As some of you may know, we recently relocated to Dublin, Ireland from San Diego, CA. I know this may seem bizarre, going from ideal weather to a rainy-grey climate with colder temperatures (it won’t always be so!) However, we are actually really excited to get acquainted with Dublin and everything it has to offer. We currently live in the city, known as Dublin 2 (the various numbers indicate zip code), which is the ideal location for us. Since we do not own a car or plan to get one, we’ve been all about venturing on foot and learning about the different public transportation methods. Even though the weather was drizzly and windy this weekend, we still decided to take a day trip. We mapped out the towns we wanted to stop in and hopped on the Dublin Area Rapid Transit system AKA the dart.
(How pretty is the view from the Blackrock dart station?)
Our first stop was in a little town called Blackrock. The beautiful coastal town is famous for its charm and historical architecture. Not really knowing where we were going or what we were doing, we stumbled upon the Blackrock Market.
This braided sleeve sweater from Zara is sold out but I found it online here, here, & here. The third link is the actual sweater through UK eBay. The other two are different brands 🙂
After winding our way through a narrow alley full of cool little shops, we came upon the most amazing authentic Italian restaurant I have ever been to called Café Ciamei. I love Italian food, so I’m very picky when it comes to quality, and I can honestly say this was the BEST pasta and cheesecake I have ever had. My boyfriend also raved about the coffee, which they are known for. This place is a must try for anyone passing through!
The next stop was in a town called Dalkey.
(Another gorgeous dart station)
We stopped here because of the Dalkey Castle which we had planned to check out, however we had just missed the tour. Instead we decided to wander around and check out some of the other historical buildings and churches. We will definitely be back for the castle tour, and to explore the town more when the weather permits it 🙂 As you can see, we did all of this in the rain!
On our way home, we stopped by the Dundrum Town Centre, which is Ireland’s second largest mall. With multiple levels of shops, food, and restaurants, it’s definitely a fun place to check out.
I literally could have stayed here for hours to shop, but my boyfriend is not a fan of the mall (typical), so we did a quick once through. I still managed to get a little shopping in though 😉
We spent the remainder of the weekend exploring our local neighborhood in Dublin. This cathedral is only a few blocks away from where we are currently staying!
I really love how there are wild swans here in the canals and parks. It’s something I don’t think I have ever seen in the states, and they are so tame!
One of the highlights of this week for me was the lovely little wine bar named Café Rubis we happened upon Friday night after leaving the clubs.
The owners were so kind and helpful (I know next to nothing about wine). We ended the evening with a glass of wine and a gourmet cheese plate, which was literally some of the best cheese I have ever had. I definitely recommend checking out this quaint little spot, it’s small but with a high end feel and quality wines.
I have been documenting our move to Ireland via pictures and video, so sometime in the near future you can expect a detailed YouTube video/blog post. This will serve as a guide for anyone moving to another country (or Ireland), what to expect and prepare for, things we wish we did differently, and how we adapted to the culture and figured out our way around the country. So stay tuned! <3
- Shop My Look -
