Dublin revisited

Second blog post within two days. Excuse me for the spam, but since I have regained my enthusiasm for this blog, why not write when I feel like it. Especially when now there are some things to write about. So about Dublin:
Technically, this was my 3rd visit to Dublin. I was here in March 2014 with my friend and when I came to Sligo for a short vacation in October 2014, I stayed in Dublin for one night. But this visit was the first time being alone in Dublin for me. Though at first I was a bit nervous about being here alone (my sense of direction, it's bad. Veeeryy bad), but it all turned out well. I did not, I repeat, did not, get lost a single time while walking around the city centre today, which for me, is huge! Though I did get a little lost last night, when I was trying to find my hostel..  But then again, it wasn't entirely my fault, since I had printed a map from the Dublin bus station to the hostel, but it turned out that the bus would leave me to a bus stop near the bus station, not right in front of the bus station. This led to confusion and some wandering around.  But thanks to some help from a stranger (this is what I love about Ireland. People actually ask you, if you need help, and this can happen even in a big city like Dublin) I found my way to the hostel. And so far so good, I haven't gotten lost since that first time.

I spent most of this day just walking around the city centre. The weather has been beautiful, sunny and a bit windy, but still warmer than in Finland when I left. I was supposed to visit two of the sights I had yet failed to see in Dublin; St. Patrick's Cathedral and the Dublin Castle. But I got a bit lazy, and ended up visiting just the castle. It was an okay place. I just wanted to get a quick look of the place, so I didn't go on a guided tour, but got a ticket for a self-guided tour instead. I probably would have gotten more out of the place with a guided tour, but oh well, I got to see most of the castle anyways.
I've noticed that in Dublin, the major sights are not that spectacular. They are cool, but not the most amazing places I've ever seen. This was the case with the castle as well. But that's just my opinion, since I happen to prefer the nature landscapes of Ireland (The Cliffs of Moher, the beaches and coastlines of the country... Yeah, I know. The Western coast of Ireland has completely stolen my heart) over the likes of what for example Dublin has to offer. There is one very good thing about the tourist attractions in Dublin though; the tickets are cheap. I think the only place I've paid more than 10€ for entrance was the Guinness Storehouse. All other places have been way under 10€.

Outside the Dublin Castle

Inside the Dublin Castle. The ceiling was beautifully decorated.

After visiting the castle I went shopping. My enthusiasm for shopping comes and goes. I'm not too keen on fashion nor trends. I couldn't care less about what's in and what's out. But even I can say that Dublin is a very good city for shopping. And of course, Ireland has Penneys. Which as retail stores go, is one of the best things ever. Exactly how I like my clothes to be; cheap, yet cool. Quite often I find it hard to find anything cool at clothing stores, cause my taste in clothes usually isn't the most traditional kind. Yet I don't think I've ever left Penneys without buying at least one item. Since we don't have Penneys or Primark in Finland, it was great to go there again after a long time. I didn't find as much clothes as I would have thought (my wallet will thank me), but I did find clothes for my internship and something that satisfies the little geek in me A LOT.

The little geek in me is very happy right now.

I have to admit, it does feel kinda exciting to be in Dublin, regardless of my mixed feelings towards the city. For a girl from a small town, Dublin feels big. There's no way around it. And yes, I'm well aware that as capital or big cities go, Dublin is far from big. But to, it is big. There are a lot of people and there are people wondering about at all times, it seems. At first, that feels a bit exciting and of course different. But in the end, it feels a bit weird and makes me feel a bit restless. I like the liveliness of Dublin, but I also like some peace and quiet. I'd say that Dublin is a nice city to visit every now and then, to get a feel of the "big city life", but I would never want to live there. For a longer period of time, at least. Coming here is a bit of an adventure and my feelings towards Dublin have actually changed more positive, but at this very moment, I am still very happy about the fact that I will be living in Galway. Smaller, yet lively, cities are just more my cup of tea.
Since the weather is still nice and sunny, even though it's getting late, I'm gonna do one last stroll around the city centre and get something to eat. And tomorrow, my adventure can really begin. Galway get ready, cause here I come!

The river looks nice, especially on a sunny day like today.

All sun and no rain the entire day.