Sunny days in Dublin

It's so unusual to have sunshine in Ireland and this weekend we were lucky enough to have not just one day but two - both Saturday and Sunday were divine.  So while the sun shone I took the opportunity to make hay and I spent both days outdoors!

On Saturday I divided my time between laying out in the sun in St Stephen's Green, and sitting outside Starbucks (on their patio) enjoying the sun and people watching.

And then! On Sunday I was hosting Enid and Alice for brunch.  On Saturday I had the brainwave that if was sunny on the Sunday we should have a picnic rather than cooped up in my little flat.  I texted my idea to the gals and the pair of them were delighted with the idea - and excited about it - back to the fact that we just don't get days like this in Ireland!

Sunday was a big success.  I've posted a few photos below which I think capture the vibe :-) For food I did shrimp, salmon and avocado, hummus and crackers, pate and sourdough bread.  For dessert Alice brought little mini brownies and I brought Key Lime Pie which we were delighted about - and prompted lots of conversation about how much we love Key West.

Can you believe it?  We ended up meeting at 11.30am and just hanging out in Merrion Square until 5pm that afternoon!  Such a good day.

 



Outdoor cinema Merrion Square - La La Land

Last week an ad for a screening of La La Land caught my eye on facebook which I thought looked really good.  Then as chance would have it Enid messaged me the very next day saying she had seen it and was I interested.  So I said I was and I also messaged Cousin Kasey to see if she was around and wanted to go.

As you know I absolutely adore La La Land.  I saw it twice in the cinema, borrowed it on dvd from the library and also watched it on the plane over to Oman earlier this year.  I wrote about it previously in my blog here.

I'd never been to an outdoor cinema, but Enid had (in Florida and in Sydney) and was telling us how even on really sunny days, once the sun went down it got cold.  So! Being Ireland and all we prepared on this basis.  We had chairs and blankets to wrap around us.  I wore my winter puffa jacket and yes, I wore a hat as you can see in the pic below.  And gloves!  I know this probably sounds a bit of an overreaction or over preparation but I'm a cold person...once then cold gets into me I am a goner.

So I'm happy to report the night went great. It did get cold - but were lovely and warm (we did actually see people leaving early who had not put as much military precision into their planning.

And the film! The film of course was wonderful.  And it really whetted my appetite for my next viewing of La La Land - Enid and I have tickets for a showing in the Grand Canal Theatre (in September) accompanied by the RTE orchestra playing the score which I just know is going to be even more wonderful.



Exciting times

Stuff.  That is going on.

 

Enid moved job! 

She has left Fingal library services after 17 years and is moving to a new library in a different area. 

Before Enid starts the new job she is going on a holiday.  Which means Bones is going to his grandparents!  T'his is him being dropped over - that dog gets more like a baby every day.

There is a funny story about Bones and when he stayed/stays in Lyttle Holme (well a few stories actually).  So first one is that he is only recently back staying with Mam and Dad.  This is because of some bad behaviour a couple of Christmasses ago involving incidents of eating things he shouldn't have namely two cupcakes, a Christmas pudding AND a little small antique book.  Come on! Seriously Bones! A book?? Enid denies it but I was there and saw it all!

Anyway Enid was stuck for a minder a while back and Mam said she'd take him again.  And wait for this.  He now sleeps on the bed with the two of them, and gets gravy on his doggy biscuits.  She has him ruined! 

So good/exciting times for Enid.  I am excited for her.  I've lots of good stuff happening too :-)  So here is a happy excited kitten with a cute little face for both of us.

 

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What's been going on in Merrion Street these days?

 

Today there was a large pro-life rally held on Merrion Square.  No doubt we will see lots of pro life and pro choice rallies from here until the proposed referendum happens next year.

 

These aren't great photos but it made me laugh when I saw this earlier this week

Three journalists standing outside Government buildings

 

The umbrellas aren't clear but they were from RTE, TV3 and FM104. 

It made me think of the end of Anchorman when the tv hosts arrive from all the different networks and channels, and at 7.30am in the morning it made me smile.

 

Georgian Doors, Dublin

Phew!  So I have had the most enjoyable time pottering around Merrion Street & Square and Fitzwilliam Street & Square and a few other streets in between.  But boy did I have trouble uploading all the photographs on my stupid laptop to this blog - I nearly threw it out the window in frustration.  Anyway I do hope this post is worth it all - it's something I've wanted to blog about for a while now so I think it will...as I said, let's hope so anyway!

The inspiration for this post comes from a video I saw some time back where a fabulous Marian Finucane, an architect student aged 19, is interviewed and tells us (in her wonderfully plummy accent) why she thinks it's important that Georgian Dublin is preserved.  Marian is of course better known as a broadcaster now...and while she still has that beautifully plummy accent, to me she also has the gravelly tone of someone who has smoked 20 Benson & Hedges a day since her time as a student...and I say that with great respect!

Anyway I digress. 

The video link is here:

http://www.rte.ie/archives/exhibitions/1862-before-fame/471725-marian-finucane-architectural-student-and-activist/

Dublin is famous for it's Georgian terraced streets.  I've always loved looking at them and like a lot of people particularly the doors and the fanlights above the door - decorative now but originally installed as an important function.  So for the sake of posterity (as a lot of my posts are) I took a jaunt around on my bike this morning and snapped a few pics.  It was interesting to see the difference between them all - there really is no one style, so while it's just a selection below it does actually represent the doors/houses as a collection which ultimately do conform as a collective even with their differences.

  

This lovely pink door is beside Government buildings/opposite the Merrion hotel.  It's not exactly a heritage colour is it, and for that I like it a lot!

Some of the doors are particularly ornate.  But it is more common to see plainer ones.  For that reason I did seek out some of the fancier ones to post here.  They wouldn't be to my (simpler!)  taste at all but I am sure there are lots of people out there who really enjoy them.

This one is so beautiful and pristine. 

It's a little too pristine for me...with a lot of things in my life I prefer a quirkiness or a slightly unfinished look sometimes...yeah strange I know but there you go.  But no one (including me) can deny that this is beautiful.

Another ornate one for your viewing pleasure!

Check out the beautiful fanlight above the door on this example

Sure you could practically be back in the 1800's couldn't you!

This is from Fitzwilliam Square East which seems a little grander than South and West.  Different builders/developers maybe ;-) Ok so I was joking typing but that could well have been the reason??  Or maybe just built at different times.

How beautiful are these two! (Merrion Square)

Plus these two beauties! On Merrion Square also

The new sign says Fitzwilliam Street. The old one below says Mansion House Ward.

I've looked this up on the net and can finding nothing further but I have a vague inkling that Dublin used to be divided up into what was known as wards??  If anyone knows anything further I'd be delighted if you'd post in the comment section at the end of the blog,  I will do some more digging also and see if I can find out anything more...

Oh!

This one here is another piece of inspiration for this blog!  So about a year ago I first saw it. Literally the only "derelict" house in the vicinity.  So I specifically wanted to get a photo of it today - I was going to make a silly joke about needing to get Marian on the case to get it restored :-)

Well no need!!!  Skips outside, work in progress!

The sign outside it says "part of the Manor House hotel group of Ireland".  Looks kind of a late 80ish sign to me.  Again I can't find anything on the net.  If anyone knows anything about this group or this hotel I'd love to hear it!

Sigh.  The ESB offices.  I don't think I can add to anything that has not been said before about this development.

Although! I will say, I actually like the building.  I tend to like most Stephenson buildings anyway. But sigh, could they not have just built it somewhere else!!!

Wilde - serviced offices (a relatively new concept to Dublin - oh why helloooo Celtic tiger, ah sure there you are back now already, are you?) on Merrion Square

Another ornate one! Which I think...

...may have been restored/painted like this in 1991.

1991 Dublin city of culture doesn't stand out for me...I guess the Millenium "Dublin's great in '88!" was a hard to act to follow. 

Ah good times, the excitement of the delivery of those Dublin millennium milk bottles will never leave me!! Lol :-)

Look at this interesting fanlight which has a lamp  inbuilt.  It was literally only the one of these I saw.

Nice classic red example

Nice classic blue!

I do love a bright yellow door!

And a lovely classic black

Ok so I saw these - three different style of signs and I was initially thinking why Dublin city council, why?! But you know, now I am thinking, hey that's Dublin, that's Ireland, we're kind of quirky, sure fek it, why not!

Leeson Street

I finished up my mini tour with a visit to the Starbucks on Leeson Lane where tucked away in Leeson Lane, and hidden behind this door is something rather special.

If you are interested click on Enid's blog here to find out more!

Finally!

I finish with!

This is my gaff :-)

And this is Enid's!