Guest Senior Traveler MLO’S, Pittsfield MA: After retirement a decade ago, my spouse and I traveled the world. Dublin is my favorite international city, offering the best in food, people, art and history. For a start, while flying into Dublin, you’ll be amazed at the deep green of the land and fields of the Emerald Isle.

To get from the airport to the city, we took the Aircoach bus, which offers quick service to the center of Dublin, as well as all the main tourist hotels in the area. Fares are reasonable, at about $20 round trip.

For a comfy hotel right within walking distance of most tourist sites, we've stayed at The Arlington. You are also close to the pubs of central Dublin and the Temple Bar area. In Dublin, which has a compact city center with very strong public transit, we find the location of the hotel is important to be in the middle of the action. That way we can walk everywhere, and always have things to see and do just steps outside the hotel's front door. Arlington Hotel, 23-25 Bachelors Walk, O'Connell Bridge, Dublin 1, Ireland, arlington.ie

The old historic city center surrounds the Dublin Castle, built in 1204. The castle is open to the public for tours daily and is the site of many important events in Irish history. Before visiting Dublin, read up on the politics and history of it's relationship with England.

We visited the Guinness brewery and took the great tour. It covers the history of the beer and ends with a tasting session. What started as a behind-the-scenes tour has evolved into Dublin's most popular tourist attraction.

No longer really a working brewery, it's still both interesting and fun. Now the Guinness Storehouse, it's open every day, with the last tour at 5 p.m. Guinness Storehouse, St. James Gate, Dublin, guinness-storehouse.com

We also recommend a visit to Victorian Park, St. Stephens's Green. There are miles of paths to stroll through the gardens, and play areas for children. They have frequent scheduled events and free outdoor concerts in the summer.

Another must-see in Dublin is Trinity College, it's library and the Book of Kells. This is an ancient Gospel text and one of the most significant examples of medieval publishing.The book is from the 8th century and lavishly illustrated.Different parts of the book are shown at different times to aid in conservation.

The library is filled with historic texts and others are also on display.This can get crowded, so its best to see it early in the morning. Just visiting the Trinity College campus is an enjoyable experience, many buildings are from the 18th century.

Dining in Dublin is another great reason to visit. We've had some wonderful meals at The Tea Room in The Clarence. It's a beautiful property, also right near the Temple Bar area and tourist sites. Rooms start around $200 per night.

The Tea Room features Irish cuisine and is considered one of the best in Dublin. The Tea Room, Clarence Hotel, 6-8 Wellington Quay, Dublin, theclarence.ie/tearoom-restaurant