Dublin Ireland review

An E-Mail flashed across my computer screen from www.travelzoo.com listing the 20 Hot Deals of the week. Typically these deals sell out within hours of being published. I scanned down the list until one caught my eye. For only $335 including all taxes, you could fly round trip direct from Los Angeles to Dublin. Ireland. Being a huge fan of Lucky Charms cereal, I knew I couldn�t pass this deal up.

In just a few short minutes I was booked to leave LAX in late February for four nights in Dublin. Tourism is at its slowest this time of year due to the wet unforgiving cold weather which is almost a daily ritual in the winter season. This trip would be a solo adventure and also my first European encounter.

As the date grew closer I began to read about the Anti-American hostility starting to bubble worldwide. A week before my departure date, CNN reported over 120,000 people marching through the streets of Dublin to protest the possible war. What type of greeting would I, a single American male, receive from the Irish?

February arrived and it was time to board a 10 hour red eye flight which appeared to be filled with many more Americans than Irish. Hopefully this was a good sign. Aer Lingus was my carrier and I have nothing but good things to say about this airline. Within minutes after take off, the flight attendants were already rolling the liquor cart by, offering all the free alcohol one could possibly consume.

Arriving in Dublin on a Saturday morning, my confusion began almost immediately. My luggage seemed to be the last bags on the carousel. Where was I supposed to go to exchange a few dollars to Euros? How was I going to get to my hotel? Eventually I was standing outside the airport waiting for double-deck bus #73 to take me to the Temple Bar neighborood for the forst two nights of this adventure. Things seemed to be turning out OK until the bus driver informed me that he couldn't really stop anywhere near my hotel. Sensing my dismay, the driver changed his mind and told me he would at least get me close.

Feeling like a fool walking three long blocks with two pieces of luggage, I finally made it to destination #1. The Eliza Lodge (www.dublinlodge.com) sits on the corner of the Temple Bar area overlooking the appealing River Liufey, which splits the city into a northern and southern half. The room was a top floor penthouse single which offered some awesone views of the skyline. Although a bit small, it was sparkling clean and had a small patio area for smoking or outdoor viewing.

Starving, Iheaded out to an Italian restuarant I had noticed on the way to the hotel. Once in the restaurant, I began to learn a few cultural differences. There is no iced tea to be found in Dublin, and Coca-Cola typically comes in an expensive ten-ounce bottle with no refills.

After lunch I strolled around the Temple Bar area looking in a few record shops. More cultural lessons to be learned. The majority of the shop owners look as though they could care less if you are in their store or not.
Many stores also have some Hungarian bald headed goon looking type guy as a security guard.

Back to the hotel to prepare for my first night out, I wondered if I would turn out to be the lonely guy at the bar. A few hours later I was wishing that was how it would have turned out. Instead, at a recommended Pub called Fitzsimmon�s, I met up with two guys from Texas and began drinking mass amounts of Carlsberg Lager followed by Grolschlager shots. Soon I was back at the hotel making a new friend with the toilet.

The next morning I awoke early and was shocked to see some sun peeking out. I took out onto the nearly deserted streets and wandered around until I had made it to the Dublin Castle. History and unique architecture seemed to greet me around every corner. I needed to get back to the room though to get my backpack for a long walk to my next destination at the studios of Phantom FM Radio Dublin (www.phantomfm.com).

Reaching the studio, I was warmly greeted by one of the station�s founders who showed me in and informed me of the events planned. I would be interviewed at 1:00 PM on a show dealing with the state of pirate radio worldwide, and then I would be returning at 6:00 PM to do a 2 hour DJ show over the airwaves. This was definitely the highlight of the trip. The listener response was overwhelming and afterwards I took off back to my hotel grinning. Passing on another night by the toilet, I chose to say in and watch the British Academy Awards on the television.

Tuesday was the final day and I wanted to make the most of it. I took an unimpressive tour of the Jameson Whisky distillery connected to the hotel. After that, I took out on foot and ventured the streets of Dublin for at least 2 hours until I realized I was lost. Finally getting directions, I was headed back through a maze of dated row housing which seemed to never end. Dublin is not the kind of city where you should expect a warm greeting. The people appear to be lost in their own thoughts. Rarely did anyone seem to ever smile. Or maybe I just look like a weirdo and people knew better.

The day was finished off with dinner at the hotel and then over to a true Dublin Pub experience at a place called The Cobblestone. Full of smoke and filled with the sounds of an Irish flute, I had finally found what I was hoping for. Interesting Irish people to talk and laugh with. The events left me satisfied. The Irish are very nice once you get to know them. Also, I began to realize that Americans are not hated as a whole. The Dublin media labeled George Bush as a whacko, hot head, dictator and tyrant among other things, but the American citizens were not criticized.

Wednesday morning the skies began to pour down for the first time but I didn�t care because I was leaving.