London Calling: Anarachy in the UK

(scroll down the playlist, there are 12 songs in all)

(for translations of words in bold, see below entry)

In retrospect, I don’t think I did London right.

There’s probably not a wrong way to do London, but as I try to come up with suggestions for future travelers, I can’t think of anything to appeal to the masses. London is the type of city you have to visit in your own way, as it can satisfy every wanton desire.

Theater? Done. Shopping? Done. A pint? Done. Cheap pub food? Done.

This city has it all…and then some. So I did London right for me, but you might have other ideas when you visit this capital.

As the last leg of our two-week journey to the UK, London came as a bit of an afterthought. We stayed with my funcle (my fake/uncle, as in my dad’s best friend from uni). He lives in a posh house in Surrey, a suburb of the city and just about 25 minutes away by train.

Though I wouldn’t consider myself an amateur to the streets of London—above and below—I also wouldn’t venture to call myself a connoisseur. But the best way to travel around London is with public transport.

Transportation in the city is ace. From the Underground system that gets you all over in seconds flat to the double-decker buses that can give you a great view, getting around is affordable and fun. From my funcle’s house, we took the train, used the tube, and rode the bus all day --- just for £8 with a 24-hour travel card.

We did the tourist bit on day-one, with our first stop at Harrod’s department store at Knightsbridge. It’s O.T.T. but worth a look, as you could spend yonks eying the delectable foods, lavish clothing, and deluxe cosmetics.

Being sans travel guide and Lee Marvin, we decided to hop on a double-decker and ride around until we found the perfect pub for lunch. There was jack all in our price range around the Knightsbridge and Kensington area so we kept riding. We finally spotted a quaint looking pub and pressed the stop button on the bus and ran off.

We were happy as Larry to find The Three Stags and grab a Nelson. At the time of our trip, everyone had a fag in hand, but within months, restaurants will be smoke-free zones in London, which will make dining a more pleasant experience.

After a good sarnie and a pint, we hitched a ride toward parliament via bus. We snapped some shots from the top deck and then got in an awkward situation with two caned guys who kept speaking ballocks. Why is it we always run into the craziest people in every city? Not wanting them to follow and/or rob us (see: gypsies, Paris, being robbed blind), we waited for them to get off the bus before we disembarked. Although, for the rest of the day we had the sneaking suspicion we were being followed…

We took a walk around Hyde Park, one of the largest in central London. The Brits love their gardens, be sure to stop by one in the city for a taste of the country. We tried to find the Travel Bookshop from the movie Notting Hill in Notting Hill, but to no avail. And before you start laughing at us for trying to find the “fictional” shop, here’s a photo a friend took. It totally exists…somewhere.

Alicia and I decided to despise two types of people while in the underground: those who know where they’re going and those who look fashionable when they’re doing it. Our first experience on the tube was hellacious, as we were carting our luggage the whole time. The second experience was better, until we realized we went the wrong way. And the third time proved aggravating as it was 5 p.m. and gave a whole new meaning to the term “rush hour.” But however mare it seemed to be at the time, you really can’t beat the underground system in London.

Day-two of our Greater London excursion landed us in Sutton, a small town near my funcle’s. It has a bustling high street with shops on every corner and a pub to match. Being our last day of the trip, we had almost forgotten about my earlier mission: to get a red Guinness.

As if on cue, we came out of the train station in Sutton and standing right in front of us was an O’Neill’s Irish Pub, the one pub throughout all of Great Britain that housed the latest creation to come out of St. James’s Gate Brewery.

After such a negative experience in Oxford, where we didn’t want to ruin the experience of trying red Guinness where the service was so terrible, we hesitated to try the Sutton version. But, a mission is a mission, so we forged ahead and tried out O’Neill’s.

It was an absolute razzle.

For a couple quid we tested out the red Guinness, which was bittersweet, literally and figuratively, as I discovered I held a greater passion for the smooth taste of the original Guinness compared to the bitter red.

Our last night in London was an early one, as we had a 4 a.m. wake up call the next morning to catch a ride to the airport from the funcle and his wife, who were headed to Nice on an early flight. That gave us a good five hours in the Gatwick airport. Here are some tips if you find yourself in the same situation:

• The Costa coffee joint isn’t open until 7 a.m., which seems reasonable, unless of course it’s 6 a.m. and in which case you need coffee even more urgently. But have no fear, the sign of corporate America is here. The second floor is host to a Starbucks that opens at 5 a.m. Oh, glorious commercial caffeination…how I adore thee.

• Feel like hopping online? Don’t be tempted to use the “internet cafés” near the departure zones. Even with the leftover loose change that you won’t have time to exchange into real money (sorry, American money), it’s not worth the pound for 15 minutes. It took me 13 minutes to open the Arizona Webmail page. As the timer in the top right corner ticks down the seconds, you think you have a chance to at least see the number of e-mails you acquired during the past two weeks of vaca. But as the ten second mark approaches and your eyes shift to and from the timer to the web page, you realize it’s hopeless. Don’t even bother.
  

• If you’re of age and inclined, the duty-free booze is all fairly reasonable. Though I never quite understood (let’s face it, it’s present tense....) Though I don’t quite understand how duty-free works and what the advantages are, there’s a wide selection available.

• Forgot to buy a souvenir for the family? Didn’t quite remember you owe your roommate a novelty item from the location of your latest spring break adventure? Realize you bought everyone else something, but forgot yourself? No worries…there are plenty of overpriced items of desperation in the Gatwick airport that will pass as fun souvenirs: teddy bears, keychains, postcards, and beer cozys top the list.

Oy! Here are some British slang words from A to Z to help you fit in with your mates:

ace (!) Adj. Excellent, wonderful.
Exclam. Excellent!

ballocks (!) Noun. 1. Rubbish, nonsense.

caned Adj. Intoxicated.

Double-decker Noun. A typical red British bus with two levels of seating.

Essex girl Noun. Stereotypically describing a female from the county of Essex, or a female of the style of an 'Essex girl'. Characteristics may include being working class, sexually promiscuous, fashion conscious, heavily drinking, confident and of low morals. Derog.

fag Noun. 1. A cigarette.

gaffer Noun. The boss.

happy as Larry Phrs. Very happy.

ivories Noun. Teeth.

jack all Pron. Nothing. E.g."There's jack all wrong with it."

kegs Noun. 1. Trousers. Cf. 'kecks'.

Lee Marvin Adj. Starvin' (starving), hungry.

mare Noun. 1. A terrible situation

Nelson (Mandela) Noun. A drink of Stella, a lager produced by Stella Artois.

O.T.T. Phrs. Abb. of Over The Top, meaning excessive, beyond that which is acceptable.

posh Adj. Upper-class.

quid Noun. One pound sterling.

razzle Noun. A good time, a pleasurable spree.

sarnie Noun. A sandwich. {Informal}

telly Noun. Television.

uni Noun. Abb. of university.

voddy Noun. Vodka.

W/C Noun. Bathroom.

X-rated Adj. Lewd, obscene, pornographic

yonks Noun. An age, a long time.

zapper Noun. A TV remote control unit.

Edinburgh: We'll Figure It Out When We Get There

To warm up their insides on a blustery British day, the English have tea. But the Scots? The Scots have whiskey.

We evaded rain on our three day jaunt to Edinburgh, as our £22 easyjet flight landed on a stunningly sunny Thursday. We grabbed a £3 bus to the city center and got there within 20 minutes. With only a scrap of paper with haphazard directions scribbled down as our guide, we fought our way through foot traffic to our hostel’s shuttle.

The Globetrotter Inn is another 20 minute drive and in the middle of no where, but worth going the distance. Located at 46 Marine Drive, right on the Southern coast and across from a golf course, the Globetrotter is more like a resort than a typical student hostel. For £7.50 a night, we had access to a free movie room with a big screen, TV lounge, full bar, gym, video-game center, convenience store, and an internet café (80p for ½ hour, £1.50 for 1 hour). We were almost tempted to stay at the hostel indefinitely.

A hostel shuttle runs every hour starting at 6:30 a.m. until 11:00 p.m. for £1.50 one way. That cut our nights short and made trips to the city pretty expensive, until we discovered the bus on day two. For a £2.40 day-pass, you have access to the entire city of Edinburgh. We decided we'd "figure it out when we get there" instead of researching the city beforehand. With just a Lonely Planet guidebook in hand, the city was our playground.

Breakfast is self-serve with toast, cereal, and OJ—and yet again, not a good cup of coffee in sight. Our first mission once we were in the city was a decent shot or two of espresso, which was obtained at locally owned Bean Scene (two locations at 2 Grosvenor Street or 133 Fountainbridge). After we were fully caffeinated and well read thanks to a few leftover newspapers, we hit the Edinburgh Castle.

It’s a feasible trek up The Royal Mile, especially when you pop into all the tourist shops that line the cobblestone streets. Once at the top you’ll be tempted to take in the view, but a better photo-op rests on the inside of the castle, so muddle through the crowds and pay the £11 to get inside (unfortunately, there is no student discount). They’ll hit you with the giftshop upon arrival, but postcards are cheaper elsewhere.

The views from the castle are truly spectacular, even on a cloudy day, which will most likely be the case while in Scotland. To get a break from the manic gusts of wind, take shelter in the Scottish War Museum or the Prisons of War segment of the castle. There’s also a café in the center.

After the castle, we grabbed a light lunch at Café Florentine, which isn’t the typical tourist trap found near the castle. Located at 8 St. Giles Street (and a second location at 5 Northwest Circus Place), it’s right off the beaten track of The Royal Mile and can satisfy slight starvation. If you were hoping for heaps of hearty food, find a pub instead.

Still on the Royal Mile, The Scotch Whiskey Experience can tell you everything you never needed to know about whiskey. For £7 you’ll see how Scotch Whiskey is made, distilled, and stored in oak barrels for a minimum of three years—which is where it acquires that red tint we all know and love. On the tour, you’ll be subjected to the “Blender’s Ghost,” a simple light projection of a man who tells about blending whiskey. Then, if you’ve managed to survive the boredom that is The Scotch Whiskey Experience, there’s a barrel ride. It lasts about ten minutes too long and goes about 10 iph (inches per hour). The only good thing to come out of the tour was a commemorative whiskey glass and a shot worth of J&B malt whiskey.

The Scots might not like the Irish, but they definitely like to drink, so St. Patrick’s Day in Edinburgh proved worthwhile down at the Grassmarket, a popular square lined with pubs. We tried desperately to find a happy hour with a pound a pint night, but to no avail.

Instead, we sought out The Three Sisters (139 Cowgate), which was absolutely hopping. We squirmed our way through the crowd of about 2,000 (seriously) and celebrated the victory of making it to the other side…only to discover the bar was at the front. By the time we made it back to the beginning of the meandering maze, we decided to find a less populated pub.

The Opium Rock Pub (71 Cowgate) also had a huge crowd, but we managed to get our mandatory St. Patty’s Day Guinness and find a table. Here’s a helpful guide for finding the perfect pub and the perfect pint.

The UK may not have invented Indian food, but it certainly perfected it. We tried finding a recommended Indian restaurant, but instead of curry we found con carne at a Mexican restaurant. Our mission was masala, so after wandering around a bit aimlessly, we saw a sign for “authentic Indian cuisine” and jumped at the chance of a good meal.

Suruchi (14a Nicoloson Street), meaning “Good Taste,” was beyond fabulous. We walked up the narrow staircase and when we opened the door we were greeted by live music near a fireplace and pleasant faces welcomed us in. They took our coats and were the most attentive staff I’ve ever experience—almost to the point of annoyance. Almost.

When asked “is it tasty” by the host, we could only nod in harmony, as our mouths were full of delicious Indian cuisine. Between the popadums (60p each), butter chicken (£8.75), and rice (£2.50), it was a great meal and well worth the money, considering pub fare would cost about the same.

Our last morning in Edinburgh we got some Costa coffee at the train station and then headed to London. It’s a five hour train ride and it seemed like a good idea at the time of booking, but it was a bit too long, though the scenery was amazing.

After three days in this captivating capital, I have to add yet another destination to my list of cities I’ve fallen in love with. Edinburgh more than made the cut, it's topping the list.

Investigating Life Across the Pond: Oxford, England

Need to find your way to Oxford? Follow a kid in an Oxford University sweatshirt.

Jammed between four Brits and my American friend Alicia, the overbooked 50-minute train ride from London to Oxford indicated it was a popular destination. It seems old-fashioned to take a train, but it’s the best way to get around in the UK. Unless there is construction on the track, then it’s not so awesome.

About 25 minutes into the antiquated voyage we had to disembark because of upcoming construction and so we had to catch a bus to our final destination. Unsure of where to go once off the train, we spotted a kid totting an orange backpack in an Oxford University sweatshirt and followed him straight to the proper bus. The train cost about £17 one way and £19 return from Colchester (cheaper if you’re headed out from London). Try to book online if you know your schedule while in the UK. A bus from London to Oxford will run 100 minutes and with student discounts can be as cheap as £7 (of course, we learned this tip after we booked our train).

Once in Oxford, we walked from the train station to our hostel, a mere four minutes away by foot. The Central Backpackers was £16 a night for a female four bedroom, not the best hostel deal, but cheap for Oxford. It included a free breakfast (toast, cereal, and god awful “coffee”). Located at 9A Hythe Bridge Street by the Oxford Canal, it was easy to find from any angle in town.

A five minute walk landed us in a bustling area we deemed to be downtown. There’s more to Oxford than meets the eye as several of the best pubs, restaurants, and shops are down dark alleys. Venture down some if you’re feeling adventurous.

Day one in Oxford was devoted to exploring my future graduate school: Oxford Brookes University. (sidenote: yes, I finally made the decision. I’ll be headed to England for at least ten months to get an MA in publishing at the Oxford International Centre for Publishing Studies.)

We took a Brookes bus, which services the entire city and costs £3.30 for a day pass (you can buy on board). It got us to the top of a scenic hill, the home of the Headington campus (Europe loves to spread out college campuses). The day was spent exploring the campus: a cup of decent coffee, a perusal of the bookstore, a student-led campus tour, lunch at the student union, a meeting with my department, and then a pint in one of the on-campus pubs. Needless to say, I fell in love and Oxford will soon be my home away from home.

You can’t help but feel the intellectual vibes while walking the cobbled streets near Oxford University. Yet, for some reason, with academics comes alcohol, books comes beer and learning comes liquor. So we explored some local pubs to get a feel for where I’ll be drowning sorrows or celebrating success next year!

O’Neills Irish Pub was on the to-do list from the beginning so I could indulge in Guinness Red, a new brew launched only in the UK. But the service was so terrible at the O’Neill’s in Oxford we didn’t even get the red and were out the door within an hour.

The next night had better luck as we got a tip from our campus tour guide; she suggested we visit The Purple Turtle, a hard name to forget. Down a dark alley off Cornmarket Street, the PT had pints for a pound between 5:30 and 8 p.m. In other words, “the best student happy hour in the world…ever.” After the pubs close, the PT is the popular spot among Oxford students with a DJ and club atmosphere until 3 a.m.

Afterward, we went to Old Orleans. It was busy with a late dinner crowd, but it was too expensive for such mediocre food. Stick with New Orleans. Other pubs worth visiting in the area with memorable names include: The Hobgoblin, The Head of the River, or the Three Goat Heads.

The next and final morning in Oxford we grabbed a Café Americano at The Coffee Republic for £1.89 and a copy of the Daily Mail for 45p. We sat in the corner window seat and watched the world go by and read about world events. There wasn’t the feeling of urgency to see all the sites, being I’ll return in September. See you soon, Oxford.

Tips for Trains

• Try to reserve a seat ahead of time.
  
• Keep your luggage on the racks at the end of each carriage, but stay in the same car and keep an eye on your bags.
  
• Bring food for long trips, the food services on the train is a step above airplane food.
• Your train ticket will often work in the London underground, so try them before you buy a tube ticket.

Tips for Hostels

• Ensure there isn’t a curfew.
  
• Pick the hostel with free or cheap lockers for storage.
  
• Most include breakfast, but make sure.
  
• See if internet is available—it won’t be free, but for a buck you can let your parents know you’re alive.
  
• Find pictures online (see Hostel World for a great source) – if the site only shows photos from the tourist spots in town and not the hostel itself, it’s bad news bears.
  
• Bring flip-flops for the shower. Europeans didn’t understand this, but anyone who has lived in a dorm should know the necessity of shower shoes.

Tips for Buses

• Get an all day pass instead of several single tickets.
  
• Rock the double deckers to see more of the town you're in if there’s enough room.
• Don’t fret if you miss a bus, chances are another will be along in a few minutes.

Here's a handy currency converter for when you're across the pond, or wherever your travels may take you, customized just for Prepare for Landing.

Sleeping on a Pool Mattress Rocks: Colchester, England

After nearly 24 hours of travel, I finally made it to my first destination on my spring break European excursion: Colchester, England.

A 6:45 a.m. cab ride to the gas station at Park and 5th in Tucson, a 7:00 a.m. shuttle to the Phoenix airport, a four hour flight to Philadelphia, a six hour flight to London, a quick trip on a city connect train from Gatwick Airport to the underground, two switches on the tube to the London train station, then an hour ride on a fast train got me to Colchester around 1:00 p.m. the next day. Sweet...not tired at all. Luckily, as suggested in my previous entry, my friend Alicia and I rocked inflatable pool mats as our beds at our friend Sarah's dorm. Let me tell ya, they rock after jet lag. And after a few pints.

There's more to report from my trip to the UK when I'm back in action in Arizona. Until then, enjoy this video from the University of Essex campus.

How to Prepare for Landing: Tips for Survival

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
-Confucious

There comes a point in every preamble to a trip you wish you hadn’t booked it.

It can be the thought of the high expense that triggers this feeling, or perhaps the realization that traveling abroad is a hassle, but eventually, you will question why you decided to travel to [insert exotic locale here].

But just take a breath, regroup, and follow these tips to survive your impending international excursion and forgo the misery of mishaps mid-flight or getting lost once you land. I can’t guarantee it will be stress free, but if you properly prepare for landing, you’ll stand a better chance of enjoying your vaca without a total meltdown.

• Switch your cell phone to international roaming or find out how to rent one.
  
• Most cell phone companies provide you the service of international roam while you’re out seeing the world. Usually it’s as simple as dialing a number, talking to an operator, and making your phone capable of calls to and from abroad. Otherwise, you can get info on renting a phone once you get to your destination. You need to beware of high price rates per minute, but it’ll be worth it to let your rents know you’re alive or to get information while away from a computer. Here are the sites for switching over or rental procedures.
  
• Sprint Or call 1-888-226-7212
• Cingular
• Alltel
• T-Mobile
  

• Make use of the World Wide Web when it’s right in front of you and not miles away or a dollar a minute at an undisclosed internet café.
• Find directions to the airport, your hotel, or places of interest before you board your plane. Mapquest.com has a section for Europe and most hotels will post directions on their Web sites.
• Try not to wander around aimlessly without a hotel or hostel already booked. It might seem like you’re ignoring your sense of adventure and spontaneity if you prepare by making a reservation, but sometimes it’s hard enough to simply find the place you booked.
• Hotels.com is the old faithful, but if you’re on a budget, see Hostelworld for reviews, ratings, and down to the nitty-gritty info on hostels worldwide.
  

• Bring a notebook and fill it with every bit of relevant information before you leave, even if you think it won’t be relevant.
• Directions, because even though you think you’ll remember where to go, once you’re in a foreign place, taking a left seems more tempting than taking a right, even when you’re wrong.
• Phone numbers, because hours of torment might be solved by dialing a few digits. Keep these in mind:
• Your hotel.
• Your airline.
• Your airports.
• Your friends in the vicinity.
• Train or ferry reservations.
• Your credit card company in case you’re robbed (by gypsy teenyboppers).
• Your embassy.

• Addresses, because if all else fails, you can just grab a taxi to where you’re headed.
• Tourist spots, because you might be so overwhelmed when you get to a city that you might miss the main tourist destinations you’ve always wanted to see.
  

• Leave the shell suitcase at home and grab some wheels.
• Limit your luggage to what you can carry and if that means ditching the free 70’s suitcase your parents pawned off on you, go for it. Invest in quality luggage, with working zippers and all. A heavy bag with every kind of attire for every type of occasion might seem glamorous when you’re packing, but by the time you land, you’ll want the smallest bag possible.
  

• Got friends? Use them (or your parents' friends).
• Having friends study abroad provides far more benefits than attending an exotic location yourself. Beyond the free bed or dorm room floor, visiting out-of-town friends can give you a true insight to life in a foreign land. Fodor’s may recommend some top-rated restaurants, but the locals know the real deals for that hometown burger or authentic Mexican dish. That’s why when I travel I pick places where my friends are stationed, so I can get a real taste of my vacation spot.
  

• Make a list.
• By the time your vacation countdown gets down to days, not weeks like when you booked it, the to-do list can seem overwhelming. So make a list of things to bring, places to see, and what to do before takeoff. It might be a good time to face facts and devise a budget. Here’s a list of things to bring along on your travels:
  

• Pocket dictionary...for wherever you are.
  
• Small snacks...like granola bars to get you through the day
  
• Water...in case you find yourself surrounded by high turbidity H2O.
• Inflatable pool mattress...why you ask? If you’re without a bed, just blow that sucker up and there you have it: for under five bucks you’ll have at least two inches of space between you and the cold, hard floor, with a built in “pillow” to boot.
• Books to read...even though you’ll most likely be enthralled by the in-flight movies, have an emergency stash. Bring along at least two different types of books so when you’re sick of one you can switch to the other.
• Plug converters...because when you need to straighten that hair of yours, charge the cell, or reenergize the iPod while you’re abroad, you’ll need a converter to power up.
• iPod and charger.
• Phone charger.
• Passport...and check the expiration date at least six weeks before you leave.
• Cash...And leave the dorky pouch that strings under your shirt at home. Although, maybe if I had had that I wouldn’t have gotten robbed by gypsies. Bring along the dorky pouch that strings under your shirt.
• Hand sanitizer.
• Umbrella.
• Closed-toe shoes. I’m a flip-flops kinda gal, but even I realize most locations around the world don’t appeal to my love of the flips.
• Towel, but only if you’re rocking the hostel and not high-rollin’ in a hotel.
• A good attitude for the differences in the world and people around you.

Dublin: The Land of Green, Guinness, and Good Luck

I was stranded in Charles de Gaulle in Paris for six hours after I missed my flight to Dublin. My friend Jo already arrived in Ireland and I envisioned her having the time of her life at our hostel as I sat by myself eating an overpriced baguette with brie in the airport. So far, getting to the land of luck had not gone well.

I finally made it on a British Airways flight and as we descended into Dublin, I caught a glimpse of a rainbow over the rolling green hills. No matter what, compared to the previous six hours, I told myself Dublin was bound to be enjoyable…and it certainly lived up to expectations.

I grabbed a five pound bus ticket to the city center as soon as I landed, anxious to find my hostel, my friend, and a pint of Guinness. I couldn’t help but smile en route, despite the dreary weather, as I realized that I had finally made it to Dublin. I was following in the footsteps of U2 and during the week of St. Patrick’s Day, no less.

Once we docked downtown, I wandered aimlessly sans map until I came across the cobblestone path that led to The Oliver St. John Gogarty's Hostel—a long name for such a small hostel. But it was a fabulous find, as the Gogarty was smack dab in the middle of Temple Bar, the area best known for bar-hopping and keg-rolling. Also, forget lurid tales of bad hostel roommates, we got who we hope to be a life-long friend from Finland in ours.

I found Jo, ditched my backpack, and set out to explore. We referred to our map in the middle of the bustling road and a passerby offered some useless advice: “You’re in Dublin, Ireland!” But with that, we abandoned the map and just wandered around the city center. No matter what direction you turn in Dublin, you’re bound to find something historic or interesting.

The friendliness of the Irish people can barely be described; they truly live up to all stereotypes related to being nice. After spending the previous few days broke in Paris (see: gypsies, ATM, being robbed blind), our faith in humanity was fully restored when Jo dropped a ten pound note and a woman hurried after us to return it. Seriously…we had just been robbed by teenyboppers and now a lady was going out of her way to return money to us. Dublin=Paradise.

If you claim to love beer and Guinness ranks in your top choices, you need to visit the Guinness Storehouse at St. James’s Gate Brewery. Just follow the River Liffey, eventually take a left, and you’ll be at the heart of this renowned brewing company.

You’ll get the history of the Guinness-making process, a taste of the barley, and there’s even an interactive web-camera that takes a picture of you to send to friends (being without a phone, this was how I communicated to my parents that I made it safely to Dublin after the tear-filled, six-hour hold over in Paris). The Storehouse highlights the advertising campaigns over the years and has a room devoted to posting notes for other visitors to peruse (click the photo to read the message).

But what makes this “museum” unlike the rest is the prize you get at the top for having soaked up all that historical information: a pint of Guinness. Jammed packed at any time of the day, The Gravity Bar at the top of the Storehouse gives you the best view of Dublin.

After a few hours and some photo shoots, we stopped at a traditional Irish pub near St. James’s for a hot meal. The further away from the city center, the cheaper the food and the pints. Jo, ever the friendly traveler, met friends in flight and we came across them while walking back to town…a testament to this petite and practicable city.

We explored the quiet sanctuary that is Trinity College, located in the middle of downtown. The Book of Kells attracts over 500,000 visitors a year, according to the Trinity Web site. It was probably blasphemous to skip it, but we got the downlow: it was written in or around 800 AD and is a “richly decorated copy of the four gospels in a Latin based on the Vulgate edition.” Rockin’.

On to more sinful things, we came to Dublin for the nightlife and took full advantage of our stay in the Temple Bar area. There are three main pubs we checked out and I suggest you do the same if you find yourself in Ireland.

1. Ha’penny Bridge Inn
   Up some narrow stairs you’ll find a room full of Irishmen laughing over pints. Well, perhaps they won’t always be laughing, we just happened to stumble upon the Ha’penny on open-mic comedy night. And yet another testament to how small this world really is, we met a group from New Mexico and one guy with them went to our high school (“Go Bulldawgs,” they yelled drunkenly as they left).
   
   
2. The Temple Bar
   This joint had a chill buzz. It’s a tourist hotspot thanks to the name, but beware of price hikes during high season (like the week of St. Patrick’s).
   
   
3. Oliver St. John Gogarty
   We certainly saved the best for last, which coincidentally was also our hostel. You’ve got two spots to choose from, the traditional Irish band upstairs and the more modern take on Dublin downstairs. Both had their charms, but in retrospect, the only one worth going to was the upstairs pub. The room was heaving with people as the fiddles wailed and the pints were drawn. Dancing seemed mandatory and the hardwood floors were scuffed as a result of all the nights of jigging about.

You could take a map to help find your way around Dublin, but you’ll have a more memorable experience if you nix the directions and go with your gut. Embrace getting lost and take a wrong turn…because you never quite know where you’ll end up, which is part of the fun.

Dublin is certainly convenient enough that you can always find yourself back on the right track if you end up wandering around aimlessly. And if not, there’s a pub around every corner, so just go in, relax by the fire, and enjoy a pint of Guinness. Eventually, luck will find its way to you.