Ireland had always been on my “Must See” future travels list. This year seemed like the perfect time to visit, especially considering the mosquito-born illnesses epidemic across the tropical part of the globe and safety concerns in other regions. The “Emerald Isle” offers an abundance of picturesque and momentous destinations. So I set forth on a journey to Ireland for a one week glorious vacation in early May.

Aer Lingus is always “sure to please” with its vegan meal options, right down to the vegan butter! Aboard the evening flight, my dinner entree was a tasty pasta dish with tomato sauce, a grain roll with soy butter, and a side salad. Mixed fruit was the accompanying dessert.

Airlines don’t typically offer vegan breakfast choices, so I brought a Dr. McDougall apple flax oatmeal cup. The flight attendant supplied some hot water for me to stir in the oatmeal. She also brought me some fresh fruit.

After a fairly quick seven hour flight, we arrived at our destination of Dublin! I checked into my comfy and very inexpensive airbnb accommodations in a Dublin suburb, then took a quick taxi ride to the city center to meet up with a walking tour. Dublin has a taxi service similar to Uber. The app is called Hailo and once its downloaded, a quick entry of your current location will display the name of the driver and the auto that will pick you up within a few minutes. I love it!

The two hour walking tour included the most popular sites within the city of Dublin. Our first stop was the Dublin Spire overlooking O’Connell Street. This dramatic landmark is 120 meters high and made of stainless steel. Nicknamed the “Monument of Light” was completed in 2003 to add a touch of style to the now bustling shopping and dining area.

We then proceeded across the street to the General Post Office (GPO). The headquarters of the Irish Post Office served as the Uprising’s leaders headquarters for the city’s 1916 Easter Uprising. The rebellion was initiated by Irish Republicans intent on ending British rule.

As we continued walking, we stopped at “The Church”, the former St. Mary’s Church built in the 18th century. The building has been converted into a restaurant with a pub and nightclub. A sculpture of Arthur Guinness(brewery founder)sits proudly on the bar counter.

We even passed by a “Leprechaun Museum” during our walking tour!

An Italian corner of the city center is home to several Italian restaurants that we passed by during our walk.

A couple of arched bridges over the River Liffey grace the piers in Dublin center.

After crossing over the bridge, we arrived at the cobblestoned streets of the Temple Bar area. Located on the south bank of the River Liffey, this section of central Dublin is popular for its thriving nightlife and cultural offerings.

A notable landmark within Temple Bar is the “Wall Of Fame” at the Irish Rock N Museum. The front exterior of the red colored museum proudly showcases images of famous Irish musicians and singers including U2, Thin Lizzy, and Van Morrison.

The next stop on our tour was Dublin Castle. Until the year 1922, this was the seat of the Uk government’s administration in Ireland. First founded by order of King John in 1204 to defend the region, the Norman castle later became a residence for the viceroy of Ireland, the monarch’s representative. A record tower, chapel, and royal apartments are also housed on the grounds. The Castle was the command post of the British against the Irish separatists during the Anglo-Irish War. During the evening of Bloody Sunday in 1920, several members of the Irish Republican Army were killed there.

When the Irish Free State formed in 1922, the castle concluded its reign as the head of the UK government’s rule.

This year(2016) marks the 100th anniversary of the Easter Uprising of 1916. Posters, signs, museum tours, and special events are occurring across Dublin to commemorate this momentous occasion.

The final stop on our Dublin walking tour was Trinity College. Ireland’s oldest univesity was founded in 1592. It houses 4.5 million printed texts, maps, music, and the famous “Book Of Kells”.

After the tour concluded, I opted for a late lunch. “Graze at The elbowroom” (Graze at The elbowroom) is a vegetarian/vegan-friendly, casual and bright space within a building that offers wellness programs such as yoga. Just a few quick tram stops away from city center, this reasonably-priced cafe offers a range of healthy salads, soups, entrees, and desserts.

I started with the Starmode juice made with Cucumber, apple, pineapple, lemon, mint, spirulina, and wheatgrass. The nutritious juice was really good.

One of the waitstaff gave me samples of three different salads “on the house”. The BeetItSlaw salad consisted of Grated beetroot, fresh coriander, lime & pickled ginger. A Moroccan Carrot Slaw contained Carrot, cumin, paprika, raisin, mint, parsley, lemon & orange juice. Finally, the Luscious Lentils salad included Puy lentil,pear, kale, coriander, shallot & lemon dressing. I really loved each and every one of them.

For my lunch entree, I selected a bowl of vegan veggie soup, falafel, hummus, and brown bread. My meal was flavorful and delicious.

I also purchased a blueberry muffin for breakfast before an early morning tour.

There is no better way to celebrate the warmth of the Spring season than to indulge in an ice cream treat. Fortunately, Mooch (Mooch) frozen yogurt shop offers a vegan flavor too. I enjoyed the passionfruit froyo with strawberry topping. I also picked up an order of vegan pancakes for the next day’s breakfast.

A number of vegan-friendly natural foods shops reside in Dublin. I paid a visit to Nourish (Nourish), a whole foods market with several locations. The shelves were lined with healthy snacks, organic products, cruelty-free skincare, vitamins, and household products.

I purchased a vegan chocolate bar.

St. Stephen’s Green is a vast city park with lots of trees, lush green fields, walking paths, flowers, and a pond filled with ducks and geese. I strolled along the main path to appreciate the park’s beauty.

Dinner time had arrived at this point. I headed over to vegetarian/vegan-friendly Cornucopia WholeFoods (Cornucopia WholeFoods) for my evening meal. Soups, salads, mains, and desserts are on the menu and change on a regular basis. Guests enter a cafeteria-style queue and select their items. I opted for a main with two salads. The counterperson then dished out my selections of a veggie tofu curry with a salad of greens and a salad of sprouted beans with ginger, lemon & coriander. Everything on my plate was scrumptious! My dessert choice was a luscious pistachio chocolate marzipan.

My spectacular first day in this glorious country, ended with a traditional Irish music performance at “The Irish House Party” venue. Located within a marvelous 18th century townhouse hotel, just a few minutes away from the city center, this is truly a unique cultural experience. Local entertainers sang Irish tunes, played traditional Irish instruments such as the Irish drum and pipes, and amused us with their storytelling.

One of the multi-talented musicians performed traditional Irish step dancing, including a jig with a broom.

I truly enjoyed my first day in Ireland. From the historic sites visited on the walking tour to the traditional music performances to my first taste of local vegan cuisine, I waited with eager anticipation to what the next day in Ireland would have in store for me!