From my first pub visit to staying in a 4-star hotel!

The title of this entry covers the exact time period that I want to report on: from Friday (September 28) to Sunday (September 7). And I can already warn you: this text will be very long!

I still remember that on Thursday of my first blog entry here, I hoped to quickly make connections. However, I never thought it would happen so quickly!

First week

I mentioned that I go to language school in Dun Laoghaire twice a week. I made contacts from the beginning there, as all the other girls in my language course are also au pairs. So on the Friday of my first week, I was invited by another German girl to come to a pub with her group.

Of course, I was looking forward to it, as you always hear so much about Irish pubs - and I wasn't disappointed. I particularly liked the lively atmosphere, from the relaxed, cheerful bartenders (even though the place was packed!) to the fact that during our conversation we all had to lean towards the center of the table just to understand each other.

Even though I'm not really a beer fan, I ordered the obligatory Guinness and I have to admit that it doesn't taste so bad (still, I can't fully share the general enthusiasm for it :D). It was a really nice evening and I have already planned a horse riding trip with two of the girls, so it couldn't have gone better. Especially since a ride through the beautiful countryside of Ireland is pretty high on my to-do list!

On Saturday, I went to Dublin for the first time with the German girl I met at school. I reach the city by train in just half an hour, so luckily it's not really a distance.

In Dublin, we strolled through the streets and just let ourselves drift. It really is a beautiful city! I keep noticing that despite being the capital of Ireland, it has its own unique style. I especially love the many pubs, cafes, and street musicians, as it's much more fun to walk the streets while listening to music and admiring the artists.

Later, we sat down in a cafe and treated ourselves to a piece of cake despite the overpriced prices, before continuing on and exploring the small shops.

In the evening, we spontaneously met another au pair from the Czech Republic and went with her to a pub or rather a bar, where there was also dancing and a very lively atmosphere - and that was at 7pm! So we ended the day nicely and then went home.

On Sunday, I went to Dun Laoghaire again and met another au pair (her name is also Hanna). In the park there, a market takes place every Sunday where art and food are sold (similar to a street food festival). We didn't know what to buy first with the huge promising selection of food from different origins (there was also German bratwurst) to pastries and cakes! Unfortunately, the Irish weather showed its bad side at some point and we ended up sitting in a cozy cafe, having hot chocolate and warm apple pie. Later, we walked along the pier, which was built during the Victorian era, and along the Victoria Fountain, which was apparently erected in honor of Queen Victoria in 1900.

It was pretty cold and windy at the harbor, and there were so many seagulls that we actually felt a little like being at the Baltic Sea :D.

So my first weekend in Ireland couldn't have been better and I realized that it's really not difficult to make contacts here (since we're all in somewhat the same situation and looking for connections). Fortunately, there are many au pairs living in my area, although unfortunately not in Shankill. :).

Second week

From Monday to Friday of the following week, not much exciting happened. I went to the gym a few times and changed classes at my language school because I plan to take an exam for a certificate at the end of my stay here, which will give me the qualification to give professional English tutoring or study at English-speaking universities.

In general, I have developed a daily routine from the tasks I described in the last entry. However, I always look forward to having dinner with the host family in the evening. Last Friday, we ordered pizza, although it wasn't planned that our dog Timmy would devour the entire giant pizza as soon as one of the pizza boxes was opened and left unattended in the kitchen (he was fine afterwards).

Now I come to the last weekend (October 7th to 8th). These two days have definitely been the most beautiful of my stay here so far. I visited my best friend Julie, who is currently working and living at the Ashley Park House.

The 4-hour bus trip to Nenagh, the town where I was picked up, turned out to be so interesting that I will describe it in more detail now.

I didn't know before this weekend that the Irish also have a very relaxed attitude towards schedules. The first bus that took me to the outskirts of Dublin arrived at the last stop with a 10-minute delay - the time when my connecting bus to Nenagh was supposed to depart.

So when I asked my way to the corresponding bus stop of the second bus, my stress level had almost reached its peak, and when I finally got there, I was sure that I had missed the bus and would have to wait for the next one in two hours. But luckily, there was another woman waiting at the bus stop. If I hadn't talked to her, I would have started walking after 10 minutes to find a cafe. But we waited together and after 20 minutes our bus to Nenagh actually arrived. So it obviously had even more delay than the first bus.

Although the bus ride took about 2 ½ hours, it didn't feel long to me, and I don't think I've ever seen so many cows during a car trip before.

After a while, I noticed that the woman sitting next to me was reading a book by Sherlock Holmes, just like me. And after I mentioned it to her, a very nice conversation developed. She told me that she is a fashion designer and once lived as an au pair in a Belgian family. She also gave me many travel tips for Ireland, so my list of places I absolutely must see here is getting longer and longer!

I also found it very impressive that even though she was going to miss her two appointments (on her day off!), the woman took the whole thing with calmness and humor. After 45 minutes in Nenagh, she had to take the bus back to Dublin again.

In Nenagh, the small town about 10 minutes from Ashley Park House, Julie and a hotel staff member were already waiting for me. However, it's strange to call him a "staff member" because all the employees there, including the manager, address each other by their first names and treat each other like family members. I was also welcomed very friendly and warmly and after a croissant and a hot chocolate, Julie showed me around outside and showed me everything. This place is so beautiful!

I can understand why many people choose the hotel and the surrounding nature for their wedding. For example, you can sit on a bench and watch the sunset over the lake with many swans, or walk through the "garden" that was designed with so much love. I constantly had the urge to take pictures of everything there.

In the evening, we went for a walk with the crazy but very cuddly old female dog of the manager, and then cooked dinner in the kitchen with the other workawayers (similar to work and travel): vegetarian spaghetti.

But the dessert was even better, which was left behind by the hotel guests: The selection included chocolate cake, tiramisu, and banoffee (very delicious!).

Afterwards, we all sat together for hours, just talked and learned about the craziest things that have ever happened in the hotel.

It was a really lovely evening, especially because of the family atmosphere and the feeling of togetherness (even though I was just a guest!).

It became even more beautiful when we sat down in the fireplace room, on comfortable old sofas around the fire, and ended the day with a good glass of wine.

Usually, the workawayers all sleep together in the attic, but Julie and I were given a hotel room for the night, which was really kind.

On Sunday evening, I had to take the bus (unfortunately) back to Dublin, or rather to my place. But we still had enough time to take a closer look at Nenagh.

For example, we walked to Nenagh Castle and were allowed to enjoy the view from above, even though it was supposed to be closed that day. Again, I was completely confused by the friendliness of the Irish. There was actually an event scheduled to take place in the castle in half an hour: a literature lecture by a well-known English writer with music. And actually, all the tickets were sold out, but the nice lady offered us to sit on the stairs and listen. Unfortunately, it didn't fit our schedule too well, so we continued walking and spent the remaining time with coffee and cake before I got on the bus again. During the return journey, the bus driver greeted every person with Hi, Hello, How are you? or How are you doing? :).

So far, these are my experiences from the first two weekends in Ireland.

Best regards, Hanna :)