We all got up around 7:30, got ready to go and packed up the rest of the stuff we were going to bring with us to Ireland and Scotland. We tucked away the stuff we were going to leave behind so it wouldn't be in the way since they also use the bedroom for a computer room. I ate a quick breakfast of yogurt, toast and a banana. We made sure we had everything before taking it down to the car. We left around 9:15 to head to Faro, which was about a half hour drive.
We safely got to the Faro International Airport, and they dropped us off as close as they could. They told us to have a great time, and they would be back to pick us up at the end of the week. We thanked them for the ride and went inside the airport with our carry-ons. We got inside and checked the departure boards to see what gate we had to go to once through security. Our gate wasn't posted yet.
Security was quick and painless, which was nice, and then we had to go through passport check. Unfortunately, their machines weren't working so we were funneled through to another line. Once we got to one of the agents, we handed them our passport, they asked us where we were going, how long we would be there and when we were leaving, then stamped our passport and handed it back to us. I now have a Portugal stamp in my passport. We made our way down the hallway to the departure area and waited. We checked on the board a few times until it was announced, gate #324. We both used the restroom one more time and then walked upstairs to our gate.
We found a place to sit down until it was our turn to board. We were priority passengers, so we got in the quick line, they scanned our boarding passes, and she quickly checked our passports before ushering us to another room to wait in. The plane we were supposed to get on was late; therefore, we will be boarding and taking off about a half hour later than we were scheduled to. Once we were able to board, we walked down the jet bridge onto the tarmac. We had a short walk to our plane. We were happy it wasn't raining.
We got on, settled in and we were finally on our way to Ireland! The plane ride was uneventful. I worked on my job stuff and wrote in my journal for the 2-hour flight. Ben dozed off once or twice. About halfway through the flight, the flight attendants went around to see if anyone wanted to purchase food or drink, there were no complimentary snacks or beverages. You could also play the lottery on this flight, lol!
We were able to see some stuff out the window but there were some clouds obstructing the views. Most of Ireland from the air looked like a green patch work quilt. I can't believe we were almost to Ireland. I never thought I would have a chance to visit Ireland. It's always been a bucket list of mine.
We began our descent into the Dublin International Airport, we landed, grabbed our bags in the overhead storage, deplaned, used the restroom and went through customs. We got our Ireland stamp in our passports! We figured out where we needed to go for our rental car.
We waited our turn at the counter until we were called over. The reservations were under Ben's name, so he took care of all the paperwork, signatures and legal stuff. It was cheaper to rent a car overseas in Ireland than it was to rent a car in NYC for less than five days. We were given the paperwork, basic rules and the keys. The clerk showed us where to go to pick up the car. It was literally in the next building over and all we had to do was walk across the street.
We got a white Renault Arkana. It is a compact crossover SUV known for its unique coupe like styling, blend the design of an SUV with the sleek profile of a sedan. It was first introduced in Russia in 2019 and then brought into Europe shortly after in 2020. Here's the fun part. Ireland drives on the right side of the car but on the left side of the road so, we had quite the adventure ahead of us. We threw our bags in, got comfortable and hoped that we made it to our hotel in one piece.
We put in the hotel address into the GPS and crossed our fingers! We only went the wrong way twice and missed our exit once, no big deal, but we got to the hotel, and no one died! We parked in the parking garage (we had to pay) underneath the hotel, grabbed our bags and went to the front desk to check in. They found out we were on our honeymoon and upgraded us so we would have access to the executive suite - free snacks and drinks! We stayed at the Croke Park Hotel. It was across the street from Croke Park, Ireland's largest stadium and serves as the headquarters for the Gaelic Athletic Association. It has a capacity of 82,300 and is a major venue for hurling, soccer, concerts and will host the country's first NFL game featuring the Pittsburgh Steelers and Minnesota Vikings in September.
We went up to our room, got situated and then made our way back downstairs to find out if we needed reservations for dinner or not. Luckily, we didn't need to because there were plenty of tables. We browsed through the drinks and the menu. Ben ordered a gluten free Irish beer and some Jamison, and I had a Coke Zero. For food, Ben got the Irish beef tacos, and I wanted something simple, so I ordered the burger and fries. The food was actually pretty good.
After we were done, we went up to the executive suite and hung out in the lounge drinking our drinks. We called Trish to check in with her and to tell her about our adventure driving the car in Ireland. She told us that we were braver than she was!
We went back to our room, got cleaned up, watched Pulp Fiction, I talked to my Mom, wrote in my journal for a little bit and then we got ready for bed. Surprisingly, we went to bed before 11. All the excitement must have caught up to us.
Next Adventure: Honeymoon: Euro Trip - Day 9
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