Dublin in 30 Hours

Blink and you miss it. That’s what 30 hours in Dublin feels like. No time to stop, little time to sleep.

Working a Monday-Friday job leaves little time to explore. It’s a learned skill (I have yet to master) to juggle the transit schedules and peak weekend travel costs all while making the most of my coveted days off. As is my tendency, last minute plans were made which certainly didn’t go easy on the bank account. Cost aside, I was determined to see Ireland during my short stay in the UK. If 30 hours was all I could get, so be it. I was ready to take Dublin by storm.

12 PM-Just my luck, the already late flight was delayed by 2 hours. All I managed to do upon arrival was fall asleep in the hotel room. Taking Dublin by storm indeed…

6 AM-6 hours down, 24 to go. I was up bright and early. Four alarms were set to make sure of that. The hotel was located on the outskirts of Dublin; a cost effective decision of course. I hopped on a double decker city bus and sat on top to soak in the view heading into the city.

First on my schedule was the Samuel Becket Bridge. This bridge, designed like a harp, was pretty much the reason I came to Ireland. That and the Guinness harp, which I never did get to see. Anything to do with harps, really.

Dublin’s city center is rather large to walk around in a day. I opted for a ‘hop-on hop-off’ pass for the city tour buses so I could see as much as possible. The tour brought me to the Dublin castle, Trinity College, the opera house, and the museum of modern art (which was a highlight of my day) among other things. All the museums I’ve come across in the UK are free to enter, which I’ve been taking advantage of. A tip I’ll keep in mind for next time is to buy tickets in advance for the tourist attractions. It’s more budget friendly and will spare you from the long entry lines.

4 PM-What I had intended to cover in the morning turned out to take much longer than I had planned for. There’s just so much to see. After 10 hours of steady walking to cover as much ground as physically possible, I was famished and ready for lunch. I found a quaint little Italian restaurant where I settled for some biscotti and risotto. The meal was serenaded by an ambient Christmas playlist including ‘Have yourself a merry little Christmas’ and ‘I’ll be home for Christmas’. I paused to remind myself that it is indeed July.

The satisfying Italian Christmas meal was followed by a visit to one of Dublin’s most renowned little pastry shops: Queen of Tarts. They make a mean chocolate pear and almond tart. It’s a must for any travel itinerary in Dublin. To top off my food indulgences, some black forest gelato from a shop on Grafton Street hit the spot.

6 PM-My time in Ireland was coming to an end, but the night was still young. I took the evening to explore the cultural side of Dublin. First I made my way to Merrion Square where the Street Performers World Championship was taking place. I lingered to watch some of the world’s best buskers perform for cheering crowds. It was entertaining to say the least. For a slightly different form of entertainment, I headed to the Gaiety Theatre (stopping for souvenirs along the way of course) to take in a Riverdance performance, which was spectacular.

Dublin definitely has a great night life to explore, but after a full day on my feet, I was already nodding off.

3 AM-I love my iPhone, but not when it wakes me on only 3 hours of sleep. I grudgingly pulled myself out of bed, caught a taxi and made my way to the airport.

6 AM-30 hours down, 0 to go. I sat in the airport watching the sunrise over the Irish landscape, which was dotted with Aer Lingus planes. I had done so much, yet hardly seen anything. Dublin is on my list of places to see again. Next time I’ll plan for a week, at least.

#sarahveber