Days Six and Seven

We woke up to our last morning of the tour in Belfast, and had some time before boarding the bus, so we took our time to shower and get organised, and went off on our own for breakfast and a bit of quiet time. I headed up to Starbucks and wrote on a few postcards, before being found by some of the others and hanging out with them.

Our first stop for the day was at a former monastery that was apparently founded by St Buite, who died in 521. None of the original buildings remain, but there are several that were built in the 10th century. There's not a lot to say about it really, apart from the fact that the Vikings occupied it for a while, which is kind of cool.

Our 'Team Nerd' family photo. Back - Grasshoppa, me, the Captain. Front - DPA. Absent - Big Mumma and N-Dog.

Eventually we were on the road back to Dublin, our trip nearing its end. We did the obligatory tour of the Guiness factory (this inevitably would have been more enjoyable had I actually liked Guiness), finishing with the girls enjoying a few pints.

The Captain, DPA, Grasshoppa and N-Dog enjoying their pints.

That really was the end of the tour then. Connor dropped us off near Paddy's Palace, where we had begun a week before, strangers instead of the friends and Team Nerd that we were at the end of it. The Captain and I arranged to meet up with Grasshoppa and Big Mumma for dinner, as we were staying at different places. Matt and Robyn had managed to book into the same hostel as us, so we trekked up there, got changed, and headed down to the Stiffey on the Liffey to meet the others. We were going back to Luigi Malones because food was definitely worth a second trip. The ribs had been calling for me all week long... Matt and Robyn also ended up joining us for dinner, which was good fun.

After we'd eaten ourselves into a food coma, we said goodbye to Grasshoppa and Big Mumma (as Big Mumma was flying out), and we headed down into the Temple Bar region for a few drinks. We ended up running into quite a few more of the people from the tour, so much drinking and merriment ensued. Having decided not to drink, I cabbed it back to the hostel, leaving the Captain in the capable hands of Matt and Robyn. She got back in the early hours of the morning, trying to break into the room as she couldn't work the card key! I thought someone was trying to break in, so that was a great way to wake up. I distinctly remember some drunken ramblings about a burger, and about needing a shower, and me having to explain the concept of a Pommie bath to her. I managed to convince her to just go to bed, meaning I too could go back to sleep!

The next morning was a bit of a revelation for the Captain - quite by accident I prompted her into remembering she'd kissed not just one guy, but two during the previous night. What happens in Ireland stays in Ireland, except when you have a travel blog! We headed down the street in need of caffeine and munchies. We spent the remainder of the day wandering around Dublin, doing a bit of shopping (I had to buy a dress for the prom, having made a deal with one of the kids), and generally enjoying ourselves before heading out to the airport, exhausted but very happy.