I have a confession to make: I don’t even like Guinness. So whilst I was on a weekend break in Dublin I decided not to go on the seemingly obligatory Guinness brewery tour. I was tempted, don’t get me wrong. Guinness is practically synonymous with Ireland and particularly Dublin, but I had learnt my lesson from the Heineken experience in Amsterdam, and that there was a little point going to force free samples of foul tasting liquid down my throat.
I walked past the Guinness brewery gates on my way to exploring the park, and my friend kindly snapped a quick (albeit slightly moody) photo of me to say that I’d been there and done it.
The truth is, instead of drinking Guinness or going on the Guinness tour in Dublin, I actually spent a whole lot of time traipsing around the city. Walking in the sunshine through Phoenix Park
exploring Dublin castle (the free parts, mainly because I was on a budget and also because there was a school tour on and the whole place was plagued with noisy children)
Passing by old stone churches with archways on cobbled streets
and stopping here and there for snacks and a delightful sandwich from the cute Italian deli we happened across by accident.
So yes, I probably had much more fun doing this, and wandering around the city of Dublin aimlessly, than I would have done drinking Guinness on an expensive tour. Perhaps I’m wrong and one day my taste buds will change, but for now, I’ll stick to my whiskey – says the girl who also inexplicably eschewed the Jameson Whiskey tour as well, but hey, I was kinda poor and going through a “i’m never drinking again” phase after one too many heavy nights at the time!
The Gypsy Heart Travels 