Howth trail, Ireland

I took a ferry from Liverpool to Dublin. On my arrival, a woman approached at the ferry terminal promoting her B&B, sort of near where I hoped to stay. As I hadn’t booked anywhere for the entire Irish trip, I stayed with this friendly couple half way between Dublin and Howth.

This wasn’t the usual holiday. This was a research trip for a novel I still haven’t named. The Irish character in the story was based on a brief encounter with someone I met while in Moshi, Tanzania.

Wildflowers beside the Howth trail, Dublin Bay

So thanks to this imaginary character, I was in Ireland taking a hike to Howth. I gladly tramped over the Dublin Bay route past sweeping wild flowers and Baily lighthouse in the distance. This was the perfect introduction to a country I had never thought to venture.