People, my STAMP. To PROVE I went somewhere. Real. Foreign. Exciting. I can't help I'm four years old. So we got our stamps, the whole time me barely containing myself and my sheer excitment, and then headed off to get the car.
That's right people, the car. You know, in Ireland. Where they drive on the left-hand side. And what's better, we got a manual. Stick shift! Woot! Go back up and read that part about why I got married again. That's right, I totally was not driving. In fact, when we got in the car John and I had a lengthy discussion about how weird it all was and how we would NEVER drive. And PS, Sam, cheers to you. Cause us? We're not doing this NO WAY. Um, you want us to help NAVIGATE?! But everything's BACKWARDS and CADDYWHOMPUS! And look! We're on the wrong side of the road! On the highway! Good thing YOU'RE driving! Cause, no thanks!
Needless to say we weren't much help that first fifteen minutes or so.
John DID actually try to navigate some, but we soon found that not only do the Irish not believe in street signs so much, but when they do they place them halfway up on the buildings. So I spent quite a bit of time yelling out whatever I saw on buildings as we passed as John desperately searched on the map. Of course, we then discovered the streets changed names every three blocks. So all I was doing was confusing everyone.
I continued yelling. It was fun.
After a comedy of errors trying to find Trinity College (harder than you'd think for as big as it is). We dropped John off with promises to meet him in an hour at the Guinness Storehouse. Magically, when we got to our bed and breakfast, Peter and Tracy (who had gotten there the day before) had left a message saying they'd be at the GS at the same time. Beautiful.
Now, people. There are some things I know. Like for certain. For reals. One of these things is that I love me some Sam Stiers all crazy-like. And becuase I love him as I do, and know him as well as I do I knew the VERY FIRST STOP we would make in Dublin, in Ireland, was the Guinness Storehouse. And while I myself, wasn't so greatly anticipating this event, it was practically all he would talk about it the weeks leading up, which in turn made me excited. Much like the first time you take a kid to Disney. You know they'll just be enthralled with the magic and wonder of it all suddenly being so real right there in front of them. This was Sam and his Guinness.
So we got there, and seriously, I have to say few museums I've been to are better curated. It was AMAZING. Even the entry tickets kicked ass.
Here's John and I standing on the 9,000 year lease Arthur Guinness signed with the city of Dublin. That's right, NINE THOUSAND years. They thought for sure he'd fail. Obviously, they were suckers.
I believe at the moment Sam took this I was saying "mmmm, yummy beer!"
We got to go through and see the whole process of how they make Guinness, which is amazingly simple and yet so very cool. This is Sam smelling the roasted barley, pretending he's a Master Brewer. . .
Um, then we - well, ahem - drank.
And then got some more to drink . . .
And then headed upstairs to the bar, and drank some more . . .
It was way good times.
Mind you, we still hadn't eaten since the night before in the airport, but that's cool. On the way out we stopped at a pub. And got more Guinness.
We did eventually make our way to City Centre to meet Mark (the groom) and share another pint or two. And THEN after much searching (apparently the Irish eat before 9pm at night) we found food. And, I was fairly proud of us for lasting as long as we did. Though the end was a bit fuzzy, I've got to say, we pushed through. SO tired! SO excited!
All in all, a perfect first day.
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2 comments:
PRETEND!!!! I AM a master brewer. Oh Irish Guinness how I miss you so. I will however drink some of your tastey American cousins soon.
Fun story! More! More!
Balm Squad
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