Ireland – 2019

Well I made it to Dublin! As many of you know, I fly “standby” on American Airlines via the use of “buddy passes” that make the cost of my International travel really cheap. And today I hit the jackpot. I got upgraded to First Class! Sweet! My seat had the lie flat bad and my own personal little cocoon. I actually logged about 4 hours sleep!

And believe it or not the food was really good. I started with this tasty shrimp for an appetizer, with a nice salad and great rolls. I chose the filet mignon with asparagus and some kind of corn dish that was yummy. Then for dessert an ice cream sundae with hot fudge and whipped cream. And given that I was going to Ireland (when in Rome…) I even had a double shot of Bailey’s Irish Cream with some warm almonds/cashews. And for breakfast I had this yummy omelette with fresh fruit. I included pics of most of the food.

I actually attribute the First Class upgrade to what I’m calling the “Daisy Lucky 7”. When my kids were younger we had a Golden Retriever named Daisy (Best Dog Ever!) and we had to put her down exactly 7 years ago this month, when she was 14. And my youngest daughter is actually getting a Golden Retriever puppy in a couple weeks to carry on the Golden legacy. Also, my brother Jim, who sadly passed away several years ago, used to work at US Airways (now American) and got me started in using the buddy passes. Now his friend who still works there allows me to use his so I have both of them to thank for my wanderlust for International travel. I included a pic of my brother Jim with my kids (when they were little) and Daisy.

I’m staying in a cool AirBnB in Dublin with my own balcony. I’m spending a week in Dublin, a week in Galway and a week on the Dingle Peninsula. Doing day trips to Belfast, Giant’s Causeway, Cliffs of Moher, Aran Islands, Great Blasket Island, the Ring of Kerry, etc., etc. I’m so excited to start exploring since I’ve never been here but I can already tell I’m going to like it. A guy at the airport was super friendly, a guy on the bus helped me figure out my stop and my AirBnB person is really cool and gave me a bunch of tips on navigating the city. So the reputation of it being a friendly place has already exceeded my expectations.

Lots more to come. Enjoy!