TMC Reunion 2014 – Day One

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GPO, Grafton Street, Arriving in Belfast

As our plane finally flew over Ireland and the clouds parted, I burst into tears. That first glance was everything I’d wanted it to be, and it felt like a long-overdue homecoming. We arrived on 9 April 2014, three days before the ‘TMC Reunion 2014’ official start.

We landed in Dublin that morning, greeted by huge brown rabbits hopping through the grass around the runways. After grabbing our luggage, we boarded a bus into Dublin city. (Side note: Our reunion was in Belfast, but we saved almost $500 a ticket by flying into Dublin. We spent about $40 to catch the bus from Dublin to Belfast. Worth it for the savings, plus the added bonus of taking in Dublin for a day). We got off the bus at a random stop in the city that looked like a neat part of town, and we started walking. We really wanted to see the General Post Office and quickly spotted signs pointing to its location.

While standing on the sidewalk and staring at the street signs, a gentleman probably in his late sixties approached us. He was the image of a classic Irishman, wearing a three-piece tweed suit and a flat cap. He kindly asked us if we were lost and if we needed any help. We told him we were after the GPO and his reply to that was a tad strange. He asked us if we wanted to go to the shops. Slightly confused, we said no, not particularly. He gave a nod and then explained that we shouldn’t follow the signs because they lead through the shopping district. Instead, he gave us a shortcut to take and then went on his way.

He was the first of many amazing people that we briefly met during our stay. Ireland is full of incredible, friendly people, and we were lucky to meet many.

The General Post Office

If you’re not familiar with the historical significance of Dublin’s General Post Office, it was the main stronghold of the Irish Volunteers during the 1916 Easter Rising. Since both of us are history lovers, seeing the GPO in person was a must.

We took our time strolling the streets and fell into silence as we approached. The building, standing tall, still shows the scars from bullets that struck her during the stand-off. Inside, there’s a wonderful history exhibit that we explored. We’d have stayed longer but felt that we were in the way. We were wearing our backpacking backpacks and they stuck out quite a lot and made the small spaces in the history area a bit tricky. After seeing everything we wanted to, we decided to walk Grafton St. and have breakfast.

Grafton Street

If you enjoy popping in and out of shops, Grafton Street is the place for you. This famous street is perfect for a stroll as it’s a pedestrian area for most of the day (early morning does see delivery vans driving down the street). There are many shops and eateries to check out, and there are always multiple street performers out and about.

We walked the street up and down a few times before stopping and having breakfast. We ate at Bewley’s. I don’t remember the food, but I do remember the building. It is beautiful inside and we felt so out of place. A waitress led us to the back of the dining room and we drew stares the entire way. Our huge backpacks and hiking-style attire were definitely out of the norm, and we were noticed. When we got to our tiny table, we did our best to hide the packs. Needless to say, we ate quickly and left with our heads down!

Headed To Belfast

After breakfast, we decided to go ahead and make our way out of Dublin. I had really wanted to take the train to Belfast, but the cost of one train ticket was the cost of two bus tickets, so the bus it was. Billy says the drive was beautiful. Green as far as the eye could see and gorgeous to boot. I fought it as best I could, but within a half-hour, I was fast asleep. Our first real glimpse of the Irish countryside, and I slept through the whole ride. Bummer.

We arrived at the Belfast bus station, took a cab to our hotel, and checked in. Our group was staying at the Ramada in the Cathedral Quarter. It is in a great location and we walked to many attractions within the vicinity. The rooms are nice, the food in the dining area is good, and it is here that I discovered my new favorite drink: Bailey’s hot chocolate. YUM. After settling in, we went for a walk and saw many of the beautiful churches in the area. We had dinner at the hotel and then turned in for the night.

While relaxing in our hotel room, I pulled out a ‘new’ travel journal. It was a gift from my mom and was perfect. I’d really enjoyed being able to look back on our Titanic journals and had decided then that we’d keep a journal for every major vacation we took. It will be my guide for pretty much our entire travel blog, at least as far as past travels are concerned. It’s been one of the best investments we’ve ever made. Five minutes at the end of the day will keep your travels alive for the rest of your life. Trust me; it’s worth it.
Cheers,
Lydia and Billy