Two Trails One Road

Hello Friends!

***The new with the old. An interesting contrast. Our ship docked by the older boat.***

After taking a one-month break from blogging, I’m back with plenty to share. I sure hope your Easter was wonderful. He is Risen!

I missed all of you and hope to catch up with you over the next few days.

We spent two weeks on a transatlantic cruise, stopping at a few ports of call, then traveled from Southampton, England, to Dublin, Ireland, where the adventure continued in the most charming—and occasionally nerve-wracking—ways.

Grab a cup of coffee. I have lots to tell you.

It was a wonderful trip overall, with many moments that kept things interesting.

Ponta Delgada, Azores

Our first stop was Ponta Delgada, Azores.

We have been here before where we took an excursion to see the 8 mile crater that now has two lakes. One lake is blue to reflect the sky and the other lake is green where it reflects the vegetation of the crater.

***The Crater Lakes. The lake in the foreground is green compared to the blue lake in the back.***

The Azores are known for their lush green hillsides.

This time we chose to walk around the town and go shopping.

The black-and-white cobblestone roads are so beautiful.

***I bought the cutest little piece of pottery from this store. I will share it with you very soon!***

Ponta Delgada was quite lovely. We enjoyed ourselves very much.

Life on the Ship

We enjoy a transatlantic cruise very much. It’s filled with plenty of sea days where the ship becomes your home and a small village of sorts. This crossing was the calmest and warmest ever.

***The Piazza is the central location of the ship.***

***There is so much to see and do. Here we are getting ready to watch a dance contest.***

Our niece won the dance contest!

We have fabulous shows to attend.

***We were entertained by this Celtic folk singing group called The Wild Jennys. They were outstanding!***

Food A Plenty!

***Creme Brule being made right in front of us.***

I could easily fill a whole post with how much we enjoyed the food! We were truly impressed with the cuisine on the Sky Princess from Princess Cruise Lines — it was absolutely outstanding.

Our next stop was Casablanca Morroco. Unfortunately, we were unable to dock due to poor weather. Everyone including the Captain was disappointed.

La Coruña, Spain

Our next port was La Coruña Spain.

Our niece asked ChatGPT to take us on a walking tour of the Old City of La Coruña. We did just that. Thanks ChatGPT!

The architecture is incredible! The churches are magnificent.

***Igrexa de Santiago Church. The city’s oldest church. It was built in the late 12th century.***

***Right outside the church is a Shell Marker set for marking the way for the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage. Our two daughters and two nieces did the pilgrimage last summer!***

***The city did not come alive until 11:00 am. Then all the cafes were packed!***

***We stopped here for wine and cheese.***

Then later… when in Spain you must have Churros!

We love Spain and we will return!

We Disembarked in Southampton, UK.

Where we caught a plane to Dublin, Ireland.

***Our plane to Dublin, Ireland from Southampton, UK airport.***

Ireland is where the “excitement” of our adventure begins!

You see… we rented a car, and sweet man drove on the other side of the road!

Driving in Ireland was an adventure all its own. The moment we pulled onto the road—on the “other” side, no less—my heart began to race. So did Sweet Man’s! Every turn felt like a test of courage, every roundabout a small triumph (we went through hundreds of roundabouts), every car that we passed was a Victory! The country roads were so narrow, with no burms whatsoever, and bordered by hedgerows that were really ancient stone walls covered in ivy. The hedgerows were too close for comfort.

It was equal parts thrilling and terrifying—scary, fretful, exciting, and completely nerve-wracking. I found myself gripping the door a bit tighter, holding my breath around bends, and then laughing at the exhilaration of it all. Only when the day ended, and we walked to a Pub!

And guess what— we lived to talk and laugh about it! Now, not so much then.

We have been to Ireland before where we were with a tour and saw castles, Cork and Cobh. This time we wanted to experience the southwest part of Ireland and its western coastline on our own. We definitely experienced Ireland with this trip!

***Do you see how narrow the country roads are??? And this is 80km speed limit! Imagine a tour bus coming around that bend! It did!***

***Ancient Stone walls*** ***on both sides!***

***A typical hedgerow! Charming perhaps but dreaded when you drive next to them.*** 😃

We saw beautiful sights.

We walked to the Pubs and enjoyed great food and drink.

***A beautiful mural as we walk to dinner.***

***We had several seafood chowders. They were all fabulous!***

Our breakfasts at our Bed and Breakfast establishments were huge and delicious!

And of course, we had our share of cozy coffee moments with scones.

Thank You!

***Our Bed and Breakfast backyard*** ***in Doolin, Ireland.***

As I wrap up our cruise and time in Ireland, I’m holding close so many special memories. From the gentle sway of the sea to the stunning green countryside, it truly was a beautiful adventure.

Ireland was beautiful at every turn—yes, even those narrow, winding roads that kept us on our toes! They made the journey all the more memorable.

We return home with grateful hearts and stories to tell. Thank you so much for coming along with me—it means more than you know.

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