Conversations With English Flatmates (Volume 2)

Flatmate: Hummus makes everything better. I don't like vegetables, but when I put hummus on them, I like them!

Me: I know what you're talking about, it's just like ranch dressing! 

Flatmate: What's ranch dressing? 

Me: ...

***
Me: It's your birthday! How old are you again? 25? 
Flatmate: No, I'm 28.
Me: What?!? Noooo...I thought you were younger.
Flatmate: I'm 28.
Me: Is this one of those British humor things where you're lying to me?
Flatmate: I've never lied to to you.
Me: That's a lie!

***
Flatmate (a bit tipsy): I'll be honest, I was a little worried about an American moving in. But you've changed my mind on Americans.
Me: Yeah, we're not so bad.
Flatmate: I mean, you're still a bit loud, but you're alright!
Me: Glad to know I've represented my country honorably!

***
Me: Can you pass the tomatoes?
Flatmate: You Americans say tomatoes weird. *impersonates my accent* tomayyyyyyytoes...that's not right. It's to-mah-toes.
Me: This argument could go on all night. And you do the WORST American accent!
Flatmate: Tomayyyyyyyyyyyytoes.
Me: Ugh. 

Ireland, Part Three: Dingle Peninsula and Cork

This will be the last Ireland post, peppered with mostly pictures so that you can enjoy the scenery: 

Even on a rainy, knock you on your ass it's so windy day, Dingle Peninsula was still breathtaking! 

Above and Below: Prehistoric Beehive Huts from at least 1200 A.D., but possibly even before then! 

Baaaa! 

We drove (on the left side of the road, right side of the car) to Cork, where we spent a crazy St. Patrick's Day...

(this was a village on the way to Cork, super cute...but I can't remember the name!)

Cork at night! 

Honestly, Irish people are some of the nicest, loveliest people you will ever meet. Oh, and you gotta love that brilliantly dirty sense of humor of theirs! The Irish are also crazy motherf****ers. Don't know how else to put it, but just know plate breaking was involved. That's all I will divulge.

I've now been to Ireland twice, and I would go a third time. That should tell you something!!

Ireland, Part 2: Rollin' on Dub(lin)

Yes, yes...I was indeed that tourist that got some annoying head gear to wear while in Dublin. I won't apologize. Dublin pleasantly surprised me as a (smallish) city that had a lot of energy, fun music and pretty scenery. I am now a big fan and would urge you not to skip Dublin when planning a trip to Ireland! Jesus in a box also urges you not to skip it: 

*ahem*

Onto some shots of lovely Dublin: 

 The silver spire in the middle of town.

 Excitement was EVERYWHERE as all the pubs were gearing up for St. Patrick's day weekend. I forgot to take photos of the THRONGS of people walking around, but it was madness, in a good way!

 Whiskey.

The awesomest clock in the world. Look closely. This one really hurt my whiskey brain. 

Now, I didn't just drink while in Ireland. There were some great sites to see. Behold: 

 Trinity University is a must see. A lovely campus that had me feeling like I was all scholarly and stuff.

 More of the campus. 

 St. Stephen's Green, a very beautiful park...

 A memorial to the Great Famine. 

 A little romance for ya. This photo makes me melt a little. 

 Tis the season for green. 

Content in the Irish sunshine =)

To end the post, here are some of my recommended pubs/restaurants/establishments that really showed us a good time:

Vintage Cocktail Club

 AMAZING drinks! This place was recommended by an Irish blogger, and I wouldn't have known about it otherwsie. It's hidden, with the letters "VCC" plastered on a random black door in an alley. I was highly impressed by this joint!

Random bar in The Shelbourne Hotel

 Sometimes I like walking into random hotels and hanging out at their bars. This hotel was snazzy, and provided great people watching as a wedding was going on amidst the St. Paddy's craziness. Also, it's hard to beat the service in hotels.

The Auld Dubliner

This is in the Temple Bar area of town, which is VERY busy, full of foreigners, but not touristy enough to skip. Straight up, this place was a hell of a lot of fun! 

Hippetys

Good food, fun decor, cheap prices and highly original. I got a good little ham and cheese toasty with freshly made salads to help cure a drinking headache. It worked! Inside of the cafe: 

GO TO DUBLIN, KIDS! 

Ireland, Part 1: Kinsale and Castles

Ireland! So damn nice, I had to go twice. This time around, I drove (on the wrong side of the road) with a couple of friends to different cities around Ireland. Er, the Republic of Ireland, that is:

First stop was the colorfully cute town of Kinsale, as recommended by Thelma: 

Food and Beer (especially Irish Beer) = my heaven. 

Next on the agenda was the Rock of Cashel, which was built during the Medieval time period. It's also known as St. Patrick's Rock. Definitely worth a little visit, if you're into castles and stuff. 

Think of this as a short, 'Intro to Ireland' post. Mostly because I'm still exhausted from the trip, and jumping into an internship immediately after my trip, AND getting my wallet stolen while in Ireland, THEN recovering my wallet at the bar, but only after I had canceled all my cards...whew!!!

...I need a nap.

Stay tuned, the next post is on Dublin.