A Winter In Europe: Ireland & England

IRELAND: DUB 2 DUB

The last time we felt the bitter cold of winter had been the early months of 2014, months before we even knew we'd be setting off on this epic journey abroad. Penelope was barely a year old. Nearly four very hot and humid years later, we were ready for a winter in Europe. Well, maybe not that ready; none of us owned as much as a sweatshirt.

On a layover in Stockholm, we saw our first snow! But sad spoiler alert, this would be the only snow we'd see on this trip. We seemed to just miss it each place we went. Bing Crosby would've been pissed. Our first stop on our European Winter Tour was Dublin. From Dubai to Dublin, our tickets read DUB to DUB.

Our first several nights in Ireland were spent in a cozy loft above a bustling bar in a part of town known as the Temple Bar District. Little did I know, this particular B&B was clearly meant for singles and not the likes of a family. Regardless, our host Patrick made us feel at home and even took us on a walking tour of the city during his off time. Needless to say, while staying above a bar in Dublin, we were treated to some very interesting noises and sounds emanating from the streets below. One night, we were baffled and awed by an angelic choral version of Michael Jackson's "We Are the World." Another night, we overheard a clearly inebriated Irish woman holler accusingly at her date, "You're not even Irish!"

Brogan's, the pub we resided above, was initially built in the 1800's as a dentist clinic. After this, it went through several incarnations as a pub and inn including what may have been Dublin's first gay bar when it was called the Viking Inn in the 1980's. Since the 1990's however, it has kept the name Brogan's and now banks on its central location and storied history.

Our tiny loft we literally climbed into each night in the Temple Bar district in Dublin. We made it work!

The nice part of staying in the Temple Bar District, besides the nighttime theatrics, was that everything was walking distance or for Penelope, carrying distance.

The Brazenhead is a must see as it is the oldest pub in Dublin dating back over 820 years! I think this also means more people have urinated here than anywhere else.

While Mom and Dad sipped on Guinness, Pea enjoyed her hot chocolate.

It was lovely spending Christmas in a Europe - so many decorations and markets throughout our travels.

One of the best meals we ate in Ireland was here at O'Neill's, a pub and eatery dating back to 1713. The waitresses were also 300 years old which really speaks to the way they treat their staff.

This picture does not do justice how amazingly delicious the stews were here. It was so good that I don't even feel like sharing this picture. Like don't even look at it. Move along.

In 1759, Arthur Guinness began brewing delicious ales at the St. James's Gate Brewery, another must see location in Dublin.

To be honest, Guinness was really never a favorite of mine. HOWEVER, it tastes completely different in Ireland and at the brewery itself, is incredibly delicious. Moreover, the view from the top of the tour was worth it alone. Best Guinness we've ever tasted.

The National Leprechaun Museum is another fun afternoon stop in Dublin. With mystical story-telling, fascinating artifacts, and fun photo ops, we thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

Tiny men compensate by building large chairs.

T'was good craic that day.

The Jameson Distillery on Bow St. is another amazing tour offered in Dublin. Established in 1780, this was the main site of John Jameson's whiskey production for nearly two hundred years. A fascinating and quite spirited tour! And yes, their chandeliers were made of whiskey bottles.

Pea was not quite as impressed as we were with the Jameson Distillery.

After a few days in Dublin, we took a lovely three hour ride on the Irish Rail to County Cork.

We walked straight from the train station to our hotel where a nap awaited us.

The next day, we took a bus to Blarney Castle, a major highlight of the trip. In the 16th century, Queen Elizabeth I sent an earl to seize the famous castle in Ireland, but a member of the McCarthy family apparently blocked their attempts through talk alone. When Queen Elizabeth heard back regarding the earl's failed attempt, she called the excuses "blarney," a term that widely means nonsense and also talkative flattery.

There are many legends that surround the Blarney Stone, but the most lasting tradition dictates that those who kiss it are blessed with the gift of gab. Winston Churchill himself was said to kiss it as a young man. Of course, we decided to kiss it as well, though it was a bigger challenge than expected with minor vertigo. On a side note, we also felt there was an untapped market for T-Shirt marketing here. I would definitely purchase a "The Blarney Stone Gave Me Herpes" Tee.

Built in 1446, the Blarney Castle grounds offers a truly ethereal landscape. In the dead quiet of winter, with few tourists, it was like walking around inside a dream.

The foggy dew of Blarney's pond.

Throughout our vacation, Dre and I spotted about 5 accounts of swans swimming together in various locations, but none more beautiful than here. Swans represent the divine and a peaceful approach to the future. We were happy to see them.

After an otherworldly experience exploring Blarney, we took a bus back to Cork to enjoy Christmas festivities on our last night in Ireland.

After wandering the streets of Cork, we warmed ourselves at the Oliver Plunkett Pub which featured traditional Irish music and dancing.

Sláinte, Ireland! Until we meet again!

ENGLAND: REUNIONS IN THE CITY

Next up was London, the sprawling capital city of the British Empire. We would stay with our wonderful cousins Dave and Marcella in an area of London called Bethnal Green, and also reunite with our Danish fam and New Mexican cousins Roman and Lisa. Many reunions to be had!

Our first night was spent chilling with cousins Dave and Marcella. It was the first time I had seen Dave in 16 years! It was Marcella's birthday and she cooked us a lovely steak dinner! Both Dave and Marcella have worked in the arts industry in various ways for many years with Marcella's singing group The Puppini Sisters experiencing International success singing on shows like The View and on an ABC Christmas Special with Michael Buble. They are both amazing people and we loved staying with them and engaging in interesting and often hilarious late night chats each evening.

London Bridge wasn't falling down, but Big Ben sure was under construction. Just my luck the one landmark I really wanted to see! Finished in 1859, Big Ben was built as part of the reconstruction of the previously destroyed Parliament building. And now the bell inside Big Ben is under construction. Londoners will not hear the bell again until 2021 when the project is finished.

Another big reunion was with our Danish fam: Peter, Sarah, Logan and Liva. Pea and Liva played nonstop and through it all, found a way to teach each other some English and Danish. The girls were clearly oblivious to the Palace of Westminster behind them.

We spent our days walking all over the city which Penelope enjoyed at times. Hyde Park was a nice location which I imagine is even nicer during the spring and summer.

Buckingham Palace has been home to the royal family since 1703 which makes the Queen at least 300 years old. She doesn't look a day over 200 though which led me to realize that tea is a much healthier alternative to coffee.

London was originally a Roman city founded about 2000 years ago. In fact, in many ways, it reminds me of Rome in terms of its wealth of architecture and artifacts. There is something impressive to see around every corner.

London's iconic red telephone booths were conceived in 1924 and continue to this day to be the backdrop of many photographs. We did not see anyone actually using them, however, for their intended purpose.

London was extremely busy as Christmas approached. Most of the shopping areas were packed wall to wall with people.

The outdoor fun parks were a great attraction for the kids as well as the adults as they featured rotating carousel bars.

Another big reunion came when we saw our cousins Roman and Lisa who are both ballet dancers. Roman earned a Fullbright scholarship for his work with using ballet as a form of healing for veterans and moved from New York to London this past year. Roman's story is very inspiring and it was truly a pleasure seeing them. We have some pretty cool cousins.

Penelope and Liva photo bombing us in Trafalgar Square. Much of the square was built as a memorial to the Battle of Trafagar, a naval battle from the early 1800's where the British defeated the French and Spanish handedly. In fact, there are war memorials all over the city which truly speaks to the militant nature of the English.