After a flight to Atlanta, and a more than seven hour flight across the Atlantic, we finally made it to Dublin!  We landed early this morning (around 1:30 a.m. eastern standard time, which was about 5:30 a.m. in Dublin), exhausted, but excited.  Our first stop was customs, where we got to answer questions from a funny Irish man, who happily wished us, "Happy Christmas!" as we went to wait for our luggage.  He also told us that staying at the Castleknock Hotel and Country Club would be about as close to the country as New York City.  We took a taxi to our hotel (we were too tired and carrying heavy suitcases, so we didn't feel like figuring out the bus quite yet), and had a great conversation with the taxi driver on the way:

(In order to get the full effect of the conversation, read all of the taxi driver's lines - in green - in a thick Irish accent)

Taxi driver: Mornin', where are you headed to?

Bryan: Castleknock Hotel

Taxi driver: Oh, nice place, that is... in the middle of fecking nowhere, you know.

Laura: Yeah, we were a little late booking our hotel, so everything was pretty full for Saint Patrick's Day.

Taxi driver: Ah, well we probably have the worst Saint Patrick's Day parade in the whole fecking world, I'd say. (To the car in front of us: Get your fecking tinky out of the way!)  Sorry, we swear a lot here.  You're just gonna have to get used to it!

Laura: Oh, we're used to it.  Where are you from?

Taxi driver:  Where are you from?

Bryan:  Detroit area of Michigan

Taxi driver:  Oh, that's where I'm from!... Ah, I'm from Dublin of course.  Been driving taxis here since before you were born.  Is this your first time in Ireland?

Bryan:  My first, her second.

Taxi driver: Well do ya like to drink?

Bryan: Yeah

Taxi driver: Well you're gonna love it here then!

He then proceeded to give us recommendations of the best pubs (or where you can get the most drinks for your money), and informed us that our taxi fare would be going to a good cause (the pub).  We talked about the weather ("It's been bloody cold here... when it snows, this car stays in the fecking driveway, I'll tell ya.  Can't even make it up the fecking hill in this thing when it snows.)  Sure, he was vulgar, and sometimes hard to understand, but he sure was the perfect introduction to Dublin!

After checking into the hotel (extremely early), we were told that our room wasn't ready, so we camped out in the lobby for a little while until someone checked out and they could get a room cleaned up for us.  We were both very grateful for a bed once they gave us a room, and took a nap so we could avoid walking around Ireland looking like a pair of zombies.  Tonight, we plan on taking it easy, walking around our hotel to check out a castle (where David and Victoria Beckham got married), and explore the grounds.  Tomorrow, we'll be up bright and early to head into Dublin!

We are both thrilled to have finally made it, and I'm sure we'll have pictures to share soon!

Happy Christmas!

Laura and Bryan