Heading off to another unique Silversea expedition, especially on the luxury and very capable Silver Endeavour, is always a happy occasion. When I am accompanied by Goldring Travel clients, it makes it even better.

This expedition starts in Dublin, Ireland and, after traveling to some amazing out islands off the coast of the United Kingdom, ending in Edinburgh makes the itinerary a wonderful combination of culture and nature…along with a bit of Irish and British cuisine, both traditional and modern. Add to that the culinary excellence of Silversea (I love the fresh pasta!) with the beauty of the Silver  Endeavour and it will be a memorable experience. But first, I have to get there!

As per usual, getting from Lake Tahoe to Europe is not the easiest, especially when I am beholden to United Airlines. So, it is an early morning four-hour flight to Chicago, a seven-hour layover, and then a seven-and-a-half-hour flight to Dublin. With my status with United, as always, I booked the least expensive economy ticket (I get economy plus at a minimum). I had hoped for an upgrade to Polaris, but as the flights got closer, it was clear that wasn’t going to happen. Ugh. But I was No. 1 for an upgrade to Premium Economy. (To be honest, that is really all I need, as just having enough space for the person next to me not to be leaning on me allows me to relax.) When I went to check in, United started a new option: “Would you like to upgrade to Premium Economy for $499?” Do I risk getting the upgrade or do I buy it for a minimal amount? Well, I figured if it is being offered to me, it would be offered to others, so my No. 1 position wasn’t any guarantee I would be upgraded if I didn’t pay. So, you know I paid! And I got my bulkhead aisle seat.

Now, what I am going to do with seven hours in Chicago? Hanging in the United Club didn’t seem very attractive. So, I booked a day room at the Hilton at the airport. (This is not publicized but is easy to book either directly through United or a couple of websites.) For $199, I would have a quiet workspace and a place to take a nap. Using my American Express Platinum Corporate Card gives me a $50 rebate, and booking directly, I get a small commission. Hence, it is a pretty inexpensive option. After getting work done and a bit of a nap, it was off to the United Club. There are a number at Chicago O’Hare, but I went with a smaller, less crowded one near Gate B19. It was relatively quiet and had a bright and airy feel, and it was right across from my departure gate. Because it was so close, I stayed in the lounge until five minutes before boarding. As the lounge doors opened, I received notification from United: Upgraded to Polaris!

We departed a bit late, and I was a bit miffed that I had not received a pre-departure cocktail…until I learned that, quietly, our flight almost didn’t depart due to a mechanical issue. From then on, the service was good, and dinner was even better. Huge improvements in United’s cuisine.

After an on-time arrival, it was off, in, believe it or not, blue Irish skies and fairly warm temperatures, to The Merrion Hotel; one of the best in Dublin. Once again, I utilized an American Express Platinum benefit; this time, the Fine Hotels & Resorts promotion (similar to the Goldring Travel hotel amenities) plus the twice-a-year $300 rebate. Thus, the cost of my luxury hotel with breakfast, a $100 food and beverage credit, upgrade upon arrival, etc., was only $305.

While I waited for my room, having arrived at about 10:30 a.m., it was time for a wander around the area.

I figured I should also check out Kehoe’s, a pub founded in 1803 and the location of the first Goldring Travel Culinary & Cultural experience later that evening. I arrived at noon, just as the pub was opening, sat at the bar and asked for my first of a few, Guinness. Richie, the quintessential, authentically friendly, Irish bartender, started chatting, and next thing you know, we were discussing which Irish whiskeys to have during my event while I had a cheese toasty and another Guinness. Before I left, he made sure we had one of the two tables reserved and our whiskey tasting list written down.

It was then back to The Merrion to sit in a lovely Irish lounge in front of a wood-burning fire, for about thirty minutes, while my upgraded room with all my luggage in place was readied. I didn’t see much of my beautiful room because the combination of a long travel day, time change, and a few beers meant it was definitely time for a nap!

Just before 5:00 p.m., I walked into the once quiet, but now loud and crowded Kehoe’s with Richie, immediately spotting me and, after a warm greeting, ushering some locals off of our reserved table and saying, “Let me get you a Guinness while you wait for your clients!” A few sips, I mean minutes, later they arrived and the first round of beers were ordered. Then the Irish whiskeys started to flow, starting with the more ordinary (but not really ordinary), moving up to the extraordinary:

• Roe & Co.
• Jamison Crested 10 Year Old
• Powers Three Swallows (which could be a reference to the three birds on the label or because it was so delicious you drank a glass in three swallows)
• Red Breast Moscatel Cask

As we were about to leave for our Irish dinner, the previously dispossessed locals asked where I was from, and I told them I was from Lake Tahoe, California. One of them said they had a relative in Tiburon. I replied, “So he’s the bougie [one]”, which brought out a roar, laughter, and an invitation to sit down for another drink. But we were already late for dinner, so I had to decline.

Just up the road was Davy Byrnes, another slightly newer pub (established in 1889) known as the  “literary pub” for it is immortalized in James Joyce’s Ulysses (1922) as a stop for Leopold Bloom and for serving quite a few literary giants. While it has lost most of its physical historic charm, it is a beautiful place with lots of memorabilia displayed. For example, I noticed an old bottle with a label, “Writer’s Tears”. With my daughter working towards her Ph.D. in creative writing, I immediately texted her the photo. Her response: “I could make u a bottle in abt 20 mins”.

Our dinner choices ran the gamut of Irish cuisine:

• Oysters
• Seafood Chowder
• Cottage Pie
• Beef and Guinness Stew
• Fish & Chips
• Irish Salmon

With all the beer and whiskey, trying to pair wine would have been a fool’s errand, so it was time for a Davy Byrnes’ lager and an after-dinner round of Red Breast 21 Year Old Irish whiskey to close out our evening.

The next day I was to board the Silver Endeavour. Silversea has instituted a new concept, allowing guests to board as early as 11:00 a.m., although access to the suites will still be 2:00 p.m. While I think this is a great option for those flying in the same day, I did not take advantage of the early boarding. That does not mean I didn’t head to the ship early! One of Silversea’s captains and one of its hotel directors were disembarking the ship after a Silversea leadership conference onboard Silver Endeavour as she repositioned to Dublin after a drydock. It was great catching up!

It was then back to The Merrion Hotel for a full Irish breakfast (breakfast was included) and then with a bottle of Henriot champagne in the garden seemed more attractive than wandering Dublin again. (It is not my first time in Dublin.) A fine way to spend my $100 American Express credit…and a wee bit more!

As it was getting near 3:00 p.m. it was time to head over to Silver Endeavour and begin the expedition.