The streets of Dublin

Jasmine took to city life with aplomb and perfect ease. The bustle, the quick pace on every block, the bus stops and the walking, it all came naturally to her. She really has no sensory issues at all and seems to fit in regardless of the environment. I suspect most children are naturally flexible, but I also believe that Jasmine was exuberant to have both parents within arm's reach 24/7, and this contributed to her daily joyfulness. Our usual routine does not generally consist of long weekends together. Every family day we have is cherished by all.

We didn't capture nearly as many pictures as I would have liked of this thousand year old city, with its glorious and symbolic statues, majestic River Liffey and beautiful architecture. My camera, upon arrival, decided to function intermittently, truly on a whim. Sometimes it would work and sometimes it wouldn't. I was happy we came home with any photos at all.

Shane was the official pram-pusher. We often walked from one far end of the city to his childhood home, several miles away. Jasmine would sleep through the chaos around her just long enough to keep her wits about her, then she would typically end up on my back for the duration of the walk home. It's a fantastic experience to be walking the streets of Dublin with a Dubliner tour guide. This is my fourth trip to Ireland with Shane, and each time we revisit the jaunts of his youth, the memories of his earlier life.

It was a dream come true for Shane to be in his native land with his wife and daughter.

Dublin has changed dramatically in the 20 years since Shane emigrated to the U.S. What was once a homogenous population has exploded with diversity and sophistication. We happened upon a little strip in the heart of the city, right off the quays, that was a modest "little Italy." There were several restaurants and cafes in a row, all with Italian menus and bonafide Italian staff. Since I lived in Italy for a year while in college, it's always a treat to practice a few simple Italian exchanges, even if it's just "due panini, per favore". And Shane and I both have a special affinity for all things Italian, having traveled there together not once but twice in our 10 year relationship. We do love a good espresso. Jasmine would take Italy by storm...

Killiney

Killiney is south of Dublin along the coast. It's a quick ride on the DART and one of the best deals around--35 minutes and a few euro each and we were out on the seashore.
A view from the train station, only significant in that the 2 main estates on the hillside belong to Bono and Enya.
Jasmine saw the sand and literally dropped to her bottom and stayed put.
I posed for a moment but I was transfixed by the smooth, perfectly shaped rocks strewn across the beach. Jasmine and I collected enough to fill a small bag and we've been playing with them ever since.

Eventually we convinced her to run and play along the beach. I'm imagining this beach is a place where many a song was composed, given it's the backyard of famous musicians.

We grabbed a bite to eat in an overpriced restaurant afterwards. At least the Guiness was good...

Ireland, part 1: Traveling

We've been building up to our big trip for quite some time and Jasmine has been appropriately excited. Our lives were categorized into 2 parts: "before we leave" and "while we're in Ireland". Examples include, "You can't wear that before we leave" and "We'll be on buses while we're in Ireland..."

The first leg of any journey to Ireland includes lots of airports and airplanes, particularly since there's no longer a non-stop option. We all discovered that airports are much more fun with a 3 year old in tow.

Getting around was great fun, starting with the airplane...

(We considered a snooze on the airplane a huge success. And no, we didn't use benedr@l.)
Double decker buses, top section, front row;
Trains,
and most importantly, our trusted stroller. When you're out and about in Dublin walking hours a day, the stroller comes in very, very handy. We dread the day when she no longer fits, and that day is literally right around the corner (Jasmine is in the 95% for height, and that's on the American growth charts).
We were blessed beyond expectation with beautiful, autumn weather every single day. All the raingear was packed around for late afternoon showers, which threatened a few days but never materialized. It was, for all intents and purposes, magical.

We're home

After 24 hours of non-stop travel, we made it home @ 11:00 pm Friday evening. I wanted to post this picture first--it sums up the sole purpose of our visit, our family with Shane's parents.

It was worth all the effort.

More to come after a good night's sleep.