Sophie's Restaurant @ The Dean Hotel Dublin, Ireland

Sophie’s Restaurant is located on the rooftop of The Dean Hotel, Dublin, Ireland.

We had heard only good things about it from Hotel Chatter and after checking the menus online, we decided to reserve a table for brunch, dinner and breakfast during our stay at The Dean. Please see also our review.

Arriving at the landing on the 5th floor we were intrigued by the swings.

When entering the restaurant the rest rooms are to the right and the open kitchen to the left.

The interior design was modern. The bar was the center piece with some bar stools to sit around it, booths to the left and tables at every floor to ceiling window, which covered three sides. 

The views were stunning. 

There is also a heated rooftop terrace, where cocktails are served for those, who don’t want to have a meal.

Our brunch

The Maître d’ welcomed us, but had at first problems finding our reservation. We learned it had been booked under my fiancé’s name. As soon as it was cleared we were brought to our table.

It was buzzing on the Sunday afternoon. There were families with small children, a birthday party and couples. The noise level was amazing, but conversations could be still had.

Sometimes it was difficult to get the attention of the waiters, because they were so extremely busy. When we got hold of them they were friendly and accurate.

We ordered two carrot, ginger, apple and kale juices, two cappuccinos, two Eggs Benedict, one homemade granola with Glenilen natural yogurt and honey and one French Toast with Canadian Buckwud maple syrup.

The syrup came in a squirt bottle – a good idea, because customers can decide how much they need.
The coffee and tea are from Clement & Pekoe. The cappuccinos were smooth and milky, just as we like it.

All was very delicious. 

We also liked that the Eggs Benedict came with a grilled tomato and herbs. 

The cost for our brunch was 49.15 Euro (ca. 51.95 USD).

Our dinner

The atmosphere was different when we arrived in the evening. The music was upbeat and the lightning reduced. It might looked like you wouldn’t be able to see what was on your plate. The lightning was cleverly placed, for example over the bar, creating a bright island and over the tables too.

This time around the guests were couples and a small group, celebrating a birthday. 

A waiter soon arrived and took our order.

We had a large bottle of water, a Capone cocktail, an orange juice, the corn fed chicken with charred leeks, potatoes and chorizo foam, the baked hake with kale, brown shrimps, potatoes and tomato dressing, an avocado salad to share, the pana cotta with blueberry jelly and the frangipane with rum raisin ice cream and prunes. 

The cocktail was refreshing and similar to the one I had at the Merrion’s Cellar Bar during brunch there earlier in the year (See also our review).

The chicken and the fish melted in the mouth. The flavors of each dish were very balanced, light and healthy. 

Of course the highlight was the dessert. The pana cotta wasn’t sweet at all, but tasty. The frangipane was fragrant and the contrast between hot cake and cold ice cream was nice.

The staff was attentive and always there when needed. Somehow dinner seemed slightly better organized than brunch. 

We enjoyed our experience and thought the meal was a good value at 82 Euro (ca. 87 USD).
The meal had very high standards and was comparable to our dining experiences at other hotels in Dublin, like The Merrion or the Westbury.

We believe Sophie’s management team has higher ambitions and there is maybe a Bib Gourmand on the horizon in the future.

Our breakfast

After a good night’s rest we arrived for breakfast. Originally we had reserved a table for 08.00 hours, but were running late. It wasn’t a problem. We were the only ones at this early hour on a Monday morning.

In room dining was also in high demand, though, and by the time we left the restaurant had filled up a bit, but wasn’t that busy.

We were given the best table in one of the corners of the restaurant, allowing an at least 180 degree view over Dublin including Dame Street, the Central Bank, St. Patrick’s and Christchurch Cathedral amongst others.

We had also “spies” during brunch and breakfast. Curious seagulls flew by, looking what we humans were up to.

The breakfast and brunch menu were identical. They offered enough choice to try something new.
In this case we had two cappuccinos, carrot, ginger, apple and kale juices, two bagels with cream cheese and smoked salmon, two bowls of fruit salad and a pancake stack with orange butter. Originally we had intended to have a portion of porridge each, but felt this would stuff as too much, so we shared the pancakes. There were three and they were big. The orange butter was melting and all smelled delicious. Buckwud, which means maple syrup in native Canadian, was supplied again.

The juice this time around contained more carrot and ginger than the day before. 

The bagels were delicious and easy to eat. The amount of salmon was just right and the presentation was creative.

The bowls, where the fruit salad came in, were vintage looking with chipped enamel. The other plates, cups and saucers were by Ras Al Kheimah Porcelain. The crockery fit well with the ambience.

Our waitress was one of the members of staff we had the previous afternoon. She recognized us immediately, which was a surprise and pleasure, considering how many guests she had encountered. She was very attentive and took good care of us.

Breakfast came in at 45.45 Euro (ca. 50 USD).

Our take: We liked the contemporary interior, the friendly staff and the different atmospheres during our meals, plus the wonderful views over Dublin from the rooftop.

Brunch, dinner and breakfast were of a very high standard.

The value was good.

We will return later in the year.

©2015

The Dean Hotel Dublin, Ireland

When we first heard The Dean Hotel was going to open here in Dublin, we were looking forward to stay there.

Originally we planned to stay at the Intercontinental Hotel Dublin, the former Four Seasons, but thought the Intercontinental still had the old rooms of the Four Seasons, in which we stayed already twice, while the Dean was new and design driven. Following the reviews on Tripadvisor we heard only positive feedback beside the noise levels.

After booking The Dean, we also made reservations for their restaurant for Brunch, Dinner and Breakfast.

We were in email contact with the hotel, asking for an early check in, if possible, and a quiet room.

The email replies were all very quick and friendly. We were advised that the early check in couldn't be guaranteed, but they would store our luggage, should it not be available.

The Dean Hotel is located in Harcourt Street, just a ca. 10 minute stroll from Grafton Street along St. Stephen's Green Park in the heart of Dublin.

When we entered The Dean we found the Dean Bar to the left and the reception/gift shop to the right. The gift shop sold own branded items and other clothing and accessories from a shop located in Temple Bar, called Indigo & Cloth.

It had a sultry atmosphere. We liked the presentation. There were shelves with old cameras and a globe, dim lightning, booths and communal tables.

The elevators were hidden behind the shelf.

The Rotisserie kitchen was also visible from the bar.

On the day of check in we arrived at around 12.30 hours. Our room wasn't ready, though we could do the check in formalities already. Unfortunately we had some issues with the credit card issuer and were allowed to use the phone at reception to solve the problem. A flight we had booked the previous week had been flagged as suspicious and I had to confirm it was really me, who was trying to use the credit card at the Dean. We were happy we could call without being charged and without quibbles. A sign of good service, we felt already at home at the Dean.

Since we were travelling light and we had already a reservation at Sophie's, we didn't need the luggage storage facility, but it is a nice touch.

A more detailed review is going to follow about Sophie's restaurant.

After our brunch the official check in time of 3 PM had passed. We were handed our keys immediately.

At first we were a bit concerned about security. It was unfounded. Even if the elevators can be used by anyone the floors are only accessible at the landing via key card.

The floor to our room was as moody as the reception area. There was artwork on the floors and colorful carpets kept noise to a minimum. Our room was located on the third floor. There are five floors in total, so we were located in the middle. We had to use a flight of stairs to reach our room. The property might not be suitable for wheelchair users or people with reduced mobility.

We had booked a HiFi Room, the category just below a suite. We thought it would suit us best and was the essence of the hotel. Our room overlooked the backside, not Harcourt Street. We could look into other office buildings and a residential area. The Dean is housed in a former office building and has a classic Georgian facade.

The room was contemporary with orange splashes, dark brown wooden flooring, a colorful carpet, a large bed (two beds pushed together, very comfortable) and aqua blue walls with a photograph of a concert and two paintings.

The sitting area in front of the bed was comfortable too and included an octagonal table with a marble top.

We enjoyed sitting there, having drinks and watching Netflix (included in the room rate and can be watched as much as you like without any extra charge) or CNN. There were also regional channels available, but no Business Channel like Bloomberg.

A lot of thought went into the interior design.

Where it mattered the comfort and lightning was good, be it at Sophie’s Restaurant or elsewhere.

Our room had lots of natural day light due to a corner location and panorama windows. The sun heated up the room, but the air conditioning was working fast and cooled the room quickly. There was also a fan, adding some romance.

The storage units were open, so nothing could be overlooked or forgotten. It looked like a large vintage commode. The top could have been a drawing desk or part of a work bench. There were even water rings on it. In one compartment were LPs including one from Sinead O’Connor, called “I’m not bossy – I’m the boss”. A LP player and amplifier were also available, so you could throw your own parties and play the DJ.

Reading material was provided too, a coffee book called American Artifacts, Finnegan’s Wake by James Joyce and a book combining the poem/lyrics of Leonard Cohen’s “Dance me to the end of love” and paintings of Henri Matisse. I love Leonard Cohen’s music and “Dance me to the end of love” is one of my favorite songs, especially the cover by Madeleine Peyroux.

There was also a writing desk with a makeup mirror.

A full length mirror was located near the entrance.

The WiFi was free, reliable and fast throughout the hotel.

Other unusual items were a modern telephone, designed like it came straight out of the fifties or sixties and a Smeg mini fridge or a hot water bottle.

The iconic Smeg was stocked with the usual suspects, i.e. Coca Cola, but had a lot of interesting items, like Irish Pale Ale, Irish lemonade, coconut and vitamin water. The Munchie Box was very tempting with Broderick Brothers bars (Rocky Road with marshmellows), Nic’s & Ali’s Sours or Cola Bottle gummies and much more. We took a few items. The mini bar is reasonable priced, for example water costs 1.50 Euro (ca. 1.60 USD). We were a bit surprised, though, because we didn’t have to pay for the three bottles we took. It’s own branded water, organic and sourced in Ireland. We love the idea of going global and local at the same time, it's more tempting than an average "chain hotel" mini bar.

Beside the Munchie Box were cups, Barry’s Tea Gold Blend and a Nespresso Coffee Machine with four capsules.

The kettle, hot water bottle and iron were kept in one wooden box underneath the Munchie Box and the hair dryer in another one. It was a professional Remington.

When entering the room the bath room was off to the left.

There was one large white sink with a black tap, a shelf to place our own beauty products, toilet, a heated towel rack and a power shower with a large rainfall showerhead, white and black tiles and a glass divider with The Dean logo printed on it.

Some of the tiles were dark, honey comb shaped which created a nice contrast to the white ones.

The floor in the shower was slightly sloped, so when taking a shower, it didn’t flood the bath room.

There was another shelf for personal items and a mirror, convenient if someone wants to shave.

All amenities were by Grafton Barber. The shower gel, shampoo, conditioner and soap came in metal dispensers. The size was large. We liked the products, but missed the body lotion.

The power shower worked well – the pressure was fantastic - and the water came constantly hot without any problems.

The bed room was quiet as requested and we weren’t disturbed by any noise from surrounding night clubs.

There were ear plugs on the night stands, just in case.

Unfortunately check out approached too fast.

Our take? This is one of the best hotels in Dublin and the 4 Star Superior is rating well deserved.

It’s a beautiful design boutique hotel with 52 rooms, where the design doesn’t go over substance. Our stay was friendly and flawless.

The location is perfect to explore Dublin or stay in, depending what room type you have booked (Punk Bunks are on the smaller side.), binge watching your favorite Netflix show and enjoy a cocktail or a meal and grandiose views over Dublin from the rooftop restaurant and bar. We would highly recommend the HiFi rooms at the Dean.

The food is excellent and the staff is exemplary – friendly, very anticipating, helpful and good looking.

We are missing the hotel already and plan to stay there again in our future.

©2015

Crowne Plaza Northwood Dublin, Ireland

We have stayed before at the Crowne Plaza Northwood, but preferred the neighboring Holiday Inn Express, because the property offered 1000 Bonus Points per stay. Now the bonus points were not available at our favorite property, but at the Crowne Plaza. We were collecting points at IHG's loyalty program, so we booked a night at the property during a weekend in November 2014.

We took the Airlink bus 747 from the city center to Dublin Airport and changed to the Crowne Plaza/Holiday Inn Express free shuttle bus. We had heard there was a new bus, but unfortunately we had on each occasion the older one, which wasn't that comfortable.

Check in was pleasant and we were recognized by a member of staff from previous stays at the Holiday Inn Express. She was delighted to see us and it made us happy too. Since we had achieved gold status within the IHG Rewards Club we were upgraded to an Executive Room with club lounge access, which we appreciated.    The lounge has a Happy Hour during the week, but serves only non-alcoholic drinks and hot beverages during the weekend. Unfortunately it wasn't regularly re-stocked, so when we wanted still water it was already gone on Sunday morning.

Our room was on the 4th floor.

It was large and held mostly in red, brown, white and black with some Asian touches. There was a chair and ottoman. It was comfortable, but didn't face the TV, a slight inconvenience. Even though the room was large, it felt a bit cramped.

The bed allowed for a great night's sleep.

The bathroom was inspired by the Burren.

The amenities were from Temple Spa London, Gilchrist & Soames, a first for us. We liked these upscale products.

The bath tub and shower were separate. The water pressure was very good.

During our stay we also went to Touzai on the ground floor for dinner. There was a special offer available, which we used. We had one two course meal and one three course and a bottle of water for 50.15 Euro (ca. 62.65 USD). The cuisine is Asian (For example fish mouoli and chicken assado were our main courses.) and was good quality and delicious, but the portions were way too large.

The staff was attentive.

Afterwards we went to the bar for hot chocolate, because we received a voucher, which could be only used at the Cinnabar, for a free drink. The bar was extremely busy and under staffed. Our waitress was stressed out and for some reason thought we believed we were entitled to two free drinks. Having cleared we were aware of the voucher was only valid for one drink, she took our order. The hot chocolate was slightly too sweet for our flavor, but otherwise good.


Breakfast was the worst we had in a longer time. There was somebody at the front, but the person only asked for the room number and left us to our own devices. The restaurant was full; there were some uncleared tables and it wasn't obvious which ones were in use and which ones weren't.

The restaurant manager advised us a table would be available soon, so we had to wait, disturbing other guests on the way to and from the buffet.

Finally we received our table and from there it went okay. Again the quality of the breakfast buffet and how it had been treated by other diners, was a letdown.

After breakfast we went for a walk in the park opposite the hotel, it's called Santry Demesne. We do that always, when staying either at the Crowne Plaza or Holiday Inn Express, weather and time permitting.

Check out was done quickly and efficient.

Would we stay here again? Maybe if we need points or have a purpose driven stay before or after a flight.


©2014 

Sunday Brunch @ The Cellar Bar, The Merrion Hotel, Dublin, Ireland

In early February my fiancé and I went to the Sunday Brunch at the Cellar Bar, located at the Merrion Hotel. We had planned it for about two months and reserved a table.

We arrived on time and were warmly greeted by the Maître d'.

Our table was held back for us and just opposite the one we had around one and a half months ago during our lunch. The "Reserved" sign was discreetly removed before we took our seats. The difference between our two tables was the size and shape. Our most recent table was squared and larger, while the other had been round. It was a bit wobbly, though. When we mentioned it, a solution was found immediately. The member of staff was grateful we told her. It shows it's better to communicate when something isn't working before leaving dissatisfied.

The Sunday Brunch is well branded with a sign (proclaiming it's the most stylish) at the top of the stairs leading down to the Cellar Bar & Restaurant and branded "Brunch" coasters, especially created for it.

The brunch menu is published online, so we already knew what we would order and the estimated costs.

There were special brunch cocktails and mocktails available. He had an Orange Crush and myself enjoyed the Brunch Refresher. My better half likes coffee liquor, so he was pleasantly surprised, when the waitress confirmed they offered both Tia Maria and Kahlua. He had a Tia Maria. The measure was generous. My cocktail was refreshing and less sweet than his mocktail. The combination of cucumber and gin worked well.

As starter he had the Charentais Melon with Parma ham and mandarin mustard, while I had the Super Salad with pomegranate, baby spinach, feve and feta cheese. Both were delicious and light. A good beginning to our meal.

Our main courses were Brioche French Toast with berries and scrambled eggs, smoked salmon, bagel and butter.

The French Toast came without maple syrup, but it didn't hurt the dish. It allowed to focus on the berries and the eggy bread. The dish was very light and enjoyable.

The eggs were creamy and hidden under the smoked salmon. The bagel was the best I've ever had so far.

Our desserts were a Banana Caramel Sundae and Choux Buns filled with vanilla ice cream. Both looked stylish and were scrumptious, but light. We chose cafe latte and a cappuccino to accompany our desserts. They came in specifically made glasses. They were well designed, unusual shaped and prevented burning our hands by being made with two layers of glass. They are maybe better suitable for larger hands. I had to hold mine with two to get a better grip. The content was creamy and strong, just as we like it.

Our overall impressions are excellent. The food was delicious and healthy, the staff very attentive and always there when we needed them. They managed the right balance between being warm and professional.

The background music was to our liking - mostly jazz. The volume was right and didn't disturb conversations.

Other guests were a family and couples. The older children were very well behaved and the atmosphere was good, but it wasn't loud.

Having had two good experiences we can only recommend a visit to the Merrion Hotel's Cellar Restaurant and Bar, now we're looking forward to experience this venue again in our future.


©2014

Crowne Plaza Blanchardstown Dublin, Ireland

 Sorry for not updating my blog for a long time. Unfortunately I was extremely busy due to a new job. Hope the wait was worth it. :)

During November 2014 we stayed twice at the Crowne Plaza Dublin-Blanchardstown. A few years earlier we had stayed there already, but while the rooms are nice, the food quality had been low in our opinion at the time, so we didn't return until now, having read a positive review in a local newspaper about their Forchetta Italian Restaurant.

The location is good for shopping at Blanchardstown Shopping Center and upscale dining options. We recommend beside the Forchetta Restaurant in the hotel, Wagamama for Asian casual lunch or dinner.

Access is easy from the airport with the Urbus or from the city center with a number of Buses, for example 39a.The bus stops are located opposite the hotel.


The Crowne Plaza is unusual. It is inspired by nature. Two parrots are kept in a cage in the lobby and called Bubble & Squeak. It is an attraction for old and young. We enjoyed watching them for a while.

The lobby is large with the Sanctuary Bar and Forchetta Restaurant to the right and the reception to the left.

Even though we hadn't stayed for a longer time there, we were recognized on both occassions as returning guests, which was positive.

We booked an entrance category room and received the same on both occassions. The first time there was a bottle of red wine, free water and a fruit basket waiting for us, because we were just one stay away from achieving Gold status at the IHG Priority Club Rewards program and also a voucher for a free dessert at Forchetta Restaurant. The next time we only received a bottle of water. By then we were already gold members It was inconsistent and disappointing to be treated that way, especially after we've achieved Gold with IHG.

The flower theme continued in all the rooms. The silver tapestry was especially beautiful. Each room was comfortable and had different color schemes, lay outs and views.

One room was held in red, had views over the motorway and a seating area at the window. The other was kept in blue tones and had a seating area in front of the bed and views over the shopping mall.

We preferred the layout of the first room which might have been an Deluxe room on a higher floor.

On both occasions we also had dinner. Forchetta serves Italian cuisine. We enjoyed the meals including toasted bread with cod, gnocci and Panna Cotta. It was delicious and the value good.

Breakfast was a different matter and unfortunately not so high quality as the dinner was, so we had it only once.
There was a dish I liked. The breakfast potatoes are delicious.

All staff were warm and efficient.

Would we return? Maybe. If we need some additional points or take part at a promotion.

 ©2014

The Cellar Bar @ The Merrion Hotel Dublin, Ireland

Originally we wanted to have Christmas Brunch at Balfes, but unfortunately they were fully booked.

We went to the Cellar Bar & Restaurant at The Merrion Hotel and were lucky. They had a table available for us.

The Cellar Bar is located in the cellars of the main building of the hotel. It is an 18th century Georgian house and the cellar is magnificent, looking rustic with exposed bricks, arches and very thick walls.

We had a large table for two. The bar was already full, but the staff managed the crowd well.

Fellow diners were other couples and families, some with very small children, others with teenagers.  All of them were well behaved and the atmosphere was good.

Our waitress was attentive and no matter how busy it got, she was there when we needed her.

We ordered a large bottle of still water, a Red Nose Reindeer Cocktail, an Espresso Martini and a Cappuccino.

The Red Nose Reindeer was a Christmas special and contained Makers Mark, orange juice, grenadine and lemonade.

The Espresso Martini was made with Illy Coffee Liquor. It was delicious.

The Cappuccino was creamy and smooth, so very good as well.

He had a three course meal, while I had a two course.

He started with leek and potato soup. It was smooth and tasty.

Next came the pasta with aubergine, ricotta and tomato sauce and the steak sandwich. When ordering the sandwich I was offered fries or crisps. Since I'm not a fan, I received a generous portion of salad instead without prompting.
We liked both dishes. The steak sandwich was moreish and especially delicious thanks to the roasted onion and saffron mayonnaise.

Our desserts were a slice of Coolattin Cheese with condiments, mango sorbet and a glazed chocolate dome with clementine coulis. As always the dessert was the highlight.

The friendly staff found also time for a quick chat, but was never intrusive. That's how we love it.

The bill came in at 76 Euro (ca. 95 USD).

Would we return? Yes, it was worth our time and money.

 ©2014

Punished Together

Frieda Noose was searching frantically for her children. They had vanished during a shopping trip. She was worried something had happened to Sol and Casey. Frieda found out to her dismay they had hidden from her, but watched her closely and had some fun. Frieda wasn't amused. In fact she was fuming and barely kept her temper in check. Frieda was glad she had herself under control. The temptation to smack her seven and a half year old daughter and four year old son was there. Instead Frieda grabbed her kids by the hand and left the store with them, walking briskly. She was silent until they reached their car. Frieda barked at her kids: "Get in!" By now Casey and Sol realized their mother was upset with them. When they were all sitting at the back and the doors were closed Frieda started her lecture. "Don't do that ever again! I was so scared you were lost! Casey, you are old enough to know hiding from me is wrong and that I would be worried. Involving your brother is even worse! I'm disappointed in both of you! I'm considering going home immediately..." "But Mommy, you promised us to go to the toy store!" Casey protested. "Didn't I say we would go there, when you are good?" Casey had heard it, but it had gone in one ear and out the other. Sol's eyes filled with tears. He had been looking forward to check out dinosaurs and Lego sets. Suddenly the prank didn't seem that funny and seeing how disappointed their mother was, Sol felt guilty. He climbed on Frieda's lap, snuggled close to her and said: "Sorry, Mommy. I didn't want to scare you. I will be good. I promise." Frieda didn't say a word for a moment. She was still very angry. "It's okay, honey. You made a mistake and hopefully you have learned from it." "Yes, Mommy." Sol replied meekly. They hugged. Frieda turned a gimlet eye to her daughter. "So, Casey, do you think you behaved in such a manner you have earned going to Toys'r'us?" Even if Casey had inherited Frieda's black hair, heart shaped face and brown eyes, she was very similar to Frieda's husband Fin, who could be own minded and stubborn on occasion. Casey didn't want to admit she had done something wrong. She stared at her mother with crossed arms and a scowl on her face. Frieda tried to stay calm. When Casey still didn't answer after a tense silence, Frieda said quiet: "Answer me, please. I'd like to have your opinion." There was a bit of a threat in Frieda's voice, so Casey thought it was better to admit she hadn't been that good behaved, before she made her mother even madder. Frieda could get very unpleasant if she felt she wasn't taken serious. Frieda took into consideration to go to the toy shop, but thought she had to reward and praise appropriate behaviour and to punish serious misdemeanors, so she had to go through with what she had said earlier. Sol burst into tears and Casey sulked. Frieda comforted Sol by saying: "I love you two very much, but you caused me great grief today. Just because we don't go today to see toys doesn't mean we are never going. If you are two little angels for the next few days, I'm sure we can maybe even Daddy convince to go on an outing with us." The promise worked like a treat for Sol. He stopped crying pretty soon, not so with Casey. She refused outright to return to the mall for grocery shopping. Frieda was okay with that. She left Casey with the babysitter service of the mall, which made her daughter not happier. Casey had planned to black mail Frieda, but it had back fired.
Sol wanted to come with Frieda. He liked helping his Mommy fetching and choosing groceries. He generally wasn't holding a long grudge and was easy going like his mother. He looked like a miniature copy of his father.
After the completion of their tasks Sol and Frieda picked up Casey. Frieda had regained her psychological balance again and her anger was gone.

At dinner Casey was still sullen. Knowing her daughter Frieda wasn't surprised. It took Casey a day or two to let go of events that upset her. Fin, who had managed to be home for the meal, but hadn't had time to catch up with Frieda, sensed the undercurrents and was wondering what had happened.
He and Frieda found a quiet moment. Fin wasn't amused about the prank. He understood his wife completely. Whenever the kids misbehaved and Frieda deemed it necessary to net out a punishment, he backed her up.
The kids knew playing out a parent against the other didn't work.
Fin brought the kids to bed and had a chat with Casey. Fin and Casey's thought processes worked similar, so he could easily walk in her shoes. He managed to explain to Casey why Frieda was disappointed and angry and made Casey understand her mother better. It helped keeping the sulking to a minimum and the next morning Casey was back to normal.

Frieda asked Fin after the kids were asleep if he and his brother Mike had ever been punished together. She knew she was walking on treacherous ground and might open old wounds. Fin thought about it for a moment. "Well, let's put it that way we might were in trouble at the same time and sometimes got a warning smack in front of each other, but that was it. In most cases Mike managed to wriggle out of the situation by claiming I was responsible and my parents believed him, so I was the one, who ended up with a sore bottom. I remember only one occasion, when we were both punished for the same thing at roughly the same time, but in separate rooms." "Why were you spanked?" Fin grinned. "Our neighbor, Mike and I were in disagreement. I was around nine and Mike eight. Mike and I loved at the time nothing more than playing soccer in our garden. A few of the shots went wild, and well, the ball ended up in the neighbor's garden. She was an old lady and very proud of her prize winning flowers, so she was very disturbed and annoyed about it. She always swore at us, talked to our parents about it, who told us off, and confiscated our ball, when it happened again. Mike and I were very angry about the mistreatment and swore to get revenge. I came up with the idea to climb over the wall and pee on Mrs. Tomczyk's terrace. Stupid - I know." Fin and Frieda giggled. "Mike agreed it was a brilliant idea, so when we both had to wee we sprang into action. As bad luck would have it Mrs. Tomczyk was at home and saw us. She was quite fast I can tell you." Fin smiled at the memory. "We didn't even have a chance to zip up our trousers, she had us grabbed by the ears and we were on our way home. Mom and Dad were outraged about our little prank. They scolded us right in front of Mrs. Tomczyk. Of course we had to apologize and Mrs. Tomczyk was promised we were going to be punished. I knew what it meant for me. I wasn't sure how our parents planned to deal with Mike, though. We were ordered to our rooms. Waiting was awful. I tried to figure out if I was going to allowed to keep on my underpants or if I would be caned on the bare and how many strokes I was going to get. It didn't take long until I heard Mom and Dad approaching. I shivered. Mom entered my room, cane in hand, without knocking. To my surprise she was alone. Normally - no matter who spanked me - both parents were present during my punishment. She told me off about my disgraceful behavior again. I listened with one ear, because I thought I had heard Mike cry out. I heard him again, this time louder, so I knew he was being spanked as well. It was a small comfort. My mother told me to lower my pants and to bend over my writing desk. I only realized then that I had opened my window earlier in the day and hadn't closed it yet. I didn't dare ask my mother to move again. She said: "You are going to get four strokes." I was dreading it and hated the three ft. long cane. It inflicted so much pain." Fin was silent for a moment. His blue grey eyes had changed color and were more blue than grey, a sign he was upset or angry. Fin continued. "Mom was merciless. She brought the cane down with a flick of her wrist, hard. As always for a few seconds I didn't feel anything and then there was the searing pain. Even so I knew what to expect, the stroke took me by surprise and knocked the air out of me. My mother waited until the fire in my behind was a bit subsiding, before she lined up the next lash. The pain from the second stroke merged with the first. It was unbearable and I cried out. My eyes filled with tears. I hoped I could hold them back a bit longer. It didn't work. I burst into tears, when the cane landed at the center of my buttocks. I nearly jumped up, because it hurt a great deal. Holding on for dear life, I waited and waited... Mom took her time. Finally she flicked the cane across my sit spots. I screamed at the top of my lungs and I cried now unrestrained. I was so concentrated on the fire in my behind, I didn't hear Mom telling me I could get up. She repeated herself a couple of times, before my body functioned more normally again. I wasn't happy about Mom's tries to comfort me. When she hugged me I tensed, so she gave up, frustrated. Mom had just hurt and humiliated me, so I thought she was two faced and not serious about consoling me. I was also upset, because I thought it was unfair Mike got away relatively easy. Okay, he got - I would guess - something between eight and sixteen smacks and they definitely hurt, but while his pain was gone by the evening, I was still smarting the next day and it was impossible for me to sit. Any signs of his spanking would have vanished within hours; my tramlines stayed for two weeks. Mike had the higher embarrassment factor, because he was spanked on the bare. Not that my underpants offered a lot of protection from the cane. My brother had the lighter spanker. Dad always was a little bit softer than Mom, but he made me cry as much as Mom did. Of course I couldn't say anything about my feelings. I feared I would make it worse for myself if I would bring it up, so I kept quiet. Like Casey I was holding a long grudge, but I was better than she is. I think on this occasion I ignored my parents for a week." Frieda didn't know if Fin wanted comfort, but thought it couldn't hurt. She put a hand on his tanned arm. "I'm sorry." "Hm, it wasn't the worst caning I've got and one of the fairer ones. Mike and I were so careful afterwards the soccer ball never again ended up in Mrs. Tomczyk's garden, so I guess we both had learned the hard way." Frieda and Fin looked up startled. They thought they had heard Sol sobbing. Frieda went to investigate. She found Sol behind the kitchen door, crying. "What's wrong, honey? Did you have a bad dream?" Frieda crouched down. "I was thirsty and I... I heard what Daddy said." Frieda picked up Sol and brought him to the kitchen. She thought it was better Sol spoke with his father. Depositing Sol on Fin's lap, Frieda made hot chocolate for all of them.
Sol was hugging Fin tightly. "What's bothering you, sweetie?" Fin asked. "Your Mommy and Daddy weren't nice to you." "No, unfortunately they weren't." Fin confirmed. "I'm sad about it." "That's very generous of you, Sol." Fin smiled against his will. He was proud Sol showed empathy. Frieda and he must have done something right. "You don't have to be sad, though. I'm still alive. Growing up the way I did made me decide I wanted to be a different type of father, so all's good." "Don't you miss your Mommy and Daddy?" Since there was no love lost between Fin and his parents and they had parted acrimoniously a long time ago, Fin didn't. "No. It is better for all of us if we don't see each other. We have our own lives." "I would miss you." Sol said seriously. "I would miss you too, sweetie, but we don't want to go different ways, so we don't have to miss each other. Or do you plan to be a big boy and move out tomorrow?" Fin asked with a twinkle in his eyes. Sol giggled. "Noo." He said. "I'm happy to hear it." The hot chocolate was ready and Sol had asked all his questions and seemed satisfied with the answers. After his thirst was quenched he went to bed.
Fin checked later on his sleeping children and was amazed how deep he felt for them. Love was a strange thing. Fin had come a long way. At first he didn't want children. His biggest fear was he would turn out as brutal and uncaring as his parents. Frieda's pregnancy with Casey was an emotional roller coaster ride for Fin, but he fell immediately in love with his daughter when he held her in his arms shortly after she was born. It wasn't the same with Sol. Fin had originally wanted a second daughter and was convinced Sol would be a girl. For about one and a half months Fin had felt betrayed Sol was a boy. Fin realized he was heading down the same path as his parents had with him, corrected his behavior in time and learned to fall in love with his son too. Now living without Sol would have been unthinkable for Fin.

The kids were very well behaved for the next few days, so their reward was to visit the toy shop as promised and their Dad was also coming with them, which was a highlight for them.

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