Parades, Parties, and St. Patty's Day

After a whirlwind of a week, I have made it back to Scotland with many stories and a lot of pictures.  There is so much to include here that I am going to split it all up into a couple of posts.  I am going to start with last weekend and the madness that was St. Patrick's Day Weekend.

A few friends and I arrived in Dublin around midday, and the party had already begun.  There were people everywhere, and there was already a festive spirit in the air.  By evening, the city became even more crowded, and between the holiday and the rugby match, there was not a single pub that wasn't overflowing with people.  Even though there were so many people, it was kind of fun to see a city in such an excited and celebratory state even two days away from the actual holiday.  Everyone was really nice and friendly.  There were people from all over the world that came to celebrate, although there were not as many locals in comparison.

Sunday, we went on a tour of the city as well as a tour of the Guinness Storehouse.  It was nice to see Dublin and learn a little more about the history and the people there.  I wish there had been more time to see more of the historical parts of the city and get a more in-depth understanding than what was delivered on the tour.  Guinness was also an interesting place.  Like everywhere last weekend, it was extremely crowded, so it was hard to see everything, but it was still a fun experience.  I learned how to properly pour a pint of Guinness from a tap (and drink it afterward of course).

Trinity College

Trinity College

Dublin Castle

Sunday night was probably the best night of the whole weekend.  People were out having a good time, but it wasn't anything too crazy yet.  There were some really talented street performers and we got to meet some really great people from many different places.  It was so cool just to walk the streets and take it all in.

Monday was absolutely crazy.  People were partying from the moment they woke up in the morning. We went early to the parade and managed to get spots up close.  "Let's Make History" was the theme of the parade this year, and all of the costumes and floats had to reflect this.  All of the costumes blew me away with the amount of detail, and all of the floats were amazing.

This was a  German band that stayed in the same hostel as us.  They were really nice people.

The party just continued non-stop all day and into the night.  While it was exciting to celebrate St. Patrick's Day in Dublin, there were so many people on Monday, and it was hard to walk through the streets to get anywhere.  We had to shove our way through masses of people to get anywhere, but overall, it was such a fun experience and an adventure that I will cherish forever.

Next up: Prague!