Trips from Dublin (Study Abroad Part 2)

Dalkey 

The first day-trip I took during my semester abroad was to a town called Dalkey, about 10 miles outside Dublin. I traveled with a group of friends who I had met during orientation, and we took the Dublin Area Rapid Transit (known as DART) to the nearby town. After about half an hour on the train, we arrived both hungry and eager to explore. We took a short but beautiful walk along the waterline and kept an eye out for a Matt Damon sighting—he famously settled in Dalkey during the pandemic when shooting for The Last Duel shut down in 2020 and occasionally returns to the town. We then stopped for lunch at a charming small pub in the center of town and browsed the nearby bookstores. After a few (let’s be honest, many) photoshoots against the breathtaking views over the water, we took the DART back into Dublin at nightfall. 

Howth 

The seaside village of Howth is technically in the outskirts of Dublin, about 8 miles from the city center. Still, my friend Gabi and I considered it a day-trip and had a great time exploring the town during one of our days off of class. We took the shortest hiking route up and down the Howth Cliff (and even that was pretty exhausting) before taking a much deserved break back down at sea level. Finally, we explored the outdoor Howth market and enjoyed some sausages and dessert crepes before catching the bus back home. 

Kilkenny 

The study abroad program I was enrolled in hosted a weekend trip to Kilkenny, which included a castle tour, a tour of the Smithwick’s Brewery, and a hurling lesson. Kilkenny was such a delightful city, and I had one of the best beef and Guinness stews I’ve ever tasted at one of our pub lunches. The hurling experience was another highlight—it was most people’s first experience with the traditional Irish sport, and our instructor was very supportive despite having to hold back laughs at our lack of ability. My friend Juliet’s review of the experience: “It was really cool to learn about how sports that I had never even heard about are so embedded in Irish culture.”

Spring Break: Amsterdam, Rome, and London 

I had never been to the Netherlands before, and I didn’t really know what to expect. It was such a lovely city! During my second day here, I booked a spot on a group day-trip to Zaanse Schans, a neighborhood in Zaandam famous for its collection of historical windmills, many of which are still operating. We got to see the mechanics inside a windmill before heading to another nearby town for some Dutch gouda tasting and a live clog-making demonstration. As cliche as those activities might be, it was a super fun day.

Amsterdam was my first experience with solo traveling, and I quickly realized it wasn’t as calm and peaceful as I had imagined. I found myself wishing I had someone to share these new experiences with, or at least to help me plan what to eat for dinner the next day. Luckily for me, I was joined in Rome for the second leg of my trip by my friend I met in Dublin, Gabi! It was her first time in Italy, and I had a blast showing her my favorite spots from previous family trips. Like the best trips, our time in Rome was mostly based around food. We had some delicious Neopolitan-style pizza, luxuriously creamy affogatos, fried cheesy suppli, heaps of melty gelato, and handmade pasta (which we learned how to make!). I’m drooling now just writing about it…. Of course, we also did the classic tourist activities of visiting the Colosseum and Trevi Fountain, but the parts I remember the most are food-related.

My final stop was London, where I saw the West End production of Hadestown (incredible, by the way) and explored the various neighborhoods. Notting Hill, SoHo, and Covent Garden were my personal favorites. The highlight of my time in London was visiting a rotating cheese bar (similar to a rotating sushi bar, but with cheese pairings instead). I ate over 12 plates of cheese and spent 2 hours there—it was glorious. Probably the best day of my life.

And so concludes my reminiscing about all the trips I took during Study Abroad. I hope you enjoyed reading (and that I didn’t make you too hungry with all my food descriptions). Until next time!