It was smooth sailing…

 I have heard from a few people about experiencing rough seas when they were on board a ship.  We were very fortunate to have smooth sailing on our trip from New York City to Southampton, UK.

This was a trip that I never dared dream would come true!  I was focused on taking pictures of everything I wanted to remember!  I’ve mentioned earlier that I would post about the food, and this is the beginning of that.

This was my first meal on board the Queen Mary 2…

Well, of course dessert would post first!  Someone has said, “Life is uncertain.  Eat dessert first!”  However, I didn’t follow that rule.

In an effort to make a healthy choice, I ordered cod…with caper sauce!  It was delicious!

Being able to order room service for breakfast was a definite treat!  The following pictures indicate some of my choices…

This was quite a new experience for me!  Breakfast served in my room!  My, my!  The toast is wrapped up in that napkin!

There was quite an ample serving!  In fact, I was able to save enough for an egg sandwich in the small refrigerator in the stateroom, and that was my breakfast on the morning we disembarked when hours for breakfast service were altered. 

I tried several options.  Healthy oatmeal…

…and the bread basket for a special treat.

As I am composing this, it is very near our usual dinner hour.  I believe I’ve given myself an appetite!  There is nothing on our menu quite like these choices, however.  

There were four on board whom I knew, and we were seated together at the same table at dinner.  We chuckled about how we were always taking photographs of the food as they did the same thing, too!  More food to follow…

On this first official day of summer, our thermometer has reached 95 degrees!  Definitely recommended to stay hydrated, and stay somewhere cool!  

Time in Ireland…

 It was just a month ago that my travels gave me a brief time in Dublin, Ireland.  As I have Irish ancestry, I was really interested in spending a little time there.

As I scroll through the pictures, I notice that the first one is the only one out of the desired order!  That’s great success!  

We wanted to tour Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin.  It was a disappointment when we were greeted with this notice when we arrived.  This presented a problem as we had an appointment for the COVID test that was required of all travelers entering the United States. 

This is my first view of Ireland from the plane.

We flew via Aer Lingus from London’s Heathrow Airport.  This is how they expressed their appreciation. 

The view of our hotel in Dublin…The Gresham.

This was glass suspended from the ceiling in the lobby! 

Also lobby decor…

The view from the window in our room…

We walked just down the street for fish and chips which we ate outside .

On Tuesday, as we walked around Dublin.

This is just a bit out of order.  It’s location is outside Christ Church.

We passed City Hall…

…and we noticed this information on the wall of a building as we were walking.

Christ Church Cathedral…

Another view…

As we were standing outside trying to decide how to proceed since the information was posted about a later opening time, suddenly the door opened, and visitors were welcomed inside!  The above photo, and the ones that follow, are from our tour of the inside of Christ Church Cathedral.

It was an experience to be able to walk through all this history!

After we had those COVID tests (results negative, by the way), we chose to have lunch here.  As you can see by the sign, it is believed this is Ireland’s oldest pub.

The menu had many appealing entries.

I chose Irish Stew, and it was delicious!

Part of the decor at Brazen Head…

Wherever you need to go, you can be sure you’re able to get there from Brazen Head Pub!

Bunting inside the pub…

A telephone booth as decor in the pub.

Our outing was curtailed by the arrival of some rather steady rainfall on this day.  Another post will feature what we attempted following the rain.

While I took many, many pictures, there are scenes that I didn’t even think to photograph!  Pictures help to remember, though they don’t replace the amazing opportunity of being there in person!

Do you have any special weekend plans?  We’re still in the midst of +100 heat index days, and we’re focusing on staying cool!  Take care!

Time in New York…

 The Queen Mary 2 sailed from the Brooklyn Terminal, making it necessary to travel to New York for my first time!  Oldest daughter came to town and flew with me.

Flying high over the clouds!  There are a couple of non-stop flights from here to New York, and we were able to travel on one that left in mid-afternoon.  

As we walked along in New York, of course we needed to have something to eat!

This was a posted menu from the restaurant pictured below.

This was our destination for breakfast on a Saturday morning.  Operated by an English woman, it was a great opportunity to sample a British-type breakfast.

The serving was extremely generous, as you can see!  Sausage rolls, beans, and mash…couldn’t eat it all!

After walking along the streets a bit and doing some shopping, we were ready for the next opportunity to eat!

Fraunce’s Tavern, the oldest restaurant in NYC!

This is part of the menu…

Clam chowder proved to be a very excellent choice!

Walking from our hotel to Times Square was good exercise for all this good food!

We ate at Sardi’s, which hadn’t been reopened very long since closure caused by COVID.

I chose Lentil Stew, and it was absolutely delicious!  

Munchkin the Older is heading to New York this fall.

He will be attending New York University!  Most likely, he will spend some time in this building…the library!

A welcome sign is already in place!

We are having some days of high temperatures and a high heat index!  How about where you are?  Stay cool!