Galway
We traveled to Galway with a stop and walk around the “tidy towns” of Adare and Ennis. We stayed dry and throughly enjoyed both. Adare has lovely thatched cottages, shops, a park full of trees, bees and flowers galore. 2027…
Dublin’s Kilmainham Gaol Museum
We toured the jail with Adam, the most animated story teller. The history of the jail is not easy on the eyes or ears or heart. Its story is one of the hardest times in Irish history. I’m not sure…
Sunny Dublin
We did meet up with Philip Lynott from Thin Lizzie, an Irish musician, songwriter and poet. We also passed Molly Malone Also empty & quiet in the Temple Bar neighborhood as we headed to the River Liffey… …For a visit…
Dublin Walking Tour
We took a nice dry walk to meet our 10am walking tour. On the way passed some colorful doors of Dublin. We met Kim, a proud Dubliner at the statue of Archibald Wolfe Tone. She gifted us two and a…
Dublin
We had a beautiful ride to Dublin. We’ve reunited with Sally who came to play in Ireland with us from Italy. The last time she was “home” was 1980. We’re all hungry and ready for a Guinness and Pub food.…
Irish Rainbows
This morning one side of the house was sunny, the other pouring rain. I felt a calling to go outside… Walked around and saw the start of a lovely rainbow Just needed the clouds to move out of the way…
Ireland 🇮🇪
Good day for taking the boys for school supplies, it’s back to school Monday. Mr P’s is a store with just about everything… I was treated by my sweet cousin Aoife, to a lovely pedicure by a beautiful young woman.…
Golfing Day
We could still hit a ball after the first “swing and a miss!” A perfect day of sunshine, wind, rain, wind, blue skies, mist and golf at Newcastle West Golf Club. Swings sweet & smooth as butter A great day…
Ireland 🇮🇪
We’re chilling and hanging out with the family in Newcastle West. Took a walk around town with Euan and had an afternoon of lovely liquid Irish sunshine. Tomorrow we’re going to see if we can hit a golf ball after…
Johnstown Castle
The “sunny southeast” of Ireland gifted us another glorious day in Wexford. We had a relaxing morning and then decided to visit a local gem. The Castle stands on an estate first granted to the Esmonde family in 1169. In…
Saltee Island
The family hopped on the ferry in Kilmore Quay for a 20 minute ride across the water to the big Saltee Island for 3 hours of exploring. An absolutely perfect day in the Sunny Southeast 🇮🇪 Sun cream required today…
Tintern Abbey & the JFK Arboretum
William Marshal, Earl of Pembroke, on the occasion of his first visit to Ireland as Lord of Leinster in 1200, encountered rough seas while crossing from Wales. William, Strongbow’s successor, vowed that if spared he would establish a monastery wherever…
Ireland 🇮🇪
A perfect morning for a walk into the local village and be able to appreciate a brilliant garden bursting with lovely flowers My cousin makes the best porridge and I mean BEST!!! Loaded up with local Wexford strawberries is extra…
Ireland 🇮🇪
We arrived last night. So nice for Alan Geary to meet us in DUB to give the yanks a sweet Toyota to drive… Good to be with the cousins again. Plans to go for a treetop adventure. Best part is…
Schengen Territory
When we first started planning our (getaway) adventure we learned that we, as US Citizens would be limited to 90 days of travel in the Schengen Area. For those of you surprised to hear this, below are the details. We…
Madeira Last Day :-(
We have loved our island visit. It is beyond beautifully breathtaking with so much to see and do. It’s our last day enjoying this enchanting island and Madeira will always be special in a unique way. I hope we’ll be…
Madeira – Fanal Forest II
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Laurissilva Forest includes a section on Madeira Island called the Fanal Forest. A variety of plant and animal species can be found in this subtropical forest, which is about 15,000 hectares in size. Some…
Funchal
Today we decided to get a closer look at our home away from home. Located on a large slope facing the Atlantic and shaped like a natural amphitheatre, Funchal is Madeira’s largest tourist, commercial and cultural centre. Elevated to city…
Funchal – Levada Canopy & Fanal Forests
We did not post a blog yesterday. We totally chilled and went from reading on the patio, to doing and hanging laundry in the sun to dry (haven’t seen a dryer yet) on the patio, to napping on the patio…
Madeira Exploration
Today we set out to drive the coast road and take a dip in the natural pools of the Atlantic Ocean in Porto Muniz. Madeira is a relatively small island but the terrain leaves us in total awe. The mountains…
Madeira Gardens
Beat the crowds by getting on the gondola when it first opens & no lines is always welcome. The lush vegetation of the garden of Monte Palace Madeira surrounds enormous ponds, filled with Koi fish, which provide a pleasant spectacle…
Madeira the Doors Of…
Hmmm… there’s seems to be something a little odd about that door. Actually, you know what, there’s something a bit different about the next one as well. In fact, as I walk along the street, it seems every door is…
Madeira
Haven’t found the right words to describe this island. We’re fascinated with its history, its beauty and amazing housing. How did they squeeze all of these homes in, all the way to the top of Funchal, the capitol city. We…
Madeira Just Getting Started
Madeira (/məˈdɪərə/mə-DEER-ə or/məˈdɛərə/mə-DAIR-ə;[6][7][8]European Portuguese: [mɐˈðɐjɾɐ]), officially the Autonomous Region of Madeira (Portuguese: Região Autónoma da Madeira), is an autonomous region of Portugal. It is an archipelago situated in the North Atlantic Ocean, in the region of Macaronesia, just under 400 kilometres (250 mi) north of the Canary Islands, Spain, 520 kilometres (320 mi) west of the Morocco and 805…
Lisbon Quick Trip
The Flix bus took us away from the Algarve 😢 back to Lisboa for a quick sleep and morning departure. Sally to Italy and us to Madeira. It’s been amazing.
Algarve Tour Day
At the far southwestern tip of the Algarve is the town of Sagres. This is where the western Algarve is at its wildest. For lovers of traditional towns and winding streets, Sagres might not be for you. Compared to other towns and…
Lagos Boat Adventures
Perfect way to start the day is to jump on a Blue Fleet boat tour along the incredible coast line of the Algarve. We woke up to cloudy skies and the water was a little choppy. The kayakers were struggling…
Lagos Refresh
Lagos is the perfect place to relax, chill and recharge. We took a little trip to Luz to meet some new friends and have a nice conversation about their move to Portugal 🇵🇹 My sister Sally’s here for a few…
Lagos Portugal
Saturday morning farmers markets here are beyond amazing. The sights, colors, varieties, smells and freshness are incredible. If you stop at a stand and look at the watermelon because you can’t decide, the man pulls out a knife and slices…
Lagos
Traffic jam at the marina while the tall masts go out to sea On the other side is coffee & a treat at Studio Coffee. Some great sardine wall art End the day with a walk into town when the…