Final Thoughts about Dublin

There were somethings I began to notice about Dublin, especially the more we walked around and even after we left the city.  First, there was a lot of street garbage.  Being from Nevada I was not used to it so I'm not sure if it was excessive or if Des Moines is just as bad.  As you walked down the sidewalk it seemed people would just drop their garbage wherever they felt like:(  I will say though, you had to search for a garbage can.  It seems the Street Department hadn't figured out yet that if you put out garbage cans, lots of them, people will use them.  Graffitti of course on the sides of old buildings.  Cobblestone roads, which must be really hard to clean but wonderful to walk on:) Lots of smokers!  Even right outside enclosed areas.  We talked to a man a few nights later that said the government realizes the health situation Ireland is in because of smoking, but unfortunately he doesn't feel they are trying to help it in the right way.  Cigarettes are now about 9 Euro a box, so in the states that converts to about $11 a box!  He said 5 of that Euro goes right back to the government for a tax.  He thought it would be more effective to teach people about the health benefits of quitting smoking, like we have in the states and to have smoking cessation programs rather than scare people with the cost.  Unfortunately, most people now roll their own cigarettes which costs about 5 Euro per bag and they get about 100 cigarettes.

We also began to notice the cost of things.  I tried really hard the first day to just ignore it, thinking maybe when we get away from the city things won't be so expensive.  It didn't happen!  Our 2 pints at a pub cost about 8 Euro 40.  In the states that's a little less than $11 for 2 pints!  Lunch cost us nearly $45 without me even realizing it!  Anyway, enough about the cost of things.  It was the chance of a lifetime and I tried to ignore it.  Just want to warn you though, if you plan on going, be ready to spend a lot:)

The next morning we got up early to begin the journey south and west to stop at an amazing garden in Enniskerry, on our way to Kilkenny.  Matthew knew of a nice place to get breakfast.  Unfortunately, even at 8:30AM it wasn't open.  This was the beginning of  my next realization.  Stores and restaurants open ALOT later than in the states and close ALOT sooner.  We tried shopping in Dublin the day before for souveniers around 6pm.  Every store was closed.  We settled on a chain coffee shop instead called Insomnia, a lot like a Panera but smaller.  But even it had only opened up at 8am.  Can you imagine?  Once we got used to it, we would giggle.

~Lucky to be figuring things out in Ireland~