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