Feldnotizen zur Irlandwoche (9.–15. Februar): Regenlogistik, tiefgreifende Geschichte und die Kunst des Umdenkens

Week Key: 2026-W07

Location: Dublin + Howth + Newgrange + Dun Laoghaire → back home (Germany)

Some trips test your fitness. This one tested something more annoying: logistics under relentless drizzle.

I went to Ireland with two missions running in parallel. The first was work—meetings, technical conversations, pricing gravity, the usual adult stuff. The second was family—new country, new sights, new flavors, new history. I wanted them to feel the magic of Dublin, not the friction of it.

What I underestimated was how quickly weather turns into management. Not “bring an umbrella” management. Layering, drying, bathroom access, indoor fallback plans, warm food timing, and morale. When it’s just me, I can shrug and keep moving. When it’s the whole family, every wet sock becomes a vote against the plan.

Monday: Meetings, Deliberate Food, Quiet Control

Monday was clean and structured: client meetings north of Dublin, rental car, no drama.

Breakfast was a proper hotel win: omelette with cheese and avocado, plus bacon and sausage, a banana, and a cappuccino. For lunch I chose an open-faced steak sandwich and intentionally swapped fries for vegetable soup. The fries arrived first by mistake—easy moment to accept them, easy moment to drift. I asked the waiter to give them to someone else and brought the soup instead. No heroics, just a decision.

Dessert happened: chocolate-covered nuts. Dinner didn’t. I wasn’t hungry, and I spent the evening turning notes into meeting minutes and customer offerings—one of those “make tomorrow easier” nights.

Tuesday: The Zone 2 Plan Meets Real Life

Tuesday started with a fasted run that was supposed to be Zone 2. Ireland disagreed.

Between minor jet lag, work stress, drippy weather, and the mental tax of “I have to pay for parking every three hours,” it felt unusually hard to keep the effort easy. Not a crisis. Just a reminder: your heart rate doesn’t only respond to pace—it responds to Kontext.

A client situation pulled me into an online meeting with colleagues to untangle technical and pricing issues. I felt obligated to show up, and it was the right move. We made positive progress, and it may help save the project.

Later, I drove countryside roads, then headed to the airport for a family pickup at 16:30. That part went smoothly—fast exit, no chaos. I’d already visited the next hotel earlier to pre-scout parking and details, and that tiny proactive move paid off.

Lunch at 13:00 was Irish clam chowder with soda bread and butter. Dinner was a classic: fish and chips.

Wednesday: Dublin on Foot, in the Drip

Wednesday was the full walking tour day—the one that looks great in photos and feels like endurance training when the rain won’t stop.

We got soaked by lunch. One of the most surprisingly difficult parts wasn’t even the walking—it was finding reliable places to use the restroom between stops. It’s the kind of detail you never think about until you’re the person trying to keep the group moving without turning it into a constant negotiation.

We were impressed by the city’s culture and history: cathedrals, castles, pubs, famous streets, the university and its library, and that feeling of layers stacked on layers of time.

We were also shocked by the price level—food, entertainment, hotels, activities. Add expensive parking on top and it becomes a different kind of trip: not “let’s wander,” but “let’s calculate.”

That afternoon we drove south to Dun Laoghaire, the two-sided harbor town, and it gave us a bit of air and perspective before returning to Dublin.

That evening we switched to a less expensive hotel and foraged dinner: cold cuts, classic Irish cheddar, and soda bread. We ended the day with Winter Olympics on TV—warmth and stillness after a wet city marathon.

Thursday: Ancient Time, Then Howth (With a Smart Retreat)

Thursday began with practical family mechanics: grocery foraging for breakfast and lunch. Then we drove to Newgrange, an ancient mound and burial site that’s widely dated to around 3200 BCE—older than the pyramids. Standing there is the opposite of doomscrolling. It’s perspective therapy.

Afterward we went to the Howth peninsula intending to do the cliff walk, but the weather made the decision for us. Wind, rain, and exposure were not compatible with a long coastal walk. So we pivoted:

• walked out to the lighthouse at the harbor
• climbed up to the old radio station area on the hill
• visited churchyard ruins and an attached cemetery

Then we called it. We went to the most famous pub in the area—The Abbey Tavern—and let dinner be the reset button. We took our time, enjoyed the atmosphere, and returned to the hotel with everyone intact.

That pivot mattered. It wasn’t “giving up.” It was protecting the family experience from turning into a rainy punishment.

Friday: The Exit Sequence (and Why Travel Days Cost More Than Time)

Friday was a slower start, then a last lunch in the Dublin area (Hogs & Heifers). We stopped by Swords Castle but didn’t get out—still wet, windy, drippy.

Then it was the clean travel checklist: gas refill, rental return, bus to the airport with plenty of time. I wrapped my suitcase in cling wrap because it’s old and has been through a lot of international travel. We checked a bag because we’d bought a bottle of Jameson for my father-in-law’s 68th birthday, and liquids have rules.

Flights went smoothly: Dublin → Frankfurt → Leipzig… until Leipzig ran late. This time the delay was caused by a checked bag situation (a passenger didn’t make the plane), then an accident between two ground vehicles behind the aircraft. When we finally left, the pilots flew fast and made up time.

We landed with just enough margin to get out of the parking garage before midnight—otherwise we’d have paid for another day. Two cars home, split by luggage logistics, but close timing. Everyone in bed around 01:00.

Weekend Landing: Duck, Walks, Website Fixes, and a Japan Throwback

Saturday was a recovery day: slept in, chores (cleaning, wood for the fireplace), then a long lunch in Radebeul with my father-in-law and his girlfriend—fantastic duck and red cabbage, followed by coffee and a walk around the neighborhood. Board games, then home around 20:30.

That evening I slipped back into builder mode: WbMT website fixes—especially mobile display bugs where text was impossible to read.

Sunday was the quiet reset: a walk with my wife to get rolls for our traditional family breakfast, then a list of family activities.

One of those activities was a throwback to Japan: we made steamed sesame mochi balls with ingredients we’d brought back.

After Ireland’s rain and logistics, making something sticky and imperfect with our hands felt like reclaiming the week.

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The Data Snapshot (Fitbit Week Summary)

This week was “high movement, lower controllability”—a lot of steps without necessarily chasing intensity.

• 105,489 total steps (15,070/day)
• Best day: 25,704 steps (a travel day + a speed-tourism run + city walking)
• 85.55 km total distance
• 611 active zone minutes
• 7h 27m average restful sleep
• 57 bpm average resting heart rate
• 0.4 kg weight loss (Fitbit also notes -1.4 kg vs last week)

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What Worked (and What I’d Change Next Time)

Was funktioniert hat:

• Pre-scouting parking and logistics (small effort, big payoff)
• Having a Plan B ready for bad weather (short outdoor burst + warm indoor anchor)
• “Foraging” groceries to reduce stress and cost spikes
• Ending heavy days with something warm and simple rather than chasing perfect dining

What I’d change:

• Pack more weather-resilient clothing and drying strategy
• Build indoor anchors into the itinerary from the start
• Be more selective about city zones and timing when public disorder is visible
• Choose future family destinations with more predictable costs and weather resilience

Ireland was mixed in the honest way: new place magic paired with weather limits, price shock, and unsettling street scenes that changed how we moved through the city. I’m glad we went. I’m also glad we’re already thinking about where we explore next.

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Recipe: Steamed Sesame Mochi Balls (Gooey Black Sesame Center)

Makes: 10–12 balls

Texture: stretchy mochi + slight bite (75/25 flour blend)

No frying

Ingredients

Dough

• 150 g dango-ko (だんご粉)
• 50 g jōshin-ko (上新粉)
• Pinch salt
• Sweetener to taste (optional)
• Warm water: start with 170 g, add more as needed (up to ~205 g)

Filling (gooey)

• 70 g black sesame paste (ねりごま)
• 25 g butter (soft or melted)
• Sweetener to taste
• Pinch salt
• Optional: 1–2 tsp kuromitsu (黒みつ)

Coating

• Sesame seeds (black/white; enough to roll the balls)

Other

• Cornstarch (for dusting hands)
• Parchment paper (for steaming)

Werkzeuge

• Bowl, spoon, scale (recommended)
• Pan (to toast seeds)
• Steamer + pot
• Timer
• Tongs or chopsticks

Steps

1) Make filling (5 min)

• Mix black sesame paste + butter + sweetener + salt (and kuromitsu if using) until smooth.
• Texture should be thick like peanut butter (not runny).
• Chill 10–15 min so it’s easy to scoop.

2) Toast sesame seeds (3–5 min)

• Dry pan on medium-low, stir often until nutty and fragrant.
• Pour into a bowl to cool.

3) Make dough (5–8 min)

• Mix dango-ko + jōshin-ko + salt (and sweetener if using).
• Add 170 g warm water and mix.
• If dry or cracking, add warm water 1 tbsp at a time until soft like play-doh.
• If sticky, dust hands lightly with cornstarch.
• Tip: Add water slowly—dough should roll without cracking.

4) Fill and roll (10–15 min)

• Divide dough into 10–12 equal pieces.
• Flatten one piece into a disk; add 1 tsp filling.
• Close like a pouch; pinch seam firmly; roll smooth.
• Don’t overfill.

5) Coat in sesame (3 min)

• Dampen the outside lightly with wet fingers.
• Roll in toasted sesame seeds; press gently.

6) Steam (10 min)

• Line steamer with parchment squares.
• Steam over boiling water for 10 minutes, lid on.
• Rest 2 minutes before eating.

Serve

• Optional: drizzle kuromitsu
• Optional: dust with kinako

Quick Fixes

• Cracking dough: add 1 tbsp warm water, knead again.
• Too firm: slightly more water next time OR steam 1 min less.
• Filling leaks: chill filling, use 1 tsp, seal seam well.