That’s right…we are headed to my homeland. Ireland!

The rest of our original plan was to fly from Munich to Dublin on the 27th. The train strike was in Germany and that could have screwed us bad enough, but there was what they called “an industrial action” (work slowdown/stoppage) at the Munich airport the day were were to leave originally plus the day after that. So, we ended up getting tickets at the last minute for a morning flight from Prague to Dublin a day early.

It was our best option, and you will see more about why later (no trip spoilers in this blog!). It really sucks we could not get to Vienna for a coffee and a Sacher Torte, and we also did not get to explore Munich like we had planned, but I think we pulled off a pretty damn good save given our options. We were able to add an additional night to our hotel stay so it all went fairly smoothly given where we were at with our trip plans 24 hours prior.

This is why you have to roll with the changes as I said in an earlier post. Having everything paid for is good, but in situations like this it can really be constraining to have to work within very limited parameters. We took this bad situation and made it work for us with no further problems or cancellations. And we did it calmly.

It was an early morning, but we had packed most everything we could last night to get a quicker start. I got a shower in as my legs were working okay again. We got out of the hotel and it was still dark – it was in the five o’clock hour. We had a site we wanted to see on our way to the airport so we had to get to a tram. We headed up the hill to find our tram stop.

The trams looked fairly old but were clean and looked new. They were really cool classic-looking trams.

We rode into a different area and had to walk to the historic Charles Bridge. The area was not well-lit at all, and we were about the only people out that we saw.

The bridge is very historic and has beautiful views. Construction on it started in 1357. There are statues along it and during the day hours there are vendors selling things on the bridge. But, with our plans changing we didn’t get to see any of that. It could have turned out worse so I was okay with what we had to do.

Unfortunately we only had enough time for a quick look & a few pictures but not much more. I was having to navigate with Apple Maps to find a way to the airport and found an underground light rail station to the airport that was about 10 blocks away. In the dark.

We got to the station entrance and went down to get on our train. We got a lot of stares – to the point it was a little unnerving. One guy in particular just stared right through me the entire trip from the back of the carriage. Others in front of us were staring as well, but nothing like the creepy dude in the back. You always have to be aware of your surroundings and look for an out if you need it.

This train took us to a different light rail station just a few stops away where we exited then had to find a bus stop to catch a bus. We got on the bus and were on the ast part of our tip to the airport. Quite an adventure this morning, and the sun is not even up yet!

Map apps are very helpful and can usually be trusted, but you may need to adjust a stop here or there. We got off the bus when we were told but it was well outside the airport so we got back on the next bus (they run frequently and often) and got to Václav Havel International Airport.

This has been an experience for my travel partner; with no experience doing any of this and learning about public transit on the fly, getting around cities, remembering how to get places without your phone. I explained things as we went, and answered questions to share knowledge. It’s good for others in your party to know plans, but also how to do some basic getting around just in case. I still share my trips on the free version of TripIt with my travel companions so everyone has the information on flights, hotels, trains, etc.

We boarded our KLM flight and off we went back to Amsterdam for a layover. Not long enough to leave the airport, but we did get to rest a bit with an easy transfer. We were fed on the plane and it was a pretty good sandwich. We boarded out Dublin flight and in 90 minutes or so we would be there. We got fed again, but a weird sandwich this time. It was okay, but I would not order it myself.

Ahh…Dublin. It is so good to be back. A fun city full of very friendly people who know how to have some damn fun! But, we were just picking up a rental car so we did not go to the city itself.

We got to the car rental counter and they hooked us up in a diesel SUV – a Dacia Duster. The guy asked about our trip to get us the best vehicle for the adventure. He suggested this one because of the economy of the diesel. It was a fun little car with plenty of power and did get great mileage.

We took out of the airport parking lot and it’s trial by fire driving on the left in a right-hand drive car since you are driving in hectic airport traffic to get to the M50. That road is a large ring road around the outskirts of Dublin. From there you can head most any direction. Our destination would take us to the southwest part of the island to a town called Killarney.

It is fun to drive in Ireland. I really love it. There is so much to see and they have castles everywhere. It is a beautiful island and everywhere I have been is so green. The roadside stops have food courts; some were fast food, others were more real food. Plus, there was the convenience store with the killer donut case, fresh sandwiches, snacks, drinks and smokes. We got some food at one and had to have Supermac’s.

You know my thoughts on fast food, but Supermac’s has a damn good burger. McDonald’s has sued them for copyright but the court found in favor of Supermac’s. I found that funny. I don’t eat fast food in the States usually, but when I travel I just might check out local chains. Like FEBO in Amsterdam. I can check that place out repeatedly, and I have!

Speaking of food, I saw this in the Dublin airport:

It took us 3-4 hours to get to Killarney where we are staying for two nights. It is a charming, pretty town with a nice feel to it. It is really a perfect size town for me, Just enough city, but still feels laid-back and comfy.

Our hotel was very nice, even though this building was not really old. It had that feeling of “old grandeur” and it was done very well. The murals in the staircase allude to the National Park nearby with gorgeous paintings of birds similar in style to those that Audubon painted with fine lines and beautiful colors.

We were on the 2nd floor and had a beautiful view out the window. Across the street to the west, behind a gas station, an outdoor dog wash, and a restaurant/brewpub was a circus that had set up – yes, in town. In the distance there were these beautiful mountains. I just love the mountains and seeing them in Ireland is a very special feeling in my heart. Both places are just magical and mean so much to me.

We had a long day so we went to the hotel pub/restaurant to eat. It was a bit upscale in the same way the hotel is, but no fancy clothes required. But you DO have to have clothes. The food was good and so was the delicious pint I ordered.

We went back to the room to unwind and rest up. Again, I HAD to walk but I did need to get some razors at the store since I had not shaved in 5-6 days. I couldn’t take it any longer and needed to scrape my face.

I found a TESCO on Maps (like a Target but smaller and more locations in a city) so I went out for a walk. The weather was very nice and it was about 4:00 PM. I crossed the street (Look Right!) and headed north to TESCO. It was a few blocks and was about 15 minutes or so.

I passed these big white walls, then there was a break in the wall with big wrought iron gates. It was Killarney House and Gardens. They were going to close soon but I was definitely going to come back when they were open to walk around the grounds.

I walked around the corner, going to the crosswalk. There I saw a statue of a famous priest from these parts, Father O’Flaherty, who did a lot of really good things. A truly good person.

I got my razors and looked around the store a bit. I headed back and of course I was walking towards the mountains on the return. I was in my happy place. Really…can life get any better than this?

Got back to the room and got a shower and scraped my face. Oh yeah…back to smooth and sexy. 🤣 Kicking back for a bit now and getting some sleep. Tomorrow is a big day.

I think that this extra day in Ireland will really work out except for what we spent to fix things to make this part happen. I am working on the airline first then I will get with the travel insurance to file a claim. Again, it’s over now so we have no more changes.

🤞🏼

Shawn