On the lucky side (as we were traveling to Ireland), Siobhan and I somehow managed to go against all odds and defy these setbacks and have ourselves a grand ole time.
A trip means nothing without an adventure or two (or three, or four), and our twenty-four hour day trip was jam packed full of them.
Shall we start from the beginning?
12:48am: Siobhan and I finally settle down to bed after asking the rather loud flat mates to quiet down.
2:01am: Siobhan and I finally rise like mummies from the crypts of our bed and proceed to get ready for our trip.
2:53am: We arrive early to the Sussex Gardens bus stop only to discover that the bus is late and won't arrive until 16 minutes past our expected leave time. Realizing that we wouldn't make it to the station in time, I call us an uber and we go on our way.
3:08am: We arrive at Liverpool Station, only to find out that it's closed and opens at four. But wait, we have a Stansted Express train that runs at 3:30! Turns out, we got the days and dates wrong and that it only runs that early on certain days. So we sit outside. And wait.
4:25am: Once the station has opened, we make our way to the Stansted Express, about an hour past our original schedule. The second it starts moving, Siobhan and I pass out.
5:43am: Siobhan and I have exited the express and are standing in the security line at the airport. Gates for our flight closed promptly at 6:00am, so Siobhan and I were really growing a sense of urgency.
6:06am: Siobhan and I quite literally made it from the express, through the airport, through security, and all through the tax free merchandise (by darting and running through fellow travelers- sorry if I bumped into you!) and onto the plan in twenty minutes. How? How.
7:55am: Siobhan and I arrive in the lovely city of Dublin, only to get through and realize that we have no clue as to where we're going in Dublin and how to get there. Luckily, a kind sir directed us towards the buses (#41 and #16) that would take us to the City Centre.
11:23am: We get dropped off in the City Centre and wander in circles looking for a place to eat and rest our weary bodies. We end up at Blas Café, where we enjoy hearty cups of coffee and Spanish eggs. The MENu wasn't too bad...
Afternoon: Siobhan and I simply take to the streets and find ourselves exploring what Dublin had to offer. We end up popping into a ton of charity shops (finding a surprising amount of Ted Baker) and we allow our eyes and ears to enjoy the male Irish population.
3:38pm: After hefty amounts of walking and shopping, Siobhan and I retire to the famous Guinness Storehouse Factory Tour, where we proceed to tour the interactive, five-story, pint-shaped building, housing all you need to know about this famous black beer. From making to tasting...
We've actually been Guinness models for quite some time..
The factory, right there!
Good morning innkeeper! Two beers for two beery weary travelers!
5:33pm: We finish up at the Guinness Factory (leaving just a little more tipsy than when we came in), and stop at Arthur's Pub just around the corner for some more alcohol and some grub. Warming up from the nip outside, Siobhan and I go full Irish and enjoy warm stew, potato and thyme soup, and classic Irish Coffees.
7:40pm: Siobhan and I cheers to the city of Dublin and make our way back to the airport via the 747 bus. We arrive and have all the time in the world to check in and make our way to our gate.
10:01pm: Our plane was due to depart at 9:55; however, just outside the windows, ambulances and police cars surround our plane and we find out that an inbound passenger had stopped breathing. Flight delayed.
12:05am: Eventually, we board, and after the short flight, we arrive at Stansted and book it to the express train, making it with minutes to spare.
1:37am: We finally make it back to London Town at Liverpool Street Station, only to find ourselves wandering around the city for a half hour looking for the #23 bus to take us home.
2:02am: The bus stop is found and we sit at top as we take our final leg of the journey home.
2:34am: Approximately 24 hours later, somehow still functioning on an hour of sleep, and eleven miles walked evident on our tired feet, we fall to bed and crash till two the next day.
Adventure? I daresay it was. Truly, it was an experience of a lifetime, one that we mastered all by ourselves. As much as we were setback, we ended up having the time of our lives.
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