When walking down the streets of Dublin, you pass numerous shops, pubs, restaurants, and (so many) Carroll's Gifts. As a current city-dweller in America, I found Dublin to be very similar to where I live in Pittsburgh. However, Dublin has a couple key differences. Dublin is older, cleaner, friendlier, and has an 815-year-old castle at its center. No big deal, right?
One of my first tourist adventures in this incredible, gorgeous city was a guided tour of Dublin Castle. For a reasonable price, an incredibly knowledgable tour guide (shout out to Nora, the greatest tour guide of all time) will take you through the remains of the original structure and explain the origins of Dublin itself. From vikings to viceroys, the tour takes you through several years of history and ends in the contemporary era with an ornate hall of presidential portraits, an art gallery, and finally with St. Patrick's Hall, the room where Irish presidents are inaugurated!
The tour lets out in the gorgeous castle gardens, where you can live your posh royal dreams. I certainly did! There are loads of flowers, cool architecture, and several sculptures for more photo-ops than you can even imagine. In fact, this whole castle is the most photographable place I've ever been to. I took enough pictures to fill ten photo albums, and I've shared a couple of them here. Dublin Castle is a must-see, and I can't wait to keep exploring!
Alex Dolinger
<p>I am a sophomore in college studying scenic design. My favorite things are art, music, and animals. I write for my college newspaper, usually as a theatre critic or comedian. I'm really excited to study abroad because I love meeting new people and experiencing new cultures!</p>