Newsflash: LAURA ATE AT McDONALDS ... by choice! We went there after work one day last week because we wanted some good fountain coke & lots of it. We figured that McDonalds would actually have free refills on their drinks since it's an American restaurant. After I downed my value meal coke in 2 seconds, I went up to the counter to request a refill. The Irish guy behind the counter gave me a look before I even asked him. He said "McDonalds in Ireland don't do refills." When I asked him why not, he said that they just don't. I told him that I like the way they do things in America better. I don't know why Europeans are so stingy with coke, napkins & other condiments. It seems like everywhere we go we have to pry an extra pack of ketchup out of the employee's hands... Y'all don't even want to hear about me trying to get a little extra malt vinegar for my fish & chips in Howth. I thought I was going to be knifed.

Anyway, after working 50 something hours last week at the restaurant, we were ready for a fun weekend. We went to Howth & Dun Laoghaire. Howth is North of Dublin & Dun Laoghaire is South. Both towns are on the sea & offered great pier walks, scenic views & good food. Click here to check out the pictures. Many locals said that it was one of the nicest days they have seen all year. That night when we got back to Dublin city center, we decided to stop by the arm pit of the city, "Temple Bar" to get some dessert & people watch. Temple Bar is not one bar, but a historic area in the city which is a number of pubs, restaurants & shops lining a cobblestone street. It gets very wild at night. The streets are crowded with drunks of all shapes, sizes, colors, etc... It is also a popular place for stag & hen (bachelor/bachelorette) parties (see pictures).