Last week, Jo and I took off to Dublin for a very mini mini-break. A 4.30am alarm call is never good, but when it’s for fun times, you can just about accept it. We traversed the icy countryside, pitched up at Glasgow Airport and headed off on a very short flight to the Emerald Isle. What do you do on such a limited timescale? I’ll tell you – firstly, catch a coach to the city centre, it only takes about 20 minutes and costs 6 euros each. Bargain. Once you get there, faff about trying to remember which hotel you’re staying at and then go in search of shopping opportunities! I had never been in Cos before, but Jo, a devotee, took me on a tour and I only found the dress of my dreams. Which fitted me. I was in shock. So much in shock that in L’Occitaine next door, I drank some peppermint tea and am somehow now addicted to the stuff. I don’t know who I am anymore. Of course, you should always make time for cake, too. We stopped in at Le Petit Parisien which was much more Parisian than anywhere I went in Paris. 
Tres chic. It was cold but nothing we couldn’t handle after weeks of snow. We had time to sight-see as well as shop, from the open top bus and on foot. Obligatory post office shot, of course: 
To carry on my transformation into person I do not know, we stopped off on a whim at this crazy looking nail place for a manicure – Tropical Popical. They give you Lilt and a Bounty to keep up their theme – genius. And a great manicure, too! 
Look, Ma! I gots nails! Amazing. After some more browsing and wandering, we headed on the bus over to our hotel, The Ashling. The verdict – good, but a little out of the way. We headed back to Temple Bar for dinner on the tram and ended up at Gallagher’s Boxty House. The food was really delicious, the bacon ribs in particular! But I wasn’t so much of a fan of the cocktails served in jars – USE GLASSES. 
You couldn’t even lift that fellow off the table without bashing your teeth. Ridiculous! This lovely old signage I saw on our travels really tickled me. 
Back to our luxurious lodgings where I fell asleep mid-conversation – we both slept like logs! Breakfast the next day was a big Irish affair nearby – delicious! And then a taxi driver who I am sure was a leprechaun in disguise (he laughed like a pixie the whole journey) took us to the Guinness Storehouse. 
Amongst other things, we learned how to pull the perfect pint and got a certificate to take home, too. If I ever have to return to bar work, I have got that shit down. The view from the top is awesome on a sunny, crisp day: 
Then we did something mega-touristy and caught a horse and carriage back to Temple Bar. I think his name was Steve. 
Time for some more cake and a wander in Temple Bar before heading to the airport, this time at Queen Of Tarts (service not so good, food pretty ace). 
This shop in Old City was just divine. After a quick browse in some independent shops, we headed back to the bus stop, via the Happy Ring House, and then to the airport. 
Observations about Dublin include:
- they bloody love their coffee. There are more coffee shops than pubs. You can’t move for them.
- lots of people from all over have moved to Dublin and made it their home, just like I almost did 13 years ago. There is a wide variety of accents to be heard!
- no one cares all that much about anything, everyone just goes about their business at their own pace. It’s nice and relaxed.
Mini-break – done.
Anti Bullshit League 