The Emerald Island Redux

Trip Occurred: September 2019 Blog Written: October 2020

The first international trip my husband and I ever took was to Ireland in 2014. It was a fantastic trip. In fact, we enjoyed it so much we went back a few years later, 2019, and this time we took my parents!

My mom always wanted to go Ireland as her family roots trace back there. She wasn't sure if my dad, who is not the biggest fan of travel, would want to go so we made plans to go together. My dad, ever the trouper, ultimately decided to come.

Our trip begins with our group getting picked up in Sacramento and driven to SFO. We checked our bags, went through security, and headed straight to the British Airways Business Class Lounge, which had recently been renovated. The new layout makes the space feel a little more open and I appreciate the additional hot food options. From there it was on to the pods!

Thankfully, we had an uneventful flight from SFO to Heathrow, where we had a multi-hour layover, and then hopped on a plane to Dublin. After what felt like a million hours, but was actually about 22, we finally landed in Dublin. We had arranged a driver to pick us up through the hotel we were staying at in Wicklow. It took about 40 minutes to get there and at this point in our trip, we were completely exhausted.

On our last trip to Ireland, my husband and I had stayed in Dublin for at least half the trip. For this trip, I wanted to make sure we spent most of our time in the Irish countryside. When we last visited Ireland, I fell head over heels in love with Wicklow. It's one of my favorite spots on the planet. Just endlessly, beautiful and peaceful scenery. It feels like you've stepped back in time. This is why I choose Powerscourt Hotel Resort and Spa as our home base for the first few days of the trip.

Day 1

Seriously, we got to wake up to this every day we were there.

As usual, our first full day was a rather relaxing one. We slept in a little bit and then headed next door to the Powerscourt Estate. The estate includes a grand house, though you don't spend much time in it. In fact, it suffered a horrible fire in 1974 and sat in ruins until renovation in 1996. Also, on this estate are miles of beautifully manicured gardens, which is really why you're here. In addition to the grounds, there is also an Avoca store, food market, and café. I love Avoca. As far as I know they're only located in Ireland, though I believe they have worldwide delivery. If you want a nice gift for someone, or yourself, from Ireland this is your store.

After exploring the Estate, it was time for afternoon tea. Powerscourt Hotel holds their afternoon tea in the Sugar Loaf Lounge, which as you may have guessed has views of Great Sugar Loaf Mountain. It was a wonderful tea and a great way to relax from our morning stroll around Powerscourt Estate gardens.

After lunch we all went back to our rooms and relaxed for the rest of the day...Or tried to relax. Turned out we had a problem with the air conditioner in our room, and as it was a little stuffy the hotel kindly changed our room and actually ended up giving us an upgrade. Our new room was beautiful, though honestly so was our previous room, and we ended the day with room service including sticky toffee pudding (my favorite!).

Day 2

Seriously...How could you get tired of waking up to this?

This day was all about exploring Wicklow. We started at Powerscourt Waterfall, the highest waterfall in Ireland. It was stunningly beautiful!

Next, we wandered around the mountains seeing Lough Tay (known as Guinness Lake) and Sally Gap. Wicklow is known for its beauty and is often used by Hollywood. It was used as Scotland for the film Braveheart, P.S. I Love You, Michal Collins, and The Tudors, to name a few.

The last stop of the day was Glendalough. Glendalough is a monastic settlement founded in the 6th century by St. Kevin. It's an impressive sight to see and if you feel like taking a hike there are various trails that lead you out to the lakes (Glendalough means Valley of the Two Lakes).

On our last trip to Ireland, my husband and I did this exact day using a tour company out of Dublin, with the exception of the Powerscourt Waterfall. I choose to experience it again because I wanted to show my parents this special spot of Ireland. Also, because I wanted to see it again. I have a large canvas up in the master bedroom from Wicklow. I see it every day and could not wait to return. If Wicklow is not on your list, add it! Add it now!

Also, while we're sort of on the topic, if you don't want to drive in Ireland there are plenty of tours out of Dublin that will take you to all the top sites throughout the country. On our first trip to Ireland we used a company called Wild Wicklow Tours for our day trip to Wicklow and I would recommend them. For this trip, we actually got a driver and split the cost with my parents. On our last trip my husband drove and it caused A LOT of stress. Getting a driver can be expensive, though we did find it to be worth it.

Day 3

It was time to leave Wicklow behind and travel to County Kerry but before I start this day, I want to share this picture of the breakfast set up at Powerscourt Hotel. Breakfast was included in the price of our room and had a nice selection. Even my Dad, who is VERY picky, enjoyed breakfast here. While all our breakfasts were nice, I'm pretty sure this was our favorite. Anyway, on to adventure...

Our first stop of the day was Kilkenny Castle. This was not on my original itinerary but was recommended by our driver. He originally suggested it for the previous day but that day ran a little long and we were tired. It occurred to me that as this day was mainly a travel day, and Kilkenny was (kind of) on the way to our new hotel, we could easily fit it in. I'm glad we did. Admittedly, I like more fortified castles (think Tower of London or Dover Castle) as opposed to residential castles (for lack of a better description) but I did enjoy Kilkenny Castle. While we were exploring the grounds, we randomly ran across a swimming competition of some kind in the river below. It looks like they have an active swimming club that has competitions. Interesting!

After Kilkenny, it was time to head to the Rock of Cashel. My husband and I saw this castle on our last trip but I liked it enough I thought my parents should see it as well. While it's mainly ruins it sits on a hill with beautiful surroundings. Another castle you could do, is Blarney Castle; however, I chose Rock of Cashel over Blarney, both times, because I liked the castle itself better and I didn't have any intention on kissing the Blarney Stone. If, however you would like to visit Blarney Castle, this trip from Wicklow to County Kerry could easily accommodate a stop there. Just trade out Rock of Cashel for Blarney. Actually, if you really wanted to, you could do both.

The Rock of Cashel was the traditional seat of the kings of Munster prior to the Norman invasion. Most the buildings date from the 12th and 13th centuries. Cormac's chapel is the only place on the property you have to have a tour guide and a designated time to visit. When we were last here, I don't know that this was true. The chapel is constructed primarily of sandstone and in the very wet climate of Ireland it became waterlogged damaging parts of the interior. Between 2014 and 2019 they had completely enclosed the chapel in a rain-proof structure with interior dehumidifiers to dry out the stone. It was interesting.

After a day of castle-viewing, we arrived at The Europe Hotel and Resort. It's located on Loch Lien, Killarney's largest lake and was lovely. We stayed at a different hotel the last time we came to County Kerry and while I really liked that hotel, and it was actually just down the road from this one, it felt a lot like a B&B and I wanted a hotel. I would go back to The Europe for the views alone.

Day 4

Today was the Ring of Kerry. To be honest, my husband and I almost sat this day out. We thought the Ring of Kerry was beautiful but not something we really needed to see again. The only reason we decided to go was to see if the driver knew of places we missed. Turns out, there wasn't. While I wouldn't tell you to not do the Ring of Kerry, I have a hard time talking it up. It's definitely pretty but I don't think it's a nice as Wicklow, for example. Having said that, if you're going to do the Ring of Kerry you must include the Skellig Ring. It's the best part of the trip. And stop at the Kerry Cliffs, see why below.

Before I get too far into the day, we also got breakfast included in our rate at this hotel. And much like the previous hotel, there was a nice variety of options and a great view.

After breakfast, our driver picked us up and brought us to the Kerry Bog Village, which, funnily enough, was also our first stop on our last trip on the Ring of Kerry. I do like the Bog Village. It's a little cheesy with its fake people but it's still a cool representation of a time in Irish life. Also, peat is an interesting thing. That you use that for a fire just fascinates me.

Next, we stopped at Rossbeigh Beach/Strand. Nothing particularly noteworthy here except it's a lovely beach looking at the North Atlantic Ocean.

Then it was on to Valentia Island. Now this was a new stop that we hadn't visited last time. Given its location to the Skellig Ring, I'm not surprised by its beauty. I would recommend going a little out of the way and adding it to your drive.

Our next stop is my favorite spot on the Ring of Kerry, the Kerry Cliffs. 5 years ago, my husband and I stumbled across this yellow house saying they had food and the best views. We stopped because we were STARVING and then decided to pay and see these "best views". We were very mocking about it (to ourselves) and it turned out, they weren't lying. They were the best views on the Ring of Kerry (technically the Skellig Ring, which is a little loop below the Ring of Kerry). When we visited them again in 2019, they had completely built up. It was like an entirely new place. 5 years ago, it was cold sandwiches and booth where you paid to see the views. Now it was a large parking lot, full of people, a food truck serving hot food, a larger booth to pay at, and an entirely new side of cliffs to explore (you could go left where before you could only go right). It was a bit of a trip to see the changes. I guess the secret got out.

Our second to last stop brought us closer to our hotel, Killarney National Park. We stopped at Torc Waterfall, a nice short hike through a beautifully green forest and Muckross House, though we didn't go in.

Our final stop, of the long, but nice day was Aghadoe Overlook. It was my first time here and it was a lovely overlook of Loch Lein.

Before I end the day, I wanted to share a few random pictures from the drive. They didn't fit at any one location so I thought I'd group them together.

Day 5

Today on the itinerary was the Dingle Peninsula. Having never been there, I was excited. Unfortunately, this is the day on the trip I started to feel sick. Not really sure where I got my cold from considering no one else on the trip had but it was not fun. We actually stopped at some point on this day at a pharmacy so I could get some drugs to deal with my nose but also my persistent cough and sore throat. While I really enjoyed this trip, admittedly, this put a bit of a damper on the whole thing. Anyway, let's start with another shot of the view from our room on a nice, moody Irish morning!

We began the day at Inch Beach. It's an absolutely gorgeous beach that you can drive your car on (a rarity in the States) and given this was a bit of a drizzly day, being on a beach in a car worked out perfectly.

Our next stop was a place called Hold a Baby Lamb and, like their name would suggest, we held a baby sheep. In all honesty, I was a little reluctant because it seemed dirty but let me tell you...If you have a chance to hold a lamb, HOLD THE LAMB!!!!! It was the lightest, softest, most precious thing I had ever held. I wanted to keep it and never put it down. My husband, had a similar experience...but later that night ate lamb so I guess it didn't fully take.

Also, on the property were some beehive huts. Beehive huts are typically located in south-western Ireland. The most famous ones, I believe, are those on Skellig Michael, which is an island that was a monastic settlement from the 6th and 8th centuries. It is unclear how old these beehive huts are.

After finally putting the lamb down, we moved down the peninsula to Dunquin Harbour. There are two rocks in this harbor that may be the most famous image of Dingle. Dunquin Pier, which these rocks are next to, is sometimes called Ireland's sheep highway due to an iconic Irish postcard depicting the pier filled with sheep coming from the Blasket Islands. I guess it doesn't happen so often these days. Still, it's a beautiful location.

With rain, comes rainbows! While we were lucky and really only got rained on once this day, still the rainbow felt a little like a reward. We stopped at Ceann Sreatha to take in the beautiful coastal views and that beautiful rainbow!

Our final stop on the peninsula was Gallarus Oratory. It's built in a style similar to the beehives. There is a single, small window in the building and legend has it that anyone who climbs through the window is guaranteed access to heaven. My husband gave it a go but given its tiny size was unsuccessful. Still it was a funny site to see. Also, while we were in the structure, it started POURING. We tried to wait it out but eventually just made a run for it to the car. This is also where we had a very close call with another car, due to the narrow Irish roads, and then watched a van try to leave a space and also experienced tension watching them try to maneuver and not hit anything. STRESSFULL!!! And we weren't even driving!!!

Before we actually went back to the hotel, we did stop for lunch at Paudie's Bar at the Dingle Bay Hotel. The food was great and it was a very nice stop. My mom decided she wanted to try an Irish Coffee, which for those of you who don't know, is hot coffee, whiskey, and sugar, topped with cream. I am not a big fan of coffee or whiskey and as a total lightweight when it comes to hard alcohol, sipped it cautiously. My mom drank it like champ despite the fact she almost never drinks.

Finally, it was time to return to the hotel, relax, and drink tea! At least for my husband and myself...

My parents on the other hand went out that night to a show called Celtic Steps near Ross Castle. It combined Irish music with Irish dancing. I don't think it blew my parent's minds BUT I believe they're happy they went. Not having experienced it myself, I can't really speak to it but wanted to share it as an option for you if you ever find yourself in Killarney wanting to experience Irish dancing to Irish music!

Day 6

Today was a hotel change day with some stops along the way. I was excited for this day as one of the reasons I wanted to return to Ireland was to stay at Ashford Castle, a 5-star hotel that often shows up on world's best lists. I will say, it did not disappoint.

Before our arrival at Ashford, we started our day at Bunratty Castle, a suggestion from our driver. Bunratty Castle was built in the 15th century and is in the center of a very cute and charming village. I really liked this stop. The castle grounds were well kept and there was a very nice gift shop. This was also a bit of a wet day but honestly, it wasn't bad and we still managed to enjoy the day. Also, when you look at the pictures below, you may notice a weird antler-person thing hanging from the ceiling. No. I do not know what that is. Yes. It does still haunt my dreams.

Our main stop of the day was the Cliffs of Moher. Last time we came here, my husband and I went to the Visitor Center, paid, and experienced the cliffs. This time our driver suggested a different, cheaper vantage point. Some farmer let you drive on his property, very close to the cliffs, for a much cheaper rate. Unfortunately, I don't remember the specifics. This meant we were actually staring at the cliffs you stand on when you visit the Visitor's Center and vice versa. My mom, who thought the cliffs were lovely but not as impressive as the Kerry Cliffs wondered if she didn't find them as impressive since we were "on the wrong side". I explained, I did not believe so, they look the same despite which side you're on. We both preferred the Kerry Cliffs. I do recommend seeing the Cliffs of Moher on your trip to Ireland though I would not recommend a trip just to see them. I'd combine it with the Burren or something nearby. Both times we stopped we were headed to another destination and the cliffs made a nice pit stop along the way.

I mean...they are beautiful.

Our final stop before our hotel was a small coastal village called Doolin. There are ferries out of this village to see the Cliffs of Moher by boat, if you would like, or ferries to Aran islands, which are known for prehistoric archeological sites. This was a very beautiful stop and kind of terrifying as we watched a ferry come in to the dock bouncing everywhere. George Constanza said it best, "the sea was angry that day, my friends"!

Warning! The video below, from a sound perspective, is basically wind. I'd watch with the sound off.

Here are just some additional pictures because it really was lovely, if a little violent.

Finally, the moment I had been waiting for, our arrival at Ashford Castle! It lived up to every expectation, which I'll speak more of below. I will say the only thing that was a disappointment was the room was supposed to be a lake-view room, which it technically was...but technically is not how one likes their views. Otherwise perfection despite the fact I was still suffering from a cold. While I was looking forward to experiencing Ashford Castle, I also liked that we were about to spend two days just hanging around the property. Still doing things but MUCH shorter days and more resting opportunities than we had been experiencing.

Day 7

Today was all about falconry. My husband and I had spent 4 hours (maybe 4 1/2) one day on Dartmoor (with Dartmoor Hawking to be precise) doing falconry and LOVED it! I admit I was originally scared of the birds but once I loosened up, we had a really good time so when I saw that Ashford Castle offered falconry, I jumped at the chance to do it again. For this experience you go on a hawk walk, which I learned from our previous experience is the best part of falconry. Hawks are so fun.

At Ashford Castle, they have expansive grounds and on these grounds is where the falconry school is located. For the hawk walk, you walk through a gorgeous green forest. It's relaxing, beautiful, and fun. I loved it! It may have been my favorite activity of the entire trip.

And because it's such a fun experience, I thought I'd include a video!

In addition to the Hawks, we were able to go back to the falconry school and fly an owl. They only do this twice a day (if I remember correctly) but our guide decided that we were all calm enough around the birds we'd be able to handle the kind of temperamental owl. It was very cool.

Look at him! So grumpy!

Also, a video!

After an EXTREMELY fun morning, we stopped for lunch in the lounge area across the way from the fine dining restaurant George V.

Next it was time for a quick nap and then wine tasting in the wine cellars. This was a deeply unique wine tasting experience. The wine itself was all new to me and the environment was definitely different. You guys...I really love this place. I might have to move in!

That night we had dinner in The Dungeon. It's on the lower levels of the castle and is decked out exactly how you'd want a restaurant called The Dungeon to look. Very nice meal.

Day 8

This was our last full day at the castle and we took it extra easy. Honestly, if I had been feeling better, I probably would have liked to explore the grounds more but instead I slept in and enjoyed getting some rest. Our two activities today were a lake cruise and dinner at George V.

Now about the lake cruise. It goes out even if it's raining, which it very lightly was, but the real thing was...the spiders. Apparently, nobody sweeps the boat for spiders and my mother WAS FREAKING OUT. Like borderline hysteria...though this was made manifest through uncontrollably laughing. When my mother can't stop laughing, it sends my brother and me off. Now, my brother wasn't there but I was dying. It's Pavlovian!

Our final night at the castle was filled by a fancy dinner at George V. Oh! I can't remember if was included in the price (I think it was) but George V is where they put their breakfast spread. It was delicious. That may sound like a trend of me just loving breakfast but honestly, it's kind of hard to mess up breakfast.

Also, while this dinner didn't fall on my mom's actual birthday, they still gave her an extra special treat to mark her birthday eve. Sorry for the not great food pictures.

This was a very enjoyable way to spend our last night at an extraordinary, once-in-a-lifetime, first class property. I would go back to Ireland for this hotel alone. Save up and go!

Day 9

Today was a lot of driving. We were leaving the west coast for Dublin, stopping at Newgrange along the way. It took a little over 3 hours to get there and rained the entire way. Considering Newgrange is an outside activity I worried we were in for a miserable day but fortunately it pretty much cleared up the second we got there. It was still a little misty but not rain, which I will gladly take. We also got up SUPER early this morning to get to Newgrange when it opened (woke up around 5 to leave Ashford Castle around 6) so the prospect of tiredly wandering around in rain really wasn't appealing.

This was my second time, along with my husband, at Newgrange and Knowth but I loved it so much I wanted to make sure my parents experienced it. It honestly reminds me a lot of Stonehenge. I'm not a religious person but both places have a spiritual energy about them. Also, the construction of Newgrange is deeply impressive. But first, Knowth...

Knowth, like Newgrange, is a Neolithic passage tomb and part of the World Heritage Site of Bru na Boinne. Speaking of which, if you are in Ireland and would like to visit Newgrange put Bru na Boinne Visitor Center in your navigator not Newgrange. You can only access either of these sites from a bus located at the Visitor Center. You cannot access the sites by going to them directly. On this trip access was free as they were redoing the Visitor Center.

On to Newgrange, with a brief bus transfer back at the Visitor Center. Newgrange is a 5,200-year-old passage tomb. This means it is older than the pyramids in Egypt and Stonehenge in England. The passage and the chamber inside align with the sun during the Winter Solstice and there is a yearly lottery for guests to be there when this happens. Though, keep in mind that it is Ireland so it's not uncommon for the sun to be blocked by clouds. For those of us who aren't lucky enough to win the lottery, they have recreated what it looks like when the chamber is filled with sunlight. Given the size of the chamber they limit how many people are allowed inside the tomb at a time. Also, when I mentioned the structure before, it has never leaked. It's over 5,000 years old and in a wet environment and still, no leaks. Like I said, impressive.

Unfortunately, you can't take pictures inside so I can't share what it looks like with you all; however, quick note of caution - If you are claustrophobic, you may want skip going inside. It's not the largest space. Just a friendly warning.

After a few hours visiting these impressive passage tombs of Ireland's Ancient East, it was time to head to our new hotel, The Shelbourne in Dublin. This is the only hotel from our previous trip that we repeated for this trip. I was looking into The Merrion, as we had a great afternoon tea there on our previous trip, but they were more expensive. Since I knew The Shelbourne was a lovely property, The Shelbourne it was! Why pay more?

While my husband and I were relaxing in our room, my parents were out getting a quick tour of Dublin, since they had never been. Their two main stops were St. Patrick's Church, which I haven't been to, and the Guinness Storehouse. The Guinness Storehouse, while kind of an expensive attraction is worth a visit, even if you don't like beer...which, now that I think about it, nobody on this trip does. Still I had a blast when I went and my parents enjoyed their visit. I don't know how they managed to make beer so interesting but they did and you're rewarded at the end of some extremely magnificent views of Dublin and the surrounding area when you're done.

We all came back together for dinner as this was the day of my mother's actual birthday. We ate at a restaurant called Sole Seafood and Grill that was well reviewed and within walking distance of our hotel. It was a very nice dinner where multiple people were celebrating their birthdays and one young woman hugged my mother because they were birthday twins. I honestly can't remember if she and her boyfriend (?) were drunk, though it kind of sounds like they were, but they were very nice and it was sweet. Also, since I'm writing this in the time of COVID, I can't imagine randomly hugging a stranger right now!

Sorry! Not the best pictures but still wanted to share the meal. Sometimes the lighting is just not with you. And I usually have quality food pics.

Day 10

Today was a long day as we traveled to Northern Ireland. The drive from Dublin to Belfast is actually a little under 2 hours, which isn't bad, but since we went all the way up to the Giant's Causeway it really does make for a long day. Also, reminder that Northern Ireland is not a part of the Republic of Ireland but is instead a part of the UK. As of this moment you don't need a passport but given Brexit, I would double check that before I go. You may want to have some pounds on you though in case you need to use cash because being a part of the UK means they are not on the Euro like the rest of Ireland is.

First item on our itinerary, The Troubles Tour. My husband and I did this the last time we came to Ireland and found it deeply fascinating to listen to someone who experienced the events. We stopped at a few different spots on this tour but it was still excellent. Our driver had a VERY thick northern Irish accent and spoke VERY fast so there were times we had to ask him to repeat something, and the poor man had to take a pause while I popped into the shop for more cough drops because I couldn't stop coughing, but it was still fantastic.

There are numerous murals throughout this tour, as you can see below, with one wall is constantly being updated to reflect current events. They also take you to the building were the troubles really began (at least the violent outbursts), to the Catholic and Protestant sides of the wall, and a small cemetery where some important figures in the fight were buried. It's a deeply powerful tour and done as objectively as possible from the guides. Again, I highly recommend.

Next it was on to the Dark Hedges, beautiful and used in Game of Thrones. It was a quick stop on our way to the Giant's Causeway.

We ended the day at the Giant's Causeway. It was rather crowded, which was unfortunate, but still an amazing sight to see. The Giant's Causeway is full of basalt columns, most hexagonal in shape, and is a World Heritage Site.

Day 11

So, at this point in our trip, not to be a buzzkill, I was kind of ready to go home and sleep for days. I had been fighting with my cold and the idea that I had to get on a flight to London and then do a full day of activities sounded exhausting. I should have known London would cheer me right up.

Catching a plane from Dublin to London, and a cab ride over to the hotel, we arrived at The Savoy. I'd never stayed at The Savoy before but man did they lobby hard to become the place we stay when we visit London. In fact, wishing we had stayed longer than one night, I've already decided that for my 40th birthday we will be returning to London and staying at The Savoy for a week or two. Hopefully, COVID will not stop this from happening next year.

When we arrived at The Savoy our room wasn't ready so we had our luggage stored in my parent's room and changed to go to afternoon tea at Fortnum and Mason...But I'm going to skip ahead for a second and show you all the room we did get when it was ready. We had paid for one of the nicer rooms (I have a pattern of saving the nicest room for last on my trips) but, given we were only staying one night and I was a Platinum customer with Fairmont, we were given an upgrade. This room was amazing! It was HUGE, had a great view, AND CAME WITH A FREAKING BUTLER!!! His name was Francis. Now Francis was a little disappointed because we were only there for one night and I had already made lunch and dinner plans so there wasn't much for him to do for us but he was excellent. Having said that, I will admit, having a butler was a little uncomfortable for me. Again, we really didn't have anything for him to do. Now, because of the expense of this room when we return for my 40th we will be staying in one of the cheaper rooms (though honestly, all their rooms are beautiful) so this was a real treat.

Anyway, BACK TO TEA! Like I said, we had afternoon tea at Fortnum and Mason, a luxury grocery store (and a little more) located in Piccadilly. I had never been but it's considered one of London's top afternoon tea experiences. While I enjoyed the food and the service, despite its good reviews this was not my favorite afternoon tea. I think it's mainly due to how many people were also experiencing afternoon tea with you. Their Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon fits a lot people and it felt more like something you check off your list instead of an immersive experience. Again, the food was good, as was the service, so I'm not saying don't go but I preferred the relaxing experience I had at Claridge's during a past visit to London. Having said that, I LOVE Fortnum and Mason and hate saying anything negative about them. Seriously, I order stuff from them every few months. They ship internationally, have great food, beautiful tea sets, and fast delivery.

Sadly, our trip was coming to end and we only had a dinner and one sleep before it was time to head home. I picked The Ivy Market Grill for dinner as, after constantly reading nice things, I had been wanting to eat at one of the Ivy restaurants for a while. This was extra convenient as it was just down the street from where we were staying. It had a lovely atmosphere and quality food. I would recommend/return.

And with one last glimpse of the early morning London sky, we headed back home. Thanks for coming with on the virtual trip!

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