Our Adventure Begins
Yes, you read that right! We took two Rick Steves tours back-to-back in July and August 2022. We're Ed and Jane Darling. You're invited to come with us to Ireland and Scotland, as we share our trip of a lifetime (at least so far). So sit back and enjoy!
Our story begins in 2019. We had such a good time on our Rick Steves' Heart of Italy tour in 2018 that we booked Rick Steves' Best of Ireland in 14 Days for June 2020. We all know how that turned out - we kept hoping that COVID-19 would vanish, but as we got closer to our tour date it was obvious that it was not going to happen. Rick Steves' Europe made the decision to cancel all their 2020 tours and then wisely held off on booking tours in 2021. As we progressed through 2021, however, it seemed that it might be possible to return to travel in 2022 and we were on board! We decided to rebook our Best of Ireland Tour in 14 Days, but this time we added the Heart of Scotland in 8 Days tour, which wasn't offered in 2020. We were able to find dates for back-to-back tours that dovetailed and coincided with the Edinburgh Royal Military Tattoo in August. We were ready to make up for lost travel time!
Although we were thrilled to be able to book our tours, and eventually be able to experience our tours, COVID-19 was still on the rampage. Rick Steves' Europe required everyone to be vaccinated and to wear a mask while on the bus and while indoors, a policy we fully supported because it meant we would be able to travel. So throughout our photos you will see masks on and off, depending on where we are. We also traveled carrying COVID-19 rapid tests as we had to show a negative result before we could join each tour. Waiting for the results was the longest 15 minutes ever! But we were clear to join our groups and no one got sick. An ounce of prevention. . .
Why do we travel with Rick Steves' Europe? We have watched Rick's shows on PBS for many years and as a retired librarian, Jane knows that his tour books were always in high demand. Rick's style of travel - packing light and staying in city centers so you can walk or use public transportation - was very appealing. The tour size is important too. You are not one of dozens packed into a bus; you are a member of a small group of about 24 people. You can spread out on the bus and have the opportunity to spend time with your fellow travelers, so you end up traveling with friends. Rick is also committed to environmental and social causes that we support, so we believe we are spending our time and our money where our hearts are.
Although we were thrilled to be able to book our tours, and eventually be able to experience our tours, COVID-19 was still on the rampage. Rick Steves' Europe required everyone to be vaccinated and to wear a mask while on the bus and while indoors, a policy we fully supported because it meant we would be able to travel. So throughout our photos you will see masks on and off, depending on where we are. We also traveled carrying COVID-19 rapid tests as we had to show a negative result before we could join each tour. Waiting for the results was the longest 15 minutes ever! But we were clear to join our groups and no one got sick. An ounce of prevention. . .
Why do we travel with Rick Steves' Europe? We have watched Rick's shows on PBS for many years and as a retired librarian, Jane knows that his tour books were always in high demand. Rick's style of travel - packing light and staying in city centers so you can walk or use public transportation - was very appealing. The tour size is important too. You are not one of dozens packed into a bus; you are a member of a small group of about 24 people. You can spread out on the bus and have the opportunity to spend time with your fellow travelers, so you end up traveling with friends. Rick is also committed to environmental and social causes that we support, so we believe we are spending our time and our money where our hearts are.
A Note about Navigation
We have divided our trip into three sections: Ireland, Time in Between, and Scotland. Each of those sections reveals a dropdown menu so you may choose a particular destination or you may click through to the next or previous page when you reach the bottom. Within most of the destination pages you will find the following:
All of our photos were taken on an iPhone 13 Pro.
Let's go to Ireland!
We have divided our trip into three sections: Ireland, Time in Between, and Scotland. Each of those sections reveals a dropdown menu so you may choose a particular destination or you may click through to the next or previous page when you reach the bottom. Within most of the destination pages you will find the following:
- Jane's Journal - These are excerpts from the daily journal Jane kept on our trip.
- Highlights of each day/destination
- Wow Moment - What took our breath away? These things.
- Food, Glorious Food - A favorite meal - yes, we are those people who take photos of our meals and post them you-know-where.
- Kaleidoscope - A slideshow of favorite moments
All of our photos were taken on an iPhone 13 Pro.
Let's go to Ireland!
Cover photo: The Cliffs of Moher
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