We said goodbye to the Azores on Thursday morning, traveling from Porta Delgada to mainland Portugal, landing in Lisbon. Two hours later, we’re on an international flight to Ireland.

My seat mate was a young mother from Brazil who now lives on the outskirts of Dublin. We had a great conversation – me, what was it like living in Ireland, were her daughters bilingual, and telling her I wished American kids were more multi-lingual. She asked about my time in the service and if the reports about the American people not liking Donald Trump were true? She said her and her husband love him and wish their government was more like him. I laughed and told her I liked him too, he needed a better PR team for his media accounts but to also look for opposing views when reading about American politics and then decide where in the middle the truth lies. We land at Dublin Airport, gather our bags and decided to take a taxi to our ride to the Leonardo Hotel. It’s about a 30 minutes drive through Dublin’s winding one-way streets, but our driver Michael does it with ease.

After a long day of traveling, we ventured out to find dinner and a drink at the Beer Temple. It’s a local pub which serves fantastic food. I had Sheppard’s Pie with shredded lamb and it was absolutely delicious! I paired it with an apple cider from Orchard Thieves and the stress of traveling was washed away. We were all tired from the day, so an early night was the final task of the day.

The Leonardo Hotel was a wonderful choice and is within walking distance of many of the main attractions in Dublin. Located across the street from Christ Church Cathedral, it’s also a short walking distance to Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin Castle and Temple Bar.

The next morning, I remember seeing a small café on the way to the restaurant, so I headed there to grab an espresso and a quiche… it came with the tastiest chips I later learned were onion and cheese favored. Potato chips for breakfast is a great way to start the day! Carol and Don met up with me at the cafe, as they had already been enjoying an early morning walk.

This was the fam’s first visit to Dublin and I remembered that Dublin Castle was close by from my last visit, so we went off in search of it. Carol said they had passed it but didn’t realize what it was. It’s huge, but only two of its four towers are still standing, but nonetheless, it’s still an impressive site. Its circular garden is very beautiful as well, and lots of visitors were enjoying it.

Christ Church Cathedral is massive to behold and found in the heart of Dublin. Originally, a Viking church, it’s more than a 1,000 years old and still actively used for services. Saint Patrick’s Cathedral is the largest church in Ireland and has been in service for more than 800 years. It’s amazing to think about when you realize that both of these churches have been the place of solace and worship longer than the United States has been a country, and they are still being used by worshippers today!

Auntie Carol, Uncle Don and I walk around Dublin during the morning exploring and seeing the sites, waiting until my father and step-mom arrive, as well as Carol’s life-long bestie, Joann, and her husband, Ray. We all meet at the Leonardo to say our hellos and then, after a quick drink, realize we could all use a nap!

We meet up again in the early evening for a walk to where Carol has made reservations at Quays Irish Restaurant for the evening meal. We’re seated late, about 40 minutes past our reservation time of 8pm, but the meal was worth the wait! It was absolutely a wonderful meal and the desert… Bailey’s Cheesecake and Dublin Bread Pudding melted in our mouths. We have a wonderful evening catching up and then a short walk to Temple Street, the location of Dublin’s night life, brought us to the famous Temple Bar, first opened in 1840. I take a picture with my father and it makes my day! The thought of my almost 80-year-old father flying in from Bermuda, me from Tennessee (notice I’m not giving my age! LOL), and we’re meeting in Dublin, Ireland is outrageous… wonderful memories!

The next day is more sightseeing, wonderful meals and making memories. Sue is meeting a friend of hers from Bermuda who is living in Ireland now. She, Dad and I meet Mick close to where we had dinner the night before for lunch. I had a wonderful fish and chips entree and we talked for hours as they caught up.

Sunday morning, Dad, Sue and I take a walk to go see Saint Patrick Cathedral for ourselves. There’s Sunday services going on so we don’t make it inside, but I do get a picture of him in front of the church! At the hotel once again, we’ve all checked out. The family is going on a 12-day tour around Ireland, which starts that afternoon, and because I am not one for bus tours, I will spend the rest of the month touring alone. After many goodbyes, I leave them around noon and catch the bus to the airport for a flight to my next adventure… Amsterdam, Netherlands.