LIAM: Hi Natalia. Are you enjoying the party?
NATALIA: Oh, hi Liam. Yes, it's great, thanks. You weren't in the office last week, were you? LIAM: No, I went back to Dublin to visit my parents for a few days.
NATALIA: Really? I've always wanted to go to Ireland. What's Dublin like?
LIAM: Well, it's the capital city, of course, but it's changed a lot since I was a child. Now it's very cosmopolitan and parts of it are very modern.
NATALIA: Right.
LIAM: The city centre is very touristy too, but Dublin is still a great place to visit.
NATALIA: I don't know much about Ireland, actually. What are the people like?
LIAM: Well they're very welcoming and they really like tourists. I think you'd find them very helpful and relaxed.
NATALIA: Does everyone speak English?
LIAM: Yes, but sometimes the accent is a bit hard to understand - even for me! A lot of people speak Irish Gaelic too.
NATALIA: OK.
LIAM: And Dubliners are very sociable - they love getting together in the evenings, and having a drink, and listening to people playing Irish folk music. And of course Dublin has some of the best pubs in the world. Do you know Guinness, our famous black beer?
NATALIA: Yes, I've had Guinness here in England.
LIAM: Ah, but English Guinness is not like Irish Guinness. And of course Irish whiskey is very famous too.
NATALIA: And what's the food like?
LIAM: Well, you get the same food as you do in the UK most of the time. But we also have some very tasty Irish dishes - do you know Irish stew?
NATALIA: No, what's that?
LIAM: It's made of lamb, potatoes, carrots and onions, all cooked together. You often get it in the pubs at lunchtimes. It's really delicious - and it's quite healthy too.
NATALIA: Sounds good. And what's the weather like?
LIAM: Well, it's often wet and windy - Ireland is famous for its rain - and in winter it's freezing, of course. But on a sunny day there's no better place in the world.
NATALIA: So when is the best time to visit?
LIAM: Well, the weather in July and August is usually quite good, but probably the best time to visit is around St Patrick's Day, which is on March 17th.
NATALIA: OK. What happens then?
LIAM: In Dublin there's St Patrick's festival, which is brilliant. Everyone in the city wears green and it's basically one long party for three days and nights.
NATALIA: That sounds fun. I really must go.
LIAM: You'll have a fantastic time, I promise. Hey, would you like to see some photos of Dublin?
NATALIA: Yes, that would be great.
LIAM: I've got some on my mobile phone, I think.