Oh Canada

We're still recovering here in Dublin from Gay Pride last weekend and have reluctantly taken down my homemade decorations (made during a quiet late shift with coloured post it notes, I had no green though, as pointed out by a observant hosteller, but hey it was a spur of the moment thing and I'm sure the green people of the world will understand!).

Anyway the good thing about working in an international environment is that there is no end of holidays. This week its Canada's turn. We get loads of Canadians staying in the hostel, especially lots from Quebec, who I always find very glamourous with their Canadian passports and their Quebecois! Anyway to celebrate Canada Day, here are five fun facts about Canada gleamed from our canadian hostellers:

1. Canadians are not americans (nothing annoys them more allegedly!!)
2. Its the second largest country in the world.
3. The official winter sport is ice hockey.
4. Canada makes 80% of the worlds supply of maple syrup
5. Degrassi Junior High is a real place (I made that up, but I worked as a waitress with a guy who was a regular on the show, so had to get it in somewhere!! Anyone under 25 reading this will have no idea what I am talking about!! Sorry!)

I went to Canada once, I really like it. Niagra Falls Rocks!

So there you go... Happy Canada Day everyone :)

A crawling week

In the interests of research I decided to take one of the tours advertised in the hostel reception. After much himming and hawwing, between the celtic experience tour of newgrange to see the neolithic tombs to the wild wicklow tour to get in the set of Ballykissangel, I opted for the backpacker pub crawl! Purely in the interest of research of course (oh i said that already, maybe the more I say it, the more believable it will become!)

So I headed to Major Tom's to hook up with the tour which already had hit several pubs and were a bit ahead of me in the drinking stakes, but a free shot sorted that out pretty quickly! Then the gang took to the dance floor which resulted in serious cheesy dancing. It was a mixed group, a good few typical backpackers and then a couple of older gangsters!

Then it was on to the Porterhouse for more shots and more bad dancing to the live band. The pub crawl resulted in two couples who didn't know each other before.... I'm sure that wasn't included in the 9 euro! Nice one!!

Anyway work the next morning was a bit of a trial.... shots are bad for you folks!!

Also the Dublin LGBTQ Pride Festival 2007 culminating with the pride parade on the 23rd June. Now that will be a day out and a half!!

Run run run!

Today is june bank holiday monday, which means it women's mini marathon day. 10km of women (and the odd man in a dress)will be lining up in a mad dash to get around the city. I of course have my running shoes on ready and waiting! Well in my mind at least! We had some guest from England who were here to run in it! They went off bright and early all tooled up for a big fry up, they walked the 10km, stopping for two pints on the way around and then celebrating their record breaking time of 2 and half hours will a few more beers. Needless to say they arrived back in the hostel in interesting shape!

The sunny weather in the last week lead lots of people to take tours which we book for them at reception. Glendalough and Wicklow being particularily popular. Glendalough is one of my personal favourites, perfect on a lovely sunny day like today.