Two more pints and a shot of whiskey in my belly. I was shown by our barman how the Irish drink thier whiskey which was interesting to me because I don't believe I have ever tasted so much flavor in a shot. You take your time with it. You swirl it, you smell it, then you take a sip. Slow down and taste it. Then you pour a dab of water in it then repeat previous steps. It was beautiful. The whiskey I tried was called Teeling. If you are ever here, I highly suggest it, even if you are not a whiskey drinker.
We proceeded to the Temple Bar area. It is just what you may think it is. A chunk of Dublin dedicated to its evening pub life and traditional music. We went into the actual Temple Bar and each had a Smithwick's (pronounced "smithicks"). There were 3 musicians elevated above the crown on a stage. A guitarist, an accordion player, and a fiddler that was singing. The music was loud, fast and drenched in Irish soul. It was impossible for Lisa and I not to smile with absolute glee. They played a traditional song that we both know, Tell Me Ma. We would have easily been there for the remainder of the night, but Dublin bars close early (between 11:30 and 1:30 depending on the type of license they have) and we wanted to eat. After shuffling around the area for little bit, we ended up in a small restaurant called Tha Shack. Lisa had Irish stew and I had fish and chips. Need I really say how delicious it was?
After we had eaten, the fatigue was simply too much. We needed our bed, and we needed it now. A pint of Guinness wasn't going to save us this time. I am pretty sure we immediately passed out once we got back here in our room. Now we are rested and about to get some breakfast. Today and tonight, well Dublin, we will much more ready for you.
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