I have heard about Dublin, Ireland for years. It was often in the news due to violence in Ireland but it is also considered a must visit. So I have wanted to go see it for a long time. But like any big city, a few hours is not enough to really get a sense of it. CJ and I decided that we would go for an overview by taking a Hop-On Hop-Off bus tour. It gives you a chance to stop for awhile at a particular place to explore. Then just get back on the bus and continue the guided tour. If you find a place you want you can continue the whole bus route and come back to it, or just get off now. It sounded like a good idea. I had also read about the Guiness Storehouse that you could tour and find out all about the brewing process and history of Guiness. So I bought tickets online before we left home and had the printed receipts with me. 

The ship had a shuttle service into Dublin ($12 round trip each) which we used to get close to a bus stop for the Hop-On Hop-Off which we had also bought tickets for. We went up to the 2nd level so we might take some pictures. The bus started up and we could hear the recorded guide script as we went by different features of Dublin. But the bus moves too fast for good pictures and you are not sure what significance things really have for you. So we didn't get much photography done.

The Guiness Storehouse stop was very good. There a four levels that show you how the beer is made. Then you get to taste a glass and move on. There is an interactive alcohol quiz and we got 70% of the questions right. On floor five there are three restaurants - we decided on Arthur's pub where we split a sandwich and I got a pint of Guiness. The Guiness was excellent and so was the sandwich. The seventh floor has a 360* view of Dublin so we checked it out and got some photos.

Another stop we made was the Kilmainham Goal - a prison in Dublin. This was used to house debtors, criminals and political prisoners like the leaders of the Irish rebellion of 1916. Most of the leaders of the 1916 prison were killed at the jail (to avoid public execution which was practiced earlier). The jail even housed children like the 8 year old girl who stole a blanket and got six months and the boy (5 years old) who stole something to eat.

Back near the tour start we got off so we could help the Dublin economy by shopping. Two shops yielded sweaters for credit card slips. Then it was a coffee shop for some cookies and Internet access. All in all a great day but I still don't feel like I know Dublin.