From the Netherlands to Ireland. Despite living in the UK together for almost four years in the 90s Jo and I never visited Ireland, instead taking the opportunity to head east to the Continent during our time off. A short 75-minute hop from Schipol to Dublin reminded us how easy it is to travel and how relatively close everything is in Europe.

Dublin is seriously cool. With a population of 1.2 million (fifty percent aged under 25 which makes it the youngest city in Europe), Dublin sits on Ireland’s east coast at the mouth of the River Liffey. And with ten million pints of Guinness produced daily, it’s easy to understand Dublin’s popularity as a place to live and visit.

​We stayed with Mary who we met on a yoga retreat at Takaka at the top of New Zealand’s South Island. We phoned Mary just a few days before arriving and got told to cancel our bookings and stay with her. So there you are . . . Mary lives in Ballsbridge in a gated community (there are many in Dublin). From there we strolled into the city centre where we headed to Trinity College, officially the “College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin” but try saying that after a few Guinnesses . . .

Trinity College is Ireland’s oldest university and was established in 1592, modelled on Oxford and Cambridge. The Book of Kells is the main drawcard for tourists – an illuminated gospel book created around 800 a.d and described by some as the world’s most important medieval manuscript. To be honest I found it hard to get excited about a book behind glass surrounded by a crammed multitude of tourists. What really made it for me though was the magnificent long room in the old library – towering shelves of bound books housed in an oak panelled room. It was sort of like one enormous man cave and I felt like finding a leather armchair to browse a few of the books with a decent accompanying snifter of whisky. Not that one was on offer . . .

I celebrated my birthday in Dublin accompanied by Jo and Mary. I opted for a traditional pub called the Bridge, which, filled with a great selection of craft beer, was definitely my kind of place. Gaelic football was on the TV, volubly watched by a number of the patrons. The sport is very similar to Aussie rules but played with a round ball – similar to volleyball. And just as thuggish . . .

From Dublin we drove across the country to Westport, on the west coast. I was looking forward to sampling some country town atmosphere with music and a bit of craic. But as often happens with expectations, they were curtailed when I fell ill – and so my recollection of five days in Westport was largely of our Airbnb, a cute little farm cottage on the outskirts of town. Oh well – if you have to fall sick, there are worse places to do so than in the beautiful green countryside of Ireland . . .

From Westport it was back to Dublin for a night staying at All Hallows, a University hall of residence made available for tourists during the summer break. The place reminded me of Knox college in Dunedin – heaps of character with its oak panelling and architecture designed in a day when style counted over function. Strangely, to stay at this magnificent building was far cheaper than any of the available alternatives close to Dublin airport. We felt privileged.

From Dublin our next stop is Newcastle – Geordie country . . .