Guinness, Guinness, Guinness!!!

No first-time trip to Dublin can be complete without a visit to…

The Guinness Storehouse.And that's where a bunch of us went this morning.

Of course, we've all had a few pints of fresh Guinness at various bars since we got here, but this is the official tourism part.

Entrance fee 13.50 euros. The self-guided tour gets you through the usual stuff, including history of the company, as well as the manufacturing history & methods. I found the most interesting, unique exhibits to be those on the advertising history - a collection of props, characters, slogans, etc. used in their marketing efforts since launch. Love the Toucan…"See what one or Toucan do"! How great is that line?! Totally irresistible, that I ended up buying a mug with Toucan at the gift shop.

On one of the higher levels of the storehouse building is the Gravity Bar, where you can get a free pint of freshly-made Guinness. Free as in it's included in the entrance fee. The place is very, very crowded with tourists from all over the world. So it's not really a place to chill while enjoying the beer, since someone seems to be waiting for a chair/table at all times. More like get the free beer, drink, and leave kind of place. Oh, and take in the views of the area:

Since some of us STILL wanted some more drinks, we headed towards one of the other bars on the lower floors. Not so crowded as the beer isn't free here. I munched on some yummy pork sandwiches as my friends continued their drinks.

By the way, the best way to test the freshness and yumminess of Guinness is to check its white creamy top. See how thick it is?

You should be able to draw pictures on it (often a shamrock) which doesn't immediately disappear. Or, you can stick your fingers into the foam and see if it creates a sharp tip. Sort of like a cappuccino.

I don't usually drink beer. Makes me too full too soon. Makes me pee too often. But when I do drink, I tend to always go for wheat beer. Now, I think I'll add Guinness to my repertoire too! It was sooooooooo good!!! Although the quality of the beer will probably decrease as the distance from Dublin increases. A huge bummer when I don't think I'll have the opportunity to settle in Europe anytime soon.

For me, one of the greatest discoveries here was the HALF PINT. I never knew they existed, no joking. It is THE PERFECT size for Waru's drinking purposes, and will be hooked on it going forwards : )

(Sorry for the random note)

Finally leaving Guinness behind, we headed to the Dublin Castle. None of us were really interested in seeing it, and didn't bother going in for the tour.
The sand figures being created in the nearby courtyard were enough to grab our attention:

What is it with Ireland and sand figures?! Seen in Galway, and now here too.

Anyways, some final comments on Dublin.
An odd sighting:I think it's a dinosaur's tail. Why???
And very cute wall art:There might've been some art festival going on in the area, as there were a lot of walls being painted when we walked by.

In the evening, most people flew back to London, while my friend and I took the bus to Belfast. Even though this involved leaving Ireland and entering Northern Ireland (different countries with different currencies), there was no border check or passport control. A Mystery.

Arriving at night, we immediately checked in to our hotel across the street from the bus terminal. As the streets were all dark, with not too much liveliness around us, we settled on a nearby Chinese restaurant for dinner.