“My ex broke up with me days before my holiday so my dad came with me on Euro trip"
- 10 months ago
A dad mended his daughter's broken heart when he joined her on her European trip - after her ex dumped her a week before the holiday.
Emma Di Palma, 23, was shocked when her ex-partner decided to end their year long relationship in July 2023 – just a week before they were due to jet off to Portugal.
Determined to still go on the trip, Emma decided to go it alone but started to get nervous in the days leading up to the holiday.
Her dad, Domenico Di Palma, 59, a retired woodworker, noticed she was anxious to go by herself and offered to join her.
He booked a seat on the plane and the pair jetted off together to Lisbon, Portugal, on July 15, 2023.
The pair spent seven days in Praia de Lagos, Portugal, soaking up the sun on beaches and hiking up on the cliffs before sightseeing in Lisbon for three days.
Emma said the trip has brought them closer together and said her dad coming with her “meant the world”.
Emma, an account manager and marketing director, from Montreal, Canada, said: “A week before we were going my boyfriend broke up with me.
“I asked him to cancel everything and said ‘I’m going to go alone’.
“I started to not feel in a good space to go alone.
“I didn’t want to hook up with men.
“My dad saw I was nervous about doing it alone and asked ‘do you want me to come with you?’
“He booked a seat right next to me.
“It meant the world.
"My dad fixed a broken heart he didn't break."
Emma and Domenico spent their days relaxing, bonding and eating.
They visited the beaches in Praia de Lagos, hiked up cliffs and ate lots of seafood.
Emma said: “Me and my dad love seafood. We bonded over some food we liked.
“I went out at night with some people I met and then relaxed with my dad during the day.”
The dad and daughter duo then travelled back to Lisbon to complete their trip sightseeing and checking out the art in the local churches.
Emma said: “My dad fell in love with the city.
“We walked absolutely everywhere.
“It was a workout.”
The pair enjoyed the local cuisine at restaurants and loved spending quality time talking.
Emma said: “I moved out at 19 and we didn’t have the best relationship growing up.
“I got to know him more about him.
“I asked him more about his life before my mum and before kids.
“He opened up a lot.
“I got to know him on another level.”
Emma said her dad is “very easy going” and they didn’t argue while away together at all.
She said: “Who can say they’ve done a solo trip with their dad to Europe?
“It was really fun."
The trip has also helped Emma heal from her break-up and allowed her to find self-love.
She said: “I was so invested in the relationship I forgot myself.
“It made me realise I don’t want a boyfriend or a man.
“Your 20s are for discovering who you are.
“I need to work on myself big time.”
Emma said the holiday has also reinforced her sense of gratitude for her dad.
She said: “It’s opened my eyes to how much we get along.
“You can’t take your parents for granted.
“He’s done so much for me.
“I cherish my time with him.”
Domenico said: "She was down and her trip was cancelled so her mother and I wanted to do something special for her.
"It was wonderful to be with my daughter. It was so unplanned and welcomed.
"When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade (or Aperol Spritz) we now have great memories.
"I'm sure she will move on and get over the sadness. It has definitely started."
Emma Di Palma, 23, was shocked when her ex-partner decided to end their year long relationship in July 2023 – just a week before they were due to jet off to Portugal.
Determined to still go on the trip, Emma decided to go it alone but started to get nervous in the days leading up to the holiday.
Her dad, Domenico Di Palma, 59, a retired woodworker, noticed she was anxious to go by herself and offered to join her.
He booked a seat on the plane and the pair jetted off together to Lisbon, Portugal, on July 15, 2023.
The pair spent seven days in Praia de Lagos, Portugal, soaking up the sun on beaches and hiking up on the cliffs before sightseeing in Lisbon for three days.
Emma said the trip has brought them closer together and said her dad coming with her “meant the world”.
Emma, an account manager and marketing director, from Montreal, Canada, said: “A week before we were going my boyfriend broke up with me.
“I asked him to cancel everything and said ‘I’m going to go alone’.
“I started to not feel in a good space to go alone.
“I didn’t want to hook up with men.
“My dad saw I was nervous about doing it alone and asked ‘do you want me to come with you?’
“He booked a seat right next to me.
“It meant the world.
"My dad fixed a broken heart he didn't break."
Emma and Domenico spent their days relaxing, bonding and eating.
They visited the beaches in Praia de Lagos, hiked up cliffs and ate lots of seafood.
Emma said: “Me and my dad love seafood. We bonded over some food we liked.
“I went out at night with some people I met and then relaxed with my dad during the day.”
The dad and daughter duo then travelled back to Lisbon to complete their trip sightseeing and checking out the art in the local churches.
Emma said: “My dad fell in love with the city.
“We walked absolutely everywhere.
“It was a workout.”
The pair enjoyed the local cuisine at restaurants and loved spending quality time talking.
Emma said: “I moved out at 19 and we didn’t have the best relationship growing up.
“I got to know him more about him.
“I asked him more about his life before my mum and before kids.
“He opened up a lot.
“I got to know him on another level.”
Emma said her dad is “very easy going” and they didn’t argue while away together at all.
She said: “Who can say they’ve done a solo trip with their dad to Europe?
“It was really fun."
The trip has also helped Emma heal from her break-up and allowed her to find self-love.
She said: “I was so invested in the relationship I forgot myself.
“It made me realise I don’t want a boyfriend or a man.
“Your 20s are for discovering who you are.
“I need to work on myself big time.”
Emma said the holiday has also reinforced her sense of gratitude for her dad.
She said: “It’s opened my eyes to how much we get along.
“You can’t take your parents for granted.
“He’s done so much for me.
“I cherish my time with him.”
Domenico said: "She was down and her trip was cancelled so her mother and I wanted to do something special for her.
"It was wonderful to be with my daughter. It was so unplanned and welcomed.
"When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade (or Aperol Spritz) we now have great memories.
"I'm sure she will move on and get over the sadness. It has definitely started."