I know I am a bit behind on updating my blog and writing this up, but hey- thats life now with a young toddler! Switzerland has been a bucket list spot for me for a LONG time. So finally getting to experience the country was nothing short of incredible. Not to mention, we also had SO much fun while in Ireland! At the time of the trip, Charlie was about 14.5 months and has been walking for a while now so it was definitely a different dynamic than trips previously taken with him. Obviously, in some aspects it was more challenging (i.e.. airports and flying) however we had a GREAT time. It was so beautiful to see him really experience another country by being able to explore. Sure, we spent more time at parks and less time at bars.. but thats just the current phase of life we are in and I have no problems with that. Let's get to the travels!
Day 1 (September 27-28th)
The first leg of our flight was from PBI to LGA. We left PBI 1:30pm and had a couple hour layover until our final 6 hour flight directly into Dublin. In terms of how we handle airports, we try to carry on as little as possible and checked two large bags. With us we brought our diaper bag, a duffel with extra diapers and misc. items just incase they lost our bags, two different baby carriers and our favorite travel stroller- the Baby Jogger City Tour 2. Its lightweight, leans all the way back which is GREAT for naps, and folds up small enough to fit into the overhead compartment so you don't need to wait for it when you get off the plane which is nice. In terms of boarding the plane, one person stays with Charlie to let him run around and board the plane last. The other parent takes all of the luggage and gets situated on the plane. I know that won't work for everyone but it works for us! Charlie was a champ and was able to sleep for 5 hours on that flight thanks to the FlyAway kids bed. In the past we have found it worthwhile to book first class seats that way we can arrive reasonably rested, but we decided to go with business class that way Charlie could have his own seat. It worked our pretty well to have more space. We landed in Dublin at 7am, got checked into our hotel and we're thankfully able to get into our room! BLESS. We were SO grateful. John and I didn't sleep on the flight so we were all exhausted. We passed out from 9-2pm and then woke up and walked around! We were staying at The Conrad, Dublin which was in the center of the city. Not only was the hotel absolutely beautiful we were walking distance to just about everything. We stopped for coffee and then found a cute park (Iveigh Gardens) that Charlie was able to play in. Then we walked a bit more and got drinks and some INCREDIBLE Irish baked Brie at The Bleeding Horse, a pub that originated in 1649! Afterwards we found another park (St. Stephen's Green Park) for Charlie to burn off some before bed energy. We finished up the evening ordering take away from a local Thai spot that way we could relax and Charlie could get to bed. It was a long but great first day.
Day 2 (September 29th)
Thankfully we woke up today feeling refreshed and ready to go. For our first full day in Dublin we started off with breakfast at our hotel before heading to the Bretzel bakery to try out some treats. It's a 150+ year old bakery known for sourdough and pretzel bread. Then we took a quick stop to view Mary Immaculate Church before heading over to Belgrave Square for Charlie to play for the morning. On our walk back, Charlie fell asleep in the stroller so we took the opportunity to get drinks and lunch at The Conrad bar! We both got cocktails, a complimentary glass of champagne, a Cesar salad and sliders. Yum! Not to mention it felt like a little date with Charlie napping in the stroller. Our afternoon plans included a walking tour of Dublin with our guide Barry from the tour group Original Dublin. Honestly, it was THE BEST walking tour I've ever been on. Barry did such a great job narrating the history of Dublin as we toured Dublin Castle, the Dublin Castle Gardens, Christ Church Cathedral, Ha'Penny Bridge and Trinity College. It felt like you were listening to a good book that you didn't want to put down. 10/10 Recommend. Afterwards, we stopped for drinks at The Old Storehouse where we saw an Irish tap dancer and had Shepards pie, a staple if you're visiting Ireland. On our way home there was a bar playing live music. We decided to stop for a moment and listen. John picked charlie up to he could see through the window when the entire bar erupted in cheers for our little boy just wanting to jam out beside them. It was one of those moments we will forever remember about this trip.
Day 3 (September 30th)
On Saturday we decided to book a private driver and get out of the city for the day. We debated on doing the Cliffs of Mohr (it's a very popular spot in Ireland with what looks to be incredible views), however it was a 6+ hour round trip from Dublin. We decided that was not for us since we had Charlie with us, so we chose to explore the nearby county of Wicklow instead! This was probably the perfect day to do a private driver because the weather called for rain all day. Nothing crazy, but a noticeable drizzle. Our first stop was at the Powerscourt Estate, Gardens and waterfall. It's an absolutely stunning 47 acre property that was created in the 13th century and used as a military strategic base. Our second spot was at the Glendalough Monastic City, one of irelands most important christian settlements. For lunch we stopped at Wicklow Heather and had drinks, Brie, French onion soup and probably one of the best burgers I've ever had. Afterwards we made a quick stop at Guinness Lake. The fog was really starting to set in so we didn't have the best clearance but it was still beautiful. Our final stop for the day was at Johnnie Fox's pub. It was established in 1798 and is known as one of the highest pubs in Ireland! Overall, we had an incredibly day. We were able to get out of the city and see so much even with the weather. If we had stayed in Dublin we would have probably stuck to the hotel most of the day.
Day 4 (October 1st)
Our last full day in Dublin we had booked one of the hop on/hop off bus tours to check out some spots we hadn't been to yet. First up was Saint Patricks Cathedral but unfortunately we were not able to view inside due to a service going on. It was still beautiful to see. Our next stop was a tour at Teeling Whisky Distillery. Neither John or I are big whisky fans however it was still fun to see behind the scenes! We had really wanted to get into the Guinness storehouse but unfortunately I was unaware that it booked out days in advance. I tried every possible avenue to get us in but couldn't find a way. (Sorry John) A good note for anyone visiting Dublin, book your tickets in advance!! Our third stop for the day was at Phoenix Park and the Dublin zoo. The park was beautiful and Charlie had a little nap on a bench with John. The Dublin Zoo was also fun but it is quite large with only one way in and one way out. You could easily spend an entire day there which we were not prepared for lol. Overall, I wish I had done a bit more pre-planning with the different bus stops and times but we still had a good day and made the most of it. While Charlie took an afternoon nap, we stopped for drinks and sandwiches at a locally recommended spot called The Oval Bar near the river. Once Charlie woke up we started to make our way back to the hotel, making a quick stop for some gelato of course!
