Dalkey and back to Bath

After two straight days in cities, we were definitely ready for someplace a little quieter. After grabbing a quick breakfast at the hostel, we packed our things and checked out. About half the group rented a locker to store bigger luggage while we were away from the morning. We walked across the river to the train station, where we purchased tickets to Dalkey, a small town about 30 minutes outside the city. As soon as we stepped off the train, we started to walk towards the coast. However, because we didn't have a map, our only indication of the coast's location was the general direction we could determine from our train ride.

We set off, keeping to one path so that we would have fewer roads to remember. As we came around a bend, we saw the sea out on the horizon. We continued on our journey, finally reaching the town's small marina, where we stopped to take pictures and explore. Our fun was short-lived as it began to rain, so we gathered our bags and started to make our way back to the center of town, where we had walked past a number of cafes and restaurants. We checked the prices on a few displayed menus before deciding on a small american diner, where we grabbed a quick bite before it was time to head back to Dublin.

As soon as we returned to Dublin, we split into two groups to grab remaining luggage and the last few souvenirs. We met back up at the bus stop just in time to watch it pull in, and soon we were off to the airport for our third flight of the weekend!

We passed through security quickly and said goodbye to Cae, who would be going back to her program London while the rest of us returned to Bath via Bristol. However, just as we dropped her off, we ran into Chelsea, who had spent the weekend in Ireland visiting her older brother. As it turned out, she would be taking the same flight as us, so she joined us in waiting to board the plane.

When we landed in Bristol, we grabbed something to drink at the airport cafe while we waited for the bus that would bring us back to Bath. Unfortunately, the sign was a bit confusing, so we thought we had missed the 5:00 bus, but it was actually a 5:30 bus. When we went outside just before 6, we learned that the next bus would leave at 6:30. Already tired, we were certainly not happy. Luckily, when we finally got on the bus, our journey took just under an hour, and by 7:30, we were safely back in Bath!