It was O-dark thirty when we left Dublin this morning, temperature was 12 with a 6-degree windchill. Despite our excitement for the trip, there is always a bitter sweetness when saying goodbye to adored pets and a beloved home, especially when it’s a long trip like this one. We’ve been saying our goodbyes to kids, family and friends for a couple weeks, and now the departure day was here.

We made it to the airport, checked our gaggle of luggage (we were not charged for the extra bags!!) and got through security with no problems. We flew Delta to Detroit, and then on to Los Angelas.

We rented a car at LAX and drove south 68 miles to Dana Point to visit our friends, Ed and Deanna Fischermann. We met Ed and Deanna on a 2022 trip to the Galapagos Islands and Machu Picchu and have had the good fortune of spending time with them in Italy and California. We’ll be with them for three nights before making our way back up to the Los Angelas suburb of Long Beach, where we’ll spend two nights before embarkation to the Coral Princess on Wednesday the 21st.

Tomorrow: Dana Point, CA