Destination Dublin.

We don't fly until 10:25 tonight so it's a long day of waiting, packing, printing last-minute tickets and so on. Finally to the airport, thanks to Glen for driving us there. Used to love looking at the boards and imagining which destination to go to - today's destination is Dubai for a whole 1.5 hours, then on to Dublin.

My sister, the intrepid traveller, has already discovered one of the joys of travelling - the joy of deciphering the occasional 'how does that toilet flush?' Or 'how does that water turn on?' This time it was 'how does the hand dryer work?'

Flight was delayed by an hour due to a medical emergency - that's never good news.

On board and we are sitting right up four rows from the front! Then a flight attendant asked the lady across from us if she'd like to move up to a row of four seats at the back by herself. She then asked the couple sitting next to us if they would like to move. The flight has lots of empty seats and they are spreading people around, which is great. 

Anyway, the Iraqi lady next to us doesn't understand what she is saying and so we get offered the seats instead - it's not a four-seater each, but we have a three-seater between us, right up the front of the next section, so it's our own little private world.

One of the bad things about an evening flight if the waiting around all day part. One of the best things is that you sleep! Slept for around seven hours, fabulous! 

The whole flight was pretty great - as far as flights go - seamless takeoff, no turbulence and an easy landing. Then through to the boarding gate for the next leg - 7 hours, 55 minutes to Dublin. Smaller plane. The woman sitting in front is reapplying her makeup before eating, after eating, before sleeping, after sleeping, half an hour since the last reapply - time to reapply. Unfortunately, this more often than not includes respraying the perfume that I am allergic too! Hmm....

It's the last three hours that are hard, but finally we arrive in Dublin! And here is a photo that I could never have taken - looking out the window of a plane, and sitting by the window!

Through customs pretty quickly and into a taxi and to our lovely hotel - Buswells.

It is a fabulous ye olde hotel that is right in the middle of town.

It's 10:30ish at night our time, but 12:30ish Ireland time so we need to keep going as long as possible, so it's up and out, up to St Stephens Green - a most beautiful park, with huge gulls, swans and lots of people.

Around to Grafton Street, a shopping street with flower stalls and buskers.

Then back to the hotel for a much-needed coffee, beautiful hotel!

Our plan is to head out again, have a look at Temple Bar area, have a bite of dinner and try to make it to 7:30 before crashing - don't want to be up in the middle of the night.

Temple Bar is a great place, full of atmosphere, lots of people. There are so many pedestrians - so many people walking!

We stopped at O'Neill's for a drink and some dinner, lovely pub, full of Irish atmosphere.

And it's 7:14 now, we're back in our lovely room and ready to crash - it's been a long day!