David and Sharon and Alexi and Mateo's Adventures

This summer our family traveled together to Ireland, so we could together experience the country of Sharon's paternal ancestors.	This was Alexi and Mateo's first time in Ireland, and they were excited for our road trip and open to adventure.
Sharon and David visited Ireland (specifically Dublin) on their European backpacking trip that started this blog, so this time with Alexi and Mateo we decided to start in Dublin and travel clockwise, to visit County Cork (the homeland of Sharon's ancestors), County Kerry and County Clare.	The beautiful Irish flag evokes so much pride in Sharon when she sees it, though there is something incredibly special about seeing it in Ireland in St. Patrick's Cathedral.
Mateo shows off his Irish heritage with his green shirt(!) Sharon's father's family is of Irish and English descent.	These hungry travelers found Nutbutter, a cool spot by our hotel, for a weekend brunch. This is the first restaurant we ate in after flying in from Spain.
Alexi, David and Mateo enjoyed some beautiful colorful vegetarian tacos for brunch. Usually whatever Alexi orders is the best meal at the restaurant.	Sharon got the Rainbow Bowl, which was a beautiful assortment of vegetables, grains and tofu. And the edelberry drink was fantastic!
The surprise we planned for our kids was to go on a tea time tour bus! Vintage Tea does a "tea time on wheels," which we knew Alexi and Mateo would love.	Even though we reserved our seats just a few days before, we ended up on the 2nd level with lovely decor and tables set out for tea time.
Our family posed in front of the tour bus, all smiles since we are a family that adores drinking tea.	Mateo and Alexi brought along their unicorns, who are quite the connoisseurs of white tea!
We had many stuffed animals join us on this tea time tour - one cat and two unicorns.	An incredible array of vegetarian sandwiches and pastries awaited us on the tea tour.
Tea for tea time (Alexi and Mateo had a cupa tea and a cup of hot chocolate).	David and Sharon enjoy some English breakfast tea (in Ireland!) on the tea bus.
David said the only thing that would make this tea time better would be fresh scones, and then they magically appeared!	The scones were absolutely delicious and the absolute best we had hands-down during our Ireland vacation. They were warm and served with clotted cream.
Next we headed to St. Patrick's Cathedral to attend their evensong.	The stained glass windows and statues make St. Patrick's Cathedral immensely beautiful.
Since we attended evensong, we got to do a free tour afterwards.	We even got to go into the choir loft, looked up and noticed the different flags (perhaps of Irish clans).
Whenever we visit churches and cathedrals, Alexi and Mateo light candles for the divine protection of our cats Cookie and Cocoa.	This cool work of modern art in St. Patrick's contains notes of appreciations to soldiers and veterans worldwide.
Alexi wrote this note about his abuelo, who served in the army during the Korean War and was stationed in Germany.	Mateo wrote this note about his grandfather, who served in the navy and was on a decoy ship during the Vietnam War. Both kids added notes to the sculpture.
Next we headed to the National Leprechaun Museum.	Mateo and Sharon excitedly await Irish folklore.
We sat in a room modeled like an Irish home, where families would gather for storytelling, music&dancing (doors were removable and used to cover dirt floors for dancing).	The next room we proceeded into was set up to represent the outdoors, like we were sitting in a forest and a leprechaun or fairy could join us at any moment and play a trick on us.
Our guide was actually a storyteller who told us Irish legends, through which we learned lots of Irish history.	This experience was an opportunity for Alexi and Mateo to learn Irish legends and yarns and about their rich Irish cultural heritage.
Towards the end of our visit we crossed the rainbow to see what awaited us on the other side...	...where we were shrunk to the size of fairies! We got to pose by this tall chair (even taller than Alexi).
We headed to Umi Falafel, a vegetarian restaurant recommended by Happy Cow for dinner.	Sharon ordered a delicious bowl and pita and hummus, and she was a happy and hungry traveler.
A beautiful and colorful bowl of vegetarian food...	...and falafel and hummus in a pita for the kids.
This space needle in Dublin was supposed to be ready for the new millenium in 2000, though it arrived late.	David is so incredibly talented that he was able to hold the space needle between his hands and fingertips.
Our family was super excited to visit "The Portal", a public art installation that has a live feed from Dublin to Manhattan and from Manhattan to Dublin.	Alexi and Mateo send some smiles and love from Dublin back to their hometown of NYC, with Alexi sporting his brand new Barcelona jacket.
Sharon sends her love back to her beloved NYC...	...& Mateo lets the Manhattanites know they lookin' good.
Alexi and Mateo LOVED our Dublin hotel, and most of all the buffet breakfast each morning which included Irish breakfast staples and always "a cupa".	Sharon chose the almost-full-vegetarian-Irish-breakfast, sans beans and brown toast.
Mateo the foodie gave a thumbs up to this morning's breakfast buffet.	And Mateo tremendously enjoyed checking out the Dublin map and planning places for us to visit.
Our second day in Dublin we headed out for an early morning tour of Trinity College.	We learned that Trinity College used to be a Protestant college that banned Catholics back in the day.
This year Alexi has been visiting colleges, and it was cool to tour our first international college.	Alexi started an early conversation with our tour guide, who is a junior at Trinity.
We found out on our tour that architecture for one of the buildings of Trinity includes hundreds of different flowers, with no two identical flowers on the facade.	Each flower is a beautiful and unique design. Sharon got really interested in flowers this summer, both purchasing, differentiating and caring for them.
These incredible fossils are in one of Trinity's buildings...	...these amazing antlers are from a prehistoric creature.
When Sharon and David backpacked through Europe back in 2004, we visited the Book Of Kells. Now at Trinity there is an entire Book of Kells experience.	Mateo poses by a giant image from the Book of Kells, one of the most famous illuminated manuscripts.
The Book of Kells is an illustrated manuscript of the four Gospels of the New Testament, brought to Ireland by monks of the British Isles, and is considered one of Ireland's greatest treasures. (The Book of Kells was brought to Ireland to escape Viking raids)	The Book of Kells was created in 800 AD by Celtic monks on the Scottish Island of Iona. It is famous because of its elaborate artwork, vivid colors and imaginative illustrations that appear to be abstract art.
Next we headed into the Long Room in Trinity...	...where Mateo posed by lots of ancient texts.
Twenty years ago when David and Sharon were in the Long Room, there were only busts of famous males. Sharon was delighted to see the addition of four female busts (the glass ceiling is slowly cracking). Ada Lovelace was an English mathematician and writer. She was the daughter of Lord Byron and Anne Isabella Milbanke (who was a mathematician!). Ada was one of the first computer programmers, and made significant contributions to Charles Babbages's Mechanical Engine.	Rosalind Franklin was an English scientist who was highly educated and received her PhD in Physical Chemistry (the toughest though most awesome class I took in college) from Cambridge. She went on to study the structure of DNA, and took a famous photograph called Photo 51 that showed DNA's double-helix struture that was later used by Watson and Crick to construct their DNA model (of course she did not get any of the credit when Watson and Crick were awarded the Nobel prize).
Augusta Gregory was an Irish dramatist, folklorist and co-founder of the Abbey Theater in Dublin. She collected, recorded and retold Irish myths and legends, and was a key figure in the Irish Literary Revival, which aimed to bring back the Irish language, literature and culture in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Her home, Coole Park, was like a salon for writers and artists during the Irish Revival.	Mary Wollstonecraft was an English philosopher, writer, feminist and advocate for women's rights. She wrote "A Vindication of the Rights of Women" which argued for the education of women, their equality with men, and right to pursue opportunities outside the home beyond their domestic chores and duties. Her ideas laid the groundwork for other women's rights movements around the world.
This placard explains the long overdue female busts that have been added to the Long Room among giants.	The library @ Trinity contains this original copy of the Irish Declaration of Independence from England.
Maybe either Alexi or Mateo will attend Trinity College during a study abroad program during college.	Sharon poses in the Long Room with an outfit she acquired for 6 Euros(!) in Spain by lovely Earth art (that actually spins!).
After seeing the actual Book of Kells there is a cool exhibit in which you get to learn more about both the book and the people whose busts appear in the Long Room.	This very cool technology made these stationary busts appear to be alive and talking, telling more about themselves and Ireland.
The Book of Kells was discovered in a small, one room hut as shown here, and thank goodness it was preserved and survived its ocean crossing from Scotland to Ireland.	Here is the 4D experience, which shows the books flying into the Long Library from above.
Then all of a sudden the Long Room becomes an outdoor garden...	...and a few moments later changes into an explosion of colorful dots.
Libraries contain books that capture our imaginations. Here we were treated to an underwater world and the sky above.	And then the underwater world transforms into a garden, alive with flora and fauna. This represents how life on Earth started in water & moved to land.
We found out that there is a public piano in Dublin. It took us awhile to find it in the train station (we had to use our ears in order to hear where piano music was emanating from and switch platforms).	Mateo played his piece "Mirror Etude #1" by Henry Martin on the public piano. Mateo had a blast, and passersby heading to their trains took a moment to stop and enjoy his music and give him compliments.
We were very excited to next head to the Jeanie Johnston, a replica of one of the famous coffin ships.	Alexi & Mateo both love history, so they were very excited to go on board and learn about a ship similar to the one their Irish relatives traveled in to America.
There is a beautiful Irish siren on the front of the ship.	This proclamation is posted for its Irish travelers.
One of the reasons that passengers survived their trip on the Jeanie Johnston, unlike other coffin ships, was because the passengers were provided with adequate rations, and were made to go on deck for fresh air at least once a day.	The captain ran a tight ship, and made sure rules were followed and immoral activities were banned, leading to the survival of his passengers and their immense adoration (one woman named her child after him!).
We got to go below deck, where they have recreated the scenes of what it was like for the Irish passengers emigrating to either Canada or the United States.	These recreated scenes where the passengers lived during their journey across the Atlantic made the experience come to life, and it was fascinating to imagine making the crossing that our relatives made so long ago.
This scene shows a woman who actually gave birth on the Jeanie Johnston to a very healthy baby boy. She named her son after the captain, as well as other people she met on the ship who impacted her life (her son had like thirteen names!).	Too often children had to make the arduous journey alone, either because their parents had died in the potato famine, their families could only afford their passage, or to be reunited with their families who already emigrated to Canada or America.
We then went to the EPIC Museum, which did not exist when Sharon and David were in Ireland twenty years ago.	Sharon proudly poses under the sign "We All Come From Somewhere" at EPIC. Her relatives emigrated to New York from Ireland, and visiting the home of her ancestors brought Sharon so much gratitude and joy.
Mateo poses by the sign of EPIC, the phenomenal Irish Emigration Museum.	We pose as a family at the very start of our self-guided tour at the EPIC Museum.
In the very first room, they had beautiful art including this dynamic sculpture of different ships and schooners sailing from Ireland to America.	These illuminated sculptures represent trees that sparkle and shine with green lights, illuminating the way for museum visitors to begin their tour of EPIC.
One of Sharon's favorite rooms was the library containing books written by Irish authors.	Sharon was proud that she has read many of the novels on display. She still has to read the greatest novel in all of modern literature: "Ulysses" by James Joyce.
In the EPIC Museum they have this cool thing where they give you a passport book, and after you complete a room you stamp your book.	Alexi and Mateo pose with their completed passport books at the end of tour.
Sharon and Mateo pose and get their mugshot taken.	Then Mateo and Alexi pose together for their mugshot in front of The Good, The Bad & The Irish.
Alexi shows off his claddagh ring that he purchased in the EPIC Museum (Alexi is a ring connoisseur).	Alexi found a hotel that he made his own and named after himself.
You can take this family out of the city, though you can't take the city of this family. We loved our time in Dublin, the capital of Ireland.	We also enjoyed spending time in Dublin, connecting with nature and God. Ireland is a majority Catholic country & as a little girl Sharon experienced her Irish culture through her faith.
David had the great idea for us to have a picnic lunch in the lovely St. Stephen's Green.	We sat close to the duck pond and watched the ducks frolicking in the green pond waters (of course green!)
David and Sharon returned to the bench they sat on literally twenty years ago when they spent their 2nd wedding anniversary in Dublin, having their vegetarian anniversary dinner in St. Stephen's Green.	Mateo and Alexi pose in front of some beautiful flowers in St. Stephen's Green. Hopefully twenty years from now Mateo and Alexi themselves will go back and visit Ireland with their own families.
Alexi and Mateo pose by a cute mini-waterfall within Iveagh Gardens, a place Sharon and David wanted to visit twenty years ago thought it was closed.	Alexi takes a selfie by the Iveagh waterfall.
The kids' beloved stuffie Caty-o has accompanied us on many trips - domestic and international.	Caty-o was thrilled to be in Ireland with an endless supply of milk and pastries at tea time (like Milk Bar).
We saw animals dotting the countryside everywhere.	This cow art was outside a vegan restaurant.
We headed that night to the Irish version of Johnny Rockets, (Eddie's Rockets) which has always been a family favorite.	In Ireland they put their onion rings on the veggie burger, which was a really cool twist.
During some after dinner shopping we came upon the perfect souvenir and stuffed animals to join all our NYC amigs.	And David immediately came up with the perfect name for or new unicorn: Luck-O!
Mateo immediately embraced the Irish custom of a cuppa tea from the tea service in each hotel room...	...and loved starting each morning with a cuppa accompanying his Irish breakfast.
In NYC David has taken up playing the Irish tin whistle as well as recorders...	...so we made a stop at the McNeela Instrument Shop to try out and purchase an Irish tin whistle.
David tries out an alto tin whistle...	...and then poses with his early birthday gifts.
Of course when you are in Ireland, you have to visit a castle. We chose to go a bit off the beaten path and visit Malahide Castle, which Sharon found was not so far from the McNeela Instrument Shop.	We made it just in time for the guided tour at Malahide Castle with our tour guide, who has a sense of humor just like Mateo ("They converted to Protestantism...or did they????").
The first stop on the guided tour was this family room. Turns out the residents of the castle, the Talbots, had to disavow Catholocism (or did they? as our tour guide queried (taking a page from Mateo's book). They kept a secret altar behind the wall in this picture.	Sharon's favorite parts of tours of castles and historical buildings are the bedrooms, to see the beautiful canopy beds and cradles or cribs for the infants. This was a room that belonged to one of the children, with some of their toys.
This room with the cool orange walls contained some incredibly beautiful paintings and Eastern art.	This family portrait is incredible because the eyes of both children follow you anywhere in the room.
Mateo and Alexi are huge history buffs, so they really enjoyed learning lots of Irish history on the castle tour.	The portraits of family members who inhabited this castle sit on the walls, and their ghosts reside here still.
A cuppa tea anyone? Of course a tea service was present in the lady's bedroom.	The last stop on the castle tour was this dining room, that was the room where the family entertained guests.
After the tour our family posed outside Malahide Castle. We tremendously enjoyed our tour.	We did a self-guided tour of the castle grounds, which are lovely since the last owner was a botanist.
We headed to the greenhouse to see the gorgeous butterfly garden.	Here a black and pink butterfly poses on top of a flower, probably pollinating this flower.
Here a monarch butterfly spreads its wings to show its gorgeous colors.	This vibrant orange butterfly landed on a flower in the greenhouse and we snapped a picture of it.
This gorgeous black and white butterfly looks like it is dancing on these delicate yellow and red flowers.	And this lovely black butterfly took a seat on the windowsill and gazed outside the greenhouse.
The gorgeous manicured gardens contain plants from all over the world, including South America.	David takes a seat on one of the cool carved animal benches.
After touring the gardens we had a picnic lunch on the Malahide Castle grounds. Pear scone, anyone?!?!	Or perhaps have your scone the traditional Irish way, with some strawberry jam and clotted cream.
After lunch the kids grabbed some homeide ice cream cones, with ice cream made right on the premises.	Mateo the consummate foodie, posies with his ice cream cone before devouring it.
As we were driving to our next destination, we noticed that the tide was out and dry land replaced the Irish sea.	We had to get out and check this out, and walked along the beach to explore (and see pretty shells).
We made a stop so that first Alexi....	...and then Mateo could walk on water.
David and Sharon had first walked on water in Maine, in both 2007 and 2020...	...and Sharon loves water so much (sea goddess) that standing in the Irish sea was a trip highlight for her.
Our next destination was the Forty Foot, which Sharon first learned about by watching the U2 documentary entitled, "Bono & the Edge: A Sort of Homecoming, with Dave Letterman."	The Forty Foot is a promontory at the southern tip of Dublin Bay which averages 53 degrees. The Irish people have been swimming in this part of the Irish sea year for over 250 years, so of course we had to make a stop here on our drive south.
Mateo and Sharon are always up for an adventure together...	....this one being to go for a chilly swim in Dublin Bay.
Mateo looked at the water and swimmers and figured the water was just as warm as in Spain...	...while Sharon knew from her polar bear swim in Coney Island and watching the U2 & Dave Letterman documentary that this water was going to be FREEZING COLD.
Mateo braved the cold Irish seas, realizing quickly how freezing cold the water actually was.	Though despite the freezing temperature, Mateo dunked his head under water and came up smiling.
Since Mateo dunked his full body in the water Sharon had to do so also...	...which she did happily since she is a bit of a polar bear, going swimming in really cold waters.
This tower at the Forty Foot symbolizes the impossible becoming possible...	Like humans doing way more than they initially believed possible (and fulfilling their dreams!).
The next stop on our Ireland summer road trip was Cork, the city where Sharon's Irish ancestors lived.	Sharon immediately felt at home here, since she adores reading&writing, which are the essence of Cork.
Cork is a coastal town and port city, with this iconic view of pastel houses lining the waterfront.	Beautiful murals line the streets of Cork, showing Sharon she truly is home since she loves public art.
Mateo was very happy to enjoy a cuppa in the home of his ancestors.	While Sharon was thrilled to have the traditional vegetarian Irish breakfast in Cork.
David enjoys driving on the wrong side of the rode, with Caty-O in his pocket.	Unfortunately we got a flat tire on the way to Blarney Castle, so David had to get it fixed while Sharon, Alexi and Mateo walked the rest of the way.
Our visit to Blarney Castle-1st time for Alexi&Mateo..	..Sharon was thrilled to be making a return visit.
Mateo kisses the Blarney Stone (on his second attempt) and thought he was going to fall-yikes(!)	Alexi also kisses the Blarney stone&legend has it that those who do are blessed with the gift of eloquence.
Sharon happily kisses the Blarney stone..	...and now has done so TWICE twenty years apart. In all her leadership roles she has needed this eloquence.
It was so meaningful to be in the family room with the kids...	...since Sharon and David took a picture here exactly 20 years ago, imagining their future family.
The interior of Blarney Castle looks beautiful illuminated with sunlight.	Blarney Castle has incredible vistas, like this one with the tower below framed by this vertical window.
We spent a fun morning at Blarney Castle...	...well, fun for most of us.
Sharon and David were thrilled to find out that Quay's Vegetarian Co-Op, which we frequented twenty years ago as newlyweds, is still in operation.	We had an absolutely scrumptious vegetarian lunch at Quay's Co-Op, sitting at the community table and enjoying lunch together as a family.
Mateo our little foodie loved his eclectic lunch.	Sharon also loved her veggie fare.
After lunch we headed to the Butter Museum, which David was really looking forward to visiting. The production of butter put Cork on the map, since as a port city Irish butter was shipped from there to all parts of the world.	The story of butter of course begins with Irish cows.
Alexi and Mateo returned to their childhood and played with the model farm set up in the Butter Museum.	Our beloved stuffed animal Caty-O met the other cats at the toy farm.
Sharon was fascinated to learn that butter making was largely women's work on farms...	...and when it was commercialized women worked as butter churners.
At the Butter Museum they have on display vintage butter making equipment.	David and Mateo had fun doing some stamping, showing the companies in Cork that produced butter.
From the Butter Museum it was a quick stroll to St. Anne's Church.	Alexi and Mateo pose in front of the iconic St. Anne's Church.
We were in St. Anne's to ring the famous Shandon bells, for all of Cork to hear.	Each of us tried to play a different song on the Shandon bells.
After ringing the Shandon bells, we climbed to the top to take in Cork, the city of Sharon's Collins relatives.	The view of Cork from the top of St. Anne's Church is breathtaking. We were happy to just make it before closing.
Everything in Cork closes super early (by 4:30 pm!), which was quite a change for us New Yorkers. So we headed over to the English Market which is open late (past 5 pm!).	We grabbed some chocolates at the English Market and had a great afternoon snack.
We found an awesome tea shop (Sharon and David are avid tea drinkers, and we have a weekly teatime for the kids at home), so we were so psyched to find and purchase "Afternoon in Cork City" black tea.	The absolute most enjoyable pastry we ate while in Ireland were fresh scones, so we found a scone mix to bring back home with us so we could have the taste of Ireland back in NYC.
After leaving the English Market we happened upon a lovely church with beautiful stained glass windows.	We also looked at the gorgeous altar depicting some of the saints.
Whenever we are in a church we light candles for our cats. Alexi lit a candle for our cat Cocoa Chopin.	Mateo lit a candle for our little Cookie Liszt, who is the Tiny Tim of our family.
Our hotel in Cork had a beautiful swimming pool and adjacent hot tubs for adults (well teenagers 16 and older, so Alexi took a dip too). There were also saunas in the back.	Mateo and Alexi were looking forward to some afternoon pool time. The rule for all hotel pools in Ireland is that you must wear a swim cap if you are a child, so we had to purchase these from the hotel.
David was eager to hear some live music played in an Irish pub, so we headed over to Sin E (interestingly located next to a funeral home).	No, that is not a Guiness Mateo is sipping, though some orange soda(!)
David was so incredibly eager to hear live Irish music since as a side hobby he has been teaching himself to play the Irish whistle.	Alexi and Mateo enjoy their first time ever in an Irish pub (they have been to an American bar in our neighborhood at home to watch a soccer game).
We were very lucky to snag some seats at the pub since it was full to the brim, and the live Irish music absolutely did not disappoint.	The musicians playing the live Irish music were a fiddler, guitarist and an accordion player. We tremendously enjoyed the jigs and reels.
We woke up on the morning of August 1st to a delicious full Irish vegetarian breakfast...	...and of course a cuppa Irish breakfast tea (though at first they brought us coffee and Mateo made a face).
August 1st is Mateo's half-birthday. We are usually in Spain, though this year since we were in Ireland we decided to celebrate his half birthday Irish style.	We rented bikes for the day so that Mateo could spend his half birthday biking and seeing more of the parts of Ireland where his ancestors used to live.
Plan A was to rent bikes in Howth and bike there. That shop was closed for the season, so Plan B was to rent bikes right in Cork in a ginormous food hall.	Alexi and Mateo pose with their bikes after getting a proper bike fitting. We tremendously enjoy going on family biking adventures.
Sharon poses with her pastel bike, wearing a sweater from her mom giving homage to her American roots.	David is the avid cyclist in this family, and we felt very happy to have an experienced cyclist in our crew.
We biked along a rail trail in Cork (though to get there we had to bike in the street, and it was Mateo's first time doing so not attached to David's bicycle). Then, we took this ferry to get from Cork to Cobh.	Sharon poses with Mateo, the half birthday boy who is now 11.5, on the ferry on their way to Cobh.
This Annie Moore statue celebrates the very first immigrant formally processed at Ellis Island, on January 1, 1892. She is pictured with her brothers Anthony and Philip, and the location of the statue right next to water and boats commemorates their departure from Cobh to NYC.	The Irish flag blows on this windy day in the breeze.
On our way back to the ferry we biked up a hill and saw this row of beautiful colorful houses.	A view from above of the colorful Irish houses in Cobh.
We ate a picnic lunch outside overlooking the water. We picked the perfect seats, overlooking the sea with flags from Spain and the United States billowing in the breeze.	A kind Irish lass took our picture posing with our bikes with the Cobh cathedral in the background.
This was a huge feat for the half birthday boy: biking solo through the streets of both Cork and Cobh.	Here is the route we biked together on Mateo's half birthday.
We absolutely loved our Ireland daylong bike ride, in which we got to see Ireland from a new perspective.	After our daylong bike ride, we celebrated Mateo's half birthday with dinner in this immense food hall, and each of us tried out a different cuisine.
Mateo decided to try some vegetarian raman (after first discovering raman when his cousin Molly ordered it on a daylong NYC adventure).	Mateo's half birthday tradition is to have an ice cream cone. Ireland did not disappoint with this actual waffle making up this waffle cone sundae.
This piano was in our hotel and a sign on it instructed guests not to play it (only reserved for weddings). Mateo sat down anyway and played a tune.	The manager of the hotel came out to yell at Mateo and tell him to stop playing the piano, though he was so moved by his beautiful playing that he let him finish the piece, and then gave him these chocolates as a gift (a half birthday present!).
We were excited to spend an entire day of our Ireland roadtrip driving the infamous Ring of Kerry....An Mhor Chuaird (in Gaelic).	Sharon of course had planned the Ring of Kerry Tour while we were still in NYC, and this beautiful map came from a blog Sharon researched online.
Our full day adventure began at Ross Castle. We got there so early, before it officially opened.	So we got lovely pics of Ross Castle sans people and got to enjoy it all to ourselves in the early morning.
Alexi and Mateo pose in front of Ross Castle for what ultimately became our Christmas card picture on our holiday cards.	And a kind stranger took this pic of our family in front of Ross Castle. We explored on our own and did not stay for the guided tour since we had so much to see.
Mateo had fun pretending to fire the cannon...	...and posing by this door to nowhere.
Noooooooooooooooo....not another picture!	We made the kids laugh so we got these cute smiles.
Next we visited Muckross Abbey. The ruins are extensive and so beautiful.	It started to rain as we were touring Muckross Abbey, so we were very glad to have our raincoats.
This abbey views looks out on the graveyard...	...and Irish crosses abounded in the abbey & gravesite.
We toured the upper level & David remained below.	Who has the longer hair: Mateo or Sharon?!?!?
Mateo poses in the cloister of the abbey...	...and braves the rain to stand by what used to be a stained glass window.
Next stop on the Ring of Kerry was Torc Waterfall.	Sharon loves waterfalls and this one is gorgeous.
Our next stop was Ladies View...	...usually stunning though obscured by fog and rain.
Little brother and big brother pose for a pic...	...& Mateo sees if he can spot anything in the telescope.
The lady of the home poses at Ladies View...	...happy to be touring the ring though wishing the fog would clear.
Next stop was the Kenmare Stone Circle.	Alexi and Mateo pose by one stone, and there must be some mischief brewing according to those smiles.
Here is the Kenmare Fairy Tree, in bloom with some unexpected "flowers".	You write your wishes on pieces of paper and hang them on the tree.
Sharon has one and only one wish for the fairies...	Please make her the NYS 2023 PAEMST winner!
Next up we went to visit the small town of Sneem...	...to see the awesome "The Way the Fairies Went" public art exhibit.
This environmental sculpture is a series of conical structures made of local natural stones...	...with openings just large enough for a fairy to fit through (and it won the National Landscape Award!).
Our drive around the Ring of Kerry yielded these beautiful vistas.	The lush green fields of Ireland, as well as the grey sea, make an awe-inspiring view.
On our drive through the Irish countryside we saw alpacas out in the wild.	Wild horses were spotted while we drove through the Irish countryside.
Next we headed to Loher Stone Fort.	It is part of the Ring of Kerry, though you have to drive down a very narrow road to reach it.
Our boyz were thrilled to visit a location with undertones of wars and battles.	We arrived in the late afternoon and had the place to ourselves.
Alexi and Mateo had a pretend sword fight..	...and both emerged victorious in the end.
Mateo climbs to the top of the fort and poses by a still extant doorway.	Alexi lives out one of his historic fantasies as a world leader at the top of the fort.
Next stop: Cliffs of Kerry. We made it just in time to the cliffs before they closed for the day.	The happy married couple pose in their contrasting outfits: Sharon with a sweater coat and leggings, David with his rainjacket and shorts(!)
The little known Cliffs of Kerry are so amazingly lovely, particularly in this photo with the contrast of the swaying wildflowers and the crashing waves.	The crashing surf in the early evening make these cliffs so lovely, and reminds us of the power of water and force of Mother Nature.
Sharon was thrilled we made it to the Cliffs of Kerry, since she did not know about these and they were not on our original itinerary (Sharon loves surprises!).	Mateo and Alexi on this trip finally got to explore their Irish roots and visit the land of their ancestors after spending most summers in Spain.
This photo captures the lovely curve of the cliff and turquoise sea ebbing and flowing in a circular pattern.	From a distance the cliffs look uneven, though up close a semicircular shape emerges.
Selfie time by the cliffs wearing the hat Sharon won in the WaHI Salsa, Blues & Shamrock 5K.	You can tell just how windy and blustery it was at the Cliffs of Kerry from Mateo's dancing hair as he takes this selfie.
We arrived at the Cliffs of Kerry right before sunset, and barely made it in the park before it closed.	The setting sun reflected on the Irish sea reminds us that our Ring of Kerry adventure is almost at its end.
Our last stop on our Ring of Kerry daylong trip was Killorglin at sunset.	We headed there to see the Puck Fair Monument.
King Puck is a goat who reigns over a summer fair, held annually in Killorglin.	The Puck Fair is a three day affair with a "Gathering Day", "Fair Day" and "Scattering Day."
Sharon and David woke up on the morning of August 3rd, 2004 in a castle in Killarney, Ireland, and biked around Dublin to celebrate their 2 year anniversary. Sharon and David woke up on the morning of August 3rd, 2024 in County Kerry in Ireland, on their 22nd wedding anniversary, with plans to spend the day outdoors with the kids. Returning to Ireland twenty years later, it absolutely felt like a dream.	After all these years, Sharon would still choose the Spaniard and honorary Irishman, aka "the bicycle guy."
On the morning of our anniversary we headed with the kids back to Killarney National Park for a jaunting car ride to Ross Castle.	The last time Mateo&Alexi rode in a horse and carriage was when they were very little in Central Park on a cold wintry night for Mami's Birthday.
So much has happened over our 22 years of being husband and wife. It has been such a life adventure.	Sharon&David used to spend wedding anniversaries at NYC restaurants while our kids were with a babysitter, though now we are so happy to spend it with our kids.
After our ride through Killarney we headed to Camile for some Thai vegetarian lunch. Our foodie approves.	Alexi enjoys his noodles, as he mentally preps for returning to USA & going to a pre-college program.
Sharon's favorite Thai dish of all time is Pad Thai, and this Irish version absolutely did not disappoint.	And of course when you are in Ireland you absolutely must have a potato dish, here Thai style.
After lunch we headed to our next destination...	...which involved a ferry ride on some very choppy seas.
Mateo and Sharon bravely sat outdoors for the best view...of...the Cliffs of Moher!	It was a super stormy day on August 3rd, with blustery winds & high seas that caused our tour to be delayed.
Mateo takes in the views of the cliffs from the back of our boat.	The orange, white and green elicits such Irish pride from Sharon.
On our ferry we got really, really close to the Cliffs of Moher.	We learned all about the appearance of the cliffs in literature, such as the Harry Potter books.
After our tour of the cliffs by water, we set to explore them by land. We saw these beautiful grazing cows on our way there.	And we also got a close up view of this tower that we had seen on our ferry when viewing the cliffs. Totally unsure of its significance.
The Cliffs of Moher are iconic and symbolic of Ireland, so we were so excited to finally see them up close.	This close up view of the Cliffs of Moher made us have to pinch ourselves after seeing photos of the cliffs, though then actually be standing there in person.
Our family happily poses for a photo by the Cliffs of Moher.	Sharon poses by the Cliffs of Moher in a blustery wind.
This is the first view of the Cliffs of Moher, with green vegetation and seas dancing in the high winds.	This closer view of the entrance to the cliffs invites wondering and mystery at what lies within.
Then if you walk along the cliffs you get this scene further down, with lovely brush swaying in the breeze.	This view shows majestic cliffs, brisstling vegetation, sea meeting clouds and waves pounding the shore.
Alexi and Mateo pose by a tower at the cliffs.	Mateo passes through a doorway&has gotten so tall.
Mateo and Alexi pose with ther "I Love Math and Cats" shirts (David and Sharon have these T's too).	Then Alexi&Mateo pose in green shirts, repp'ing their Irishness, with what became our Christmas card pic.
Mateo and Sharon decided to head to the dangerous parts of the Cliffs of Moher, to explore some more.	It was cool to see the cliffs from this vantage point, contrasting with the views from the ferry.
Mateo poses by the steps along the cliffs' edge that we walked along together, practically alone.	Sharon poses in the Ireland shirt that David found for her in a shop in Sneem.
While Mateo and Sharon checked out the views from the edge of the cliffs...	David played his Irish tin whistle, which was more challenging than it appears here due to high winds.
It was so cool to be in a country where we saw our last name everywhere (and the kids now have Collins as one of their last names after a legal name change).	It was really cool to see and pose in front of the Collins family crest at the Cliffs of Moher.
This was truly the vacation of a lifetime for our family...it was truly epic.	We wanted to take this vacation while our kids were still kids, and the four of us are all still together.
David and Sharon were thrilled to celebrate their 20th anniversary of their European backpacking trip in Ireland. David was our phenomenal driver throughout this rode trip and took us to places in Ireland we never before visited.	Sharon adores Ireland, since it is the country of her ancestors. She would love to live here (and maybe even teach) one day.
Alexi loves politics, history, soccer and international affairs. He is sitting on the precipice of his future as he enters his junior year of high school as a Law & Society major at Brooklyn Tech.	Mateo loves music, soccer, traveling and singing. He loved playing the Shandon Bells in Cork and eating an Irish breakfast and drinking a cuppa every morning. Mateo is a tween on the cusp of middle school and in the autumn will be a 6th grader at Special Music School.
Sharon loved taking Alexi and Mateo to Ireland so they could truly experience their Irish heritage and culture (and one's first time in Ireland is always special).	David, though not ethnically Irish, definitely is an honorary Irishman who possesses an Irish sense of humor and love of Irish music.
The Irish diaspora led to the Irish settling in so many different parts of the world, bringing their culture and religion with them.	We as the Collins de la Nuez family will remember this road trip to Ireland forever.

David and Sharon and Alexi and Mateo's Adventures

Thursday, December 26, 2024

Best of 2024

Thursday, August 22, 2024

Ireland Road Trip & Summer Vacation

About Me