a little slice of happy

My husband and I – and even worse, our little nephew – were sucker-punched by some humdinger of a virus. Yesterday was finally the first day on the path to recovery, it felt as if we broke through the water’s surface to new, clean air again.

So I am posting about something dreamy for no other reason than it makes me happy to remember this trip.

Mike and I managed to find ourselves in Dublin this winter (you can read our tips right over here). Dublin in the middle of winter may sound frigid and blustery and cold – and it was all of those things, but it was also lovely and crystal clear, with frost on the green-green grass and snowdrop flowers coming into bloom in January and that beautiful low winter light that falls so flatteringly on the crisp Georgian architecture.

I sort of fall in love in Dublin every time I am there, but during this trip, the map finally imprinted itself on my brain, and I could find my way around when I went out by myself.

Our homebase was an enchanted apartment over a stables (that the Irish mounted police use from time to time) smack in the middle of the city. Merrion Mews is one of the dozen or so places owned and rented out by an organization called The Irish Landmark Trust. We stayed in their larger Dublin apartment when my parents and sisters visited with us a few years ago. The Trust also offers lighthouses, schoolhouses, castles and other charming, historic accommodations around the country. Their website is tough to navigate, but I have a brochure that I flip through from time to time, dreaming of staying with a pack of friends in side-by-side light keeper cottages on the west of Ireland.

Our little Dublin home felt like a farmhouse nestled in the middle of the city. Even the radiator knobs were beauties. And best part is that there’s a kitchen, so we saved a bundle of euros by eating some meals in. That’s the sensible upside. But really, the best part of having a kitchen is that nothing makes me feel like I really live somewhere more than grocery shopping around the corner, walking home with fresh flowers and wine.

We did a terrible job of taking action-family-and-friends-shots. But you can take a little tour right of our mews house right over here.