(Guinness Barrels at the Guinness Factory)
I want you to think about Ireland. When the word Ireland is said, what do you think of? Well, you are all alcoholics, and you thought about drinking copious amounts of Guinness on St. Patty’s day. I thought about Lucky Charms and Leprechauns. However, I would be remiss to tell you not to go to the Guinness factory (and the pubs). There have been many nights when I have taken advantage of the lower drinking age even though my ID is always triple checked (I have seen 15 years-old children that look older than me), but I finally got to understand how the drink, that I have accidentally run into a few times, is made. First, if you though Guinness was brown or black, you clearly have not held it up to the light because its a “dark red” (according to the tour guide). Second, Guinness is reminiscent of coffee, and there is often a coffee-ish smell. This is a result of the roasted grain and the roasted coffee beans. The most interesting part was how we learned to analyze the beer: smell, drink, inhale, swallow.
(Monday Night Sunset at UCD Part 2)
Another beautiful sunset in Ireland. Lately, I have been appreciating the simpler things in life like sunsets, and Ireland has really helped me re-learn how to be at peace. Being able to reset in a new incredible place with new incredible friends is an experience I will never forget. This particular picture was taken on a Monday night which has become more commonly known as game night. My friends and I get together, and we play games like cards, Settlers of Catan, and scribblio. It is a nice change in tempo from the busy fast paced days, but most importantly, it reminds me of playing games with my family back at home. The people I have met here I appreciate so much, and it is not lost on me how important this moment in time is. I have to give the credit to Ireland. In your face, I bet you were not expecting such an open-heart-moment, but I am not all jokes about making fur hats (you would have to read the last blog to understand).
(Crispy Bombay Bowl from Sprout)
(Spicy Toshio Ramen from The Ramen Bar)
Now I have two recommendations that you MUST EAT AT. Go to the Ramen Bar. They make their own noodles, and it is absolutely delicious. For around 15 euros it was very filling for the price. It honestly could have been less. Multiple of my friends took theirs home, but because I am fat, I drained the bowl in 10 minutes. It had a perfect spice level although you could choose from three spice levels, and it tasted amazing. I know it is the perfect level of spice when my sinuses start to bother me. Delicious. The second place is Sprout. It is a bowl making fast food chain similar to a chipotle bowl, but with a much more diverse range of options. They had Mediterranean bowls, taco bowls, satay bowls, and many more. My co-workers and I go once a week. Tomorrow, I am going to try the satay bowl. It is one of the best fast food chains I have eaten at. I belive it ranks with the likes of Chic-fil-a and Chipotle (maybe one tier down). The Bombay bowl is an Indianan inspired bowl with potatoes, chicken, and veggies. If you think it does not look that good, it is because I mixed it up and ate three bites before realizing I had forgotten to take a picture. I will not make the same mistake tomorrow.