Day 14 - Pub & Ale Day - 🌏 MWT 2017

Sunday September 10th, 2017
Hiked 10.1 miles

8:00 pm

The oldest castle tower in Dublin. 

So today I had two goals. To see the Guinness Storehouse where I would buy my taste for Guinness, and to see the oldest cathedral around. 

Today it rained on and off.  It would start to downpour so I would take shelter then it would immediately let up, and the cycle continued many times over.  Each time I felt like a coward for taking cover.  At the end of the journey I gave up trying not to get wet and I didn't get any wetter than if I would have taken cover.  Although I was only wearing cotton, there was enough break between showers I remained mostly dry.

My cheap shoes I have been traveling in are starting to stink so I had to make shoes the top of my priority list.  I found a sports store near the hostel that had a pair I really liked for 37 euros.  I walked up and down the next street until I found an ATM.  I pulled out some euros and headed back to the shoe store.  They only had one shoe in my size so I looked for another.  The next pair I liked happened to be on sale for half price at 25 euros and appear to be made out of real suede.  I ditched my smelly shoes in the trash and took off more comfortably on my adventure. 

"Litter is disgusting, so are
those responsible." 

Soon after I crossed the river I decided I was hungry.  I found a local looking place with a lunch special.  I ordered the soup and half sandwich and a coke.  It was very good and I realized that mayonnaise and onions actually go very well with peppered steak. 

I soon after found an old castle tower which is very old.  The oldest in Dublin it says.  So that is really cool. By the time I got to St Patricks Cathedral it was raining quite hard.  I moved closer to the church and it rained more.  I waited and the sun parted the clouds so I could get some good shots of the cathedral. It really looks magnificent and inspires respect to the creator.

My adventure around Dublin.

After church it was time to get a dark brown ale.  The Guinness storehouse was well done. Large video screens showed artist renditions of the beer becoming magical. The Guinness storehouse is a magnificent display of every aspect of their brewing mastery of the worlds finest beer.  They show you the hops, where it is grown, tell you how people had to learn to use stilts to prune them because they let them grow very high if they wanted to. The storehouse is on a 9000 year old lease so it is not going to disappear soon.

They use the finest quality water, latest equipment, and smartest scientist all making sure that every drop of Guinness is exactly as it is intended. On the last stop we got to get certified as being able to pour the perfect Guinness.  I goofed this one up bad.  I even cheated on accident.

An artistic representation of how magical beer is under a microscope. 

The quote reads, "A woman needs a man like a fish needs a
bicycle." 

The bartender instructor was very joyful and boisterous.  I felt like he was hoping one of us was an agent for Disneyland, because he was very very entertaining.  He could make a baby wake up smiling. He showed us steps 1 through 4.  I was one of the first ones that poured my beer.  I did not realize the next step was important.  I grabbed my un-topped Guinness and proceeded to a table to enjoy it.  It was tasty.  The two hours of mind propoganda worked.  I had acquired a taste for this beer just by thinking how good it is. In my appreciation for this beer I noticed a kid putting his name on an IPad to get a certificate.  I wanted to get a certificate because this is the most awesome beer I ever had. I walk over and put my name in the IPad and a certificate prints it and the demonstration guy at the other table hands it to me.  

Another tasty Irish Ale.

Colorfully painted buildings. 

I turned around to find out everyone had their drinks and were now going to
top them off.  Mine was already half way gone. I sat my beer on the counter and hid my certificate I obviously do not yet deserve and am the only one that did not listen closely to the guy with an Irish accent and understand that there was another step to give you more beer. 

The nice young man looked at me like I was being a clown at first.  Then he offered to give me a new beer since I messed it up.  I denied it.  I felt my karma somehow for not listening is that I should have two fewer gulps of this delicious beer.  I recommend you go, but have more patience than me when you pour your beer.  I still have not mastered it, but when you get it right it is supposed to be amazing.  Oh yea and Guinness should be served between 41 and 45 degrees.  That is the perfect temperature they say. 

St Patricks Cathedral. 

On the way back to the hostel I stopped and had the Volcano Pizza at Star Pizza. It was pretty tasty. 

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