Happy Birthday

This year, Michael and I were to have a very special birthday present – a visit from James and Amber.  We were so excited to have them visit Dublin and were eager to show them the sights.  They arrived on Friday evening and we celebrated with a rib roast.  There is nothing like a roast meal cooked by your mum, is there?  We spent the evening catching up on news and planning the weekend.  It was so good to see them again.

A reasonably early start to the day saw us take the scenic route into the city, pointing out the places of interest along the way.  First stop was the Guinness Storehouse – where else?  This was our third visit here and we still found it interesting.  James and Amber enjoyed touring the premises and James and Michael especially enjoyed the tasting.  We also had a very good lunch there at a recently opened restaurant.

Next was a trip on the Hop On, Hop Off bus.  It is a good way to see the city and the commentary is always interesting.  Our driver fancied himself as a comedian, so he regaled us with a few jokes along the way and even sang us a very sad song.  The bus came to a virtual standstill at one point, as there were two protests taking place in Dublin.  One protest was the Women’s March and the other seemed to consist of people protesting anything that they fancied – banks, water charges etc.  We hopped off the bus as we weren’t going to be moving for a while, and took the opportunity to show James and Amber the centre of Dublin, squeezing in an Irish coffee along the way to stave off the cold before heading down to Temple Bar for a pre dinner drink.

 

My birthday dinner was held at Darwins Restaurant, the theme of which is based on Charles Darwin’s “origin of the species”.  We all chose steak for our main course and were treated to a fine meal paired with excellent wine.  I think that we all ate too much however the meal was too good to leave on the plate.  We then waddled down to Temple Bar for a whiskey tasting at the Vat House Bar.  There was also a band playing Irish music.  Drinking whiskey and Irish music – it doesn’t get any more Irish than that.

The Irish weather didn’t let us down for a second day, so we took another scenic walk into the city, stopping along the way for a coffee. First stop was The Little Museum of Dublin, one of Michael’s favourite places to visit.  We decided against doing the guided tour as time was against us and instead wandered the various exhibits by ourselves.  I think James and Amber obtained a brief overview of Irish history.

Next, it was back onto the bus to head up to the Teeling Whiskey Distillery.  Teelings have been making whiskey since 1782, however this distillery has only been open since 2015.  Michael and I had visited the distillery before, however this was to be our first tasting there.  We sat up at the bar and young gentleman talked us through the tasting of 5 different whiskeys, imparting his knowledge and tasting tips along the way.  It was all very interesting and all of the whiskeys were very good.  We finished with a tasting of Poitin, a clear Irish spirit, famous for its alcohol strength.  It was actually very smooth, not at all like one that Michael and I had tried previously.  James and Amber purchased a bottle of single malt for Michael, which I am sure he will enjoy (and maybe share with me).

 

Michael’s birthday lunch was at FX Buckley where we all ordered the Sunday roast – beef rib roast.  We certainly had our meat quota over the weekend.  Once again the meal was paired with a good bottle of wine in pleasant surroundings.

We had time for one last coffee in Temple Bar before it was time to head home to pick up James and Amber’s suitcases so that they could catch the bus to the airport.  We took them to the bus stop where after a bit of a kerfuffle (they nearly ended up going to Belfast instead of the airport), we finally waved them off in a taxi instead.  It was a little sad saying goodbye however we know that we will see them again in March, when Michael and I will visit them in London.  Michael and I agree that this was our “Best.  Birthday.  Ever!”

We Are Family

Three wise men

Christmas was nearly upon us, and Michael and I were as excited as a couple of kids as we flew to London for what was to be a Herring family reunion.  Our plane was delayed a few hours due to Storm Barbara which lashed Ireland and the UK with high winds however not even the tedium of waiting at the overcrowded airport could dampen our spirits.  We finally arrived at our hotel in Aldgate East just after midnight and were pleased to find our hotel was both in a convenient location and comfortable.

It was a cold Christmas Eve morning (2 degrees) and Michael and I impatiently walked around London until it was finally time to head to James and Amber’s home.  It was lovely to see them again and Amber had done an amazing job decorating the house with beautiful twinkling lights and her Christmas tree looked like something out of a fairy tale.  We didn’t have long to wait before Tim and Jess arrived.  They had flown in from Iceland and looked healthy, happy and relaxed and needless to say, it was wonderful to see them again.

 

We all took a walk along the canal to the Broadway Market.  Unfortunately the market was closing up as we arrived however we did manage to snaffle a quick Scotch egg.  Lunch was at a gourmet pizza parlour and it was great to hear what everyone had been up to.  Our conversation continued onto a pub in Angel before Michael and I headed back to our hotel as we all wanted to be fresh for Santa’s visit.

 

The Herrings had last celebrated Christmas all together six years ago, so we were very much looking forward to the day.  James and Tim cooked a breakfast of scrambled eggs for us all and then it was time to see what Santa had brought as well as to tackle the mound of presents under the tree whilst sipping champagne.  We then spent the afternoon playing Cranium- a board game, which is a mix of charades, general knowledge and music trivia.  We teamed up as girls versus boys and the game certainly provided us with a few laughs.  I think that one of James’ aunts would be horrified to learn that he was unable to hum Rule Britannia, as he didn’t know the tune!  We stopped play to watch the Queen’s Christmas message and I couldn’t help but feel thrilled that I was actually watching the broadcast in England surrounded by my family.  What a privilege and the day wasn’t over yet.  James and Amber had booked Christmas dinner for us at one of Gordon Ramsay’s restaurants, the York and Albany.  We started the meal with a sparkling wine from Kent followed by what can only be described as a wonderful meal.  I departed from the traditional turkey on offer and instead ordered beef wellington – superb!  I also opted out of the Christmas pudding, ordering a passionfruit chocolate bar – delicious!  It was the perfect end to a perfect Christmas and one that I will always remember with a smile.

 

We had a late start to Boxing Day (or St Stephen’s Day as they say in Ireland), meeting for coffee near Brick Lane.  It was challenging finding a café that was open and we ended up near the Borough Market for breakfast.  Jess headed off to spend the day with friends, leaving Tim, James and Amber and us to wander about the city and check out some of the sales.  It was interesting seeing the crowds grow as the day went on and it was magical watching the Christmas lights illuminate the streets, as the skies grew dark.  We finished the day with a very nice Greek meal.

 

The following day we all met for coffee at the Attendant in Fitzrovia, (the café in the old public toilet), before Tim and Jess left us to hit the sales, leaving Amber and James to entertain us and they certainly did that, taking us on a murder mystery walk.  The trail began near the Monument and we had a number of clues that we needed to solve as we moved around the various locations.  I would have told you prior to completing this trail, that there was not much you could show me in London that I hadn’t already seen.  How wrong can you be?  Within minutes of starting the hunt we were walking down streets and alleys that I had never entered before and discovered churches and buildings that I didn’t know existed.  It was particularly thrilling to come across the George and Vulture, the setting for a number of exploits in the Pickwick Papers.  We saw places that we had visited before with fresh eyes as the clues made us examine them closely and revealed some hitherto unknown fact or detail.  It was a really fun way to spend an afternoon.

 

We met up with Tim and Jess again at our hotel before we all headed down to Brick Lane for a very nice meal (no beef vindaloo though).  It was then time for one of the highlights of our stay.  One of my many Christmas presents had been a ticket for the Jack the Ripper tour and so we all set out to meet our guide outside the Whitechapel Gallery.  Our guide was dressed in Victorian costume and regaled us with the horrifying details of the murders in his cockney accent while guiding us through the streets to the various locations of importance.  I had long wanted to do this tour and I was not disappointed.  It was a particularly cold and dark evening, which added to the atmosphere and made it easy to imagine just what it had been like in those times.  The streets have changed over time and many of the buildings have since been demolished however the guide showed us photos from the era, including some rather gruesome autopsy photos.  I was very pleased with my Christmas present.

East End milk float

James and Amber had booked brunch for us all at the Modern Pantry in Clerkenwell and we had a lovely meal there before all going our separate ways for the day.  James had given us instructions for another murder mystery walk, this time set in and around Temple and Fleet Street, so Michael and I headed off on our mission (I think that James found the ideal way to keep the “oldies” entertained).  Once again we found ourselves discovering innumerable little lanes and courts on our quest and we had a very enjoyable afternoon with James joining us to help us over the finish line.  Late lunch was at the Old Bank of England where Tim and Jess joined us for a drink.  In the evening the 5 of us headed into Angel for a night of stand up comedy, (Amber was not well, so wisely decided against venturing out into the cold).  Most of the comedians were very funny with just a couple seeming a little too weird for me and thankfully none of our group was picked on during the acts.  Once again it was a fun way to spend an evening and it was certainly not something that Michael and I do on a regular basis.

Michael and I spent a leisurely morning checking out various shops around the city before lunching at San Carlo Cicchetti in Piccadilly.  This is the sister restaurant of the one in Convent Garden that I went to on my earlier visit with Christine and Anne.  The meal was excellent and then it was off to meet the boys and girls.

Our main Christmas present to the boys and their partners was tickets to see The Book of Mormon.  We met at the Prince of Wales Theatre and settled in for two and half hours of non-stop entertainment.  The show was very funny with great singing and dancing and was an excellent send-up of Mormonism.  We all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and I can recommend the show (it is a little rude but not as rude as one would expect from the creators of South Park).

Dinner was a very nice steak and kidney pudding (with real suet) at the Duke of Wellington before we headed back to James and Amber’s for another round of Cranium.  I will never hear the phrase “party animal” without cracking up again!

 

We all caught up with Michael’s godmother Margaret at Charing Cross station and took a walk down to Notes for a coffee and a catch up.  It was great seeing Margaret looking so well and we all took turns in bringing each other up to date on what we have been doing.  Jess then left us as she was off to see Aladdin in the West End with her friend and we all took a stroll to check out the shops around Jermyn Street.  Lunch was a good pub meal at the Coach and Horses and then it was time to say goodbye once more to Margaret.  Hopefully it won’t be too long until we catch up with her again.

James booked dinner for us at Smokehouse in Islington, a short walk from his apartment.  The pub was very popular and packed with diners and drinkers alike.  My meal was superb – a dish of lamb covered with melted cheese, and aside from my attempt to set myself alight with a dinner candle, it was a very enjoyable evening.

Michael and I met up with Tim after his morning run for a coffee at the Broadway Market (perhaps we should have joined him on his run as all we have seemed to do is eat since our arrival in London).  It was good to spend a little time with him on his own before he ran back to James’ and Michael and I continued on our way.  We had the day to ourselves as the others had their own plans for the day and evening ahead.

First stop was the Borough Market for a bacon and egg roll.  Then we walked, and walked and then walked some more.  In total we covered 26.6 km that day stopping only for lunch at the Shepherds Tavern.  Wendy Richard (Miss Brahms from Are You Being Served and of course, Pauline Fowler from Eastenders) lived in this pub from 1948-1953 and the pub also featured in scenes in the Alfred Hitchcock film, Stagefright, which was filmed here.  I was grateful to put my feet up for a while before heading out again.

Michael wasn’t feeling too well in the evening so we didn’t venture out to see in the New Year.  In fact, we gave dinner a miss altogether and we were in bed asleep by 10 pm.  What a couple of ragers!

Happy New Year!  It was a very soggy start to the new 2017 as it absolutely poured with rain.  We really couldn’t complain though as we had enjoyed beautiful (if a little chilly) weather to date.  Michael and I had planned to watch the big parade however it really wouldn’t have been much fun in the wet.  Instead, we took a bus trip to Sloane Square, thinking that we could look at all of the Christmas decorations along the route while staying dry.  It was a good plan however it didn’t allow for the fact that cold, wet weather outside meant fogged up bus windows inside!  We gave up on that idea and caught the train back to our hotel where we relaxed until the others emerged from slumber and it was safe to head over to see them.

We decided on a Sunday roast for dinner at a pub in Angel called The Narrow Boat situated on Regent’s Canal.  It was a   very nice meal and a fitting send off for Tim and Jess who had an early flight home to Melbourne the following morning.  It was sad saying goodbye, especially as we don’t know exactly when we will see them again, however we had a great time altogether and I am thankful that they made the effort to come and spend Christmas with us.

James and Amber had things to do in the morning, so Michael and I headed into Shoreditch to explore the area.  We visited a church that we had passed on many occasions – St Leonards.  This old church is dedicated to the patron saint of prisoners and the mentally ill.  It is known as the actors’ church (not to be confused with the one in Covent Garden), as many actors from the Tudor period are buried there.  The current church was built in the eighteenth century replacing the previous one, which had collapsed due to the foundations being washed away by the nearby Wallbrook River.  It is also the church mentioned in the nursery rhyme Oranges and Lemons.  It is a fascinating building, which has been partially restored however it needs further attention to return it to its former glory.

We had arranged to meet James and Amber at the Geffrye Museum, as there was a special Christmas Past exhibition showing there.  We had somehow missed this museum on our previous visits.  The museum itself is set in the almshouses of the Ironmongers Company built in 1714 and set among beautiful gardens.  Walking through the museum we viewed displays of living rooms illustrating family life through the centuries.  Each room was set up as though it was Christmas Day, showing how each era celebrated the festive period.  It was a very interesting exhibition even if it was a little disturbing seeing scenes from my childhood shown as “history”. 

Damien Hirst – Exquisite Pain

One final dinner with James and Amber at a Vietnamese restaurant and then it was time to say goodbye.  We thanked them for a truly wonderful Christmas and we weren’t too sad as we know that we will be seeing them at the end of January when they cross the ocean to visit us in Ireland.

 

One final walk around London took us to another previously unvisited church – St Bartholomew the Great – in Cloth Fair.  St Bart’s was founded as an Augustinian Priory in 1123 and is regarded as having the finest surviving Norman interior in London.  It survived the Great Fire of London and there is a statue erected nearby which marks the spot where the fire stopped.  It was in this church that a memorial service was held in 2005 to mark the 700^th anniversary of William Wallace the Scottish hero’s execution.  The church is very beautiful and we saw the font where William Hogarth was baptised.  A visit to this church was the perfect way to end a truly memorable trip to London.

Spot where the Great fire stopped.

    

    

   

   

 

   

Bologna e Una Regola

Michael and I (well, mainly me) wanted to visit a European Christmas Market, so we flew into Bologna.  It was a nice flight and a short bus ride from the airport to our hotel where we dropped our bags before heading out to explore the city.

Check the lean, the back building is straight!

 

Bologna is a beautiful old city with plazas and lovely buildings with arched colonnades.  We enjoyed walking around to orientate ourselves before heading out to dinner for a traditional ragu alla Bolognese.  This tasty meal is the signature dish of the region and we enjoyed dining in a nice little restaurant called Osteria dell’Orsa (The Bear).

 

The next day was cold (-3 degrees), so we donned our heavy boots, double jackets, hats, scarves and double gloves before venturing outside.  It has been a while since we have experienced such cold weather and it is easy to forget how much time you spend taking your jacket off and then on again.  Breakfast was a delicious cornetto and a coffee standing at a café counter.   

 

We then spent the day wandering around the city in search of the Christmas markets.  The markets sold interesting jewellery, decorations and lovely torrone (festive nougat made with almonds and honey).  We also found a French Christmas market, which sold fabulous French food and lavender among other things.  The markets are nowhere near as large as the German markets, however they were charming and it was nice looking at all that was on offer.  It may not have actually snowed, however it was certainly cold enough for it!

 

The following day we took the little road train high up into the hills to the Sanctuary of the Madonna di San Luca.  Unfortunately, a thick fog had rolled in so we were unable to see the spectacular views from the top.  The church was built in 1723 and is quite lovely with beautiful painted artworks and frescoes and statues.  Once we had finished touring the church we decided to walk down the hill along the 3.8 km Portico di San Luca consisting of 666 arches.  The portico was built to protect the icon, which is paraded up the hill in a yearly procession.  It was a good walk, if a little chilly.

 

Bologna is known as the gastronomic capital of Italy and Michael and I can wholeheartedly agree with that description.  Every meal we ate was superb with wonderful wine, cheese, meats, pasta and pizza.  Then there was the gelato.  It didn’t matter that the temperature was below zero, we couldn’t possibly miss out on a daily serve.  The variety of flavours was astounding and Michael found what was undoubtedly the best gelato store in Bologna.  I would love to return to Bologna, not just for the food but also as it is such a pretty town to visit.

Demonios En Madrid

A short train trip and we were back in Madrid to be reacquainted with this lovely city.  It was nice to see that the welcome banners to the refugees were still in place. 

at the railway station??

Our first stop was the Thyssen-Bornemisza de Madrid.  This wonderful museum has nearly a thousand artworks on display and we spent considerable time wandering about the gallery viewing works by Rubens, Cezanne and Van Gogh among others.  My favourite piece was The Annunciation by El Greco.

 

We also spent a quick hour at the Prado, which opens without charge after 6.00pm.  We literally jogged through the gallery re-visiting the fabulous works by Bosch and, of course, El Greco.

 

The next day we visited the Royal Palace of Madrid which is the official residence of the Spanish Royal Family (although now it is only used for state ceremonies).  The palace was built in 1755 on the site of the old Alcazar.  It is the largest royal palace in Europe by floor area and is filled with artwork by many artists including Caravaggio, Tiepolo and de Goya.  There is also the Royal Armoury and a number of musical instruments including the world’s only complete Stradivarius string quartet.  We were able to tour the various apartments, the banqueting hall, chapel and the Crown Room.  It was all very ornate with beautiful painted ceilings although the rooms and furnishings were looking a little tired and could do with some restoration works.

The rest of our time in Madrid was spent wandering the streets, enjoying tapas and visiting the various food markets including the fabulous Mercado de San Miguel.  The food there is amazing however, as Michael pointed out, they have become a victim of their own success, as the stalls are so crowded that it is almost impossible to push your way through.  It is well worth persevering though.  We also re-visited the El Rastro flea market and Michael was able to pick up an early Christmas present of a very nice leather satchel for work.   

Our final night in Madrid proved to be a highlight of the trip.  Michael found what can only be described as a unique restaurant to dine in.  The restaurant was called Don Quijote Madness and it was a wonderful experience to dine there.  The concept of the restaurant is to inspire you to read the book by displaying many artworks, photos and memorabilia connected with the story.  The owner is passionate about the subject and took time to show Michael and I many interesting objects and let us listen to a recording explaining how the book has influenced many people including artists and singers.  When I showed interest in the "women's section" of the restaurant, the owner produced a copy of the English translation of what is recognised as one of the first feminist speeches in literature from the shepherdess Marcela.  It was all very interesting and the rabbit paella we ordered was quite possibly the best meal we had in Spain.  The concept of the restaurant worked as we were inspired to  purchase a copy of the book and we both intend to read it this year.  It will also be interesting to read the book as I believe that some of the book is set around Toledo, as there were many references and statues of the characters placed throughout the town.  

Don Quixote hat at the restaurant

themes and influences

     

Holy Toledo

It was time to keep moving so we travelled by bus to Almeria to board the train bound for Madrid.  Unfortunately Michael wasn’t very well so it was bad timing that we had a 6 hour train journey ahead of us.  The time passed slowly for Michael and he was grateful when we finally arrived at our destination.  Fortunately he awoke the following day feeling much refreshed and we were able to continue our journey to Toledo, a 35 minute train ride away.

 

We arrived at the beautiful railway station in Toledo, which opened in 1920 and was designed in the neo Mudejar style.  The station has been classified as a monument and was fully restored in 2005.  Michael promised that it was only a short walk to our hotel however he neglected to tell me that the entire walk would entail dragging my suitcase over cobblestones up a steep incline.  We arrived, panting, some 45 minutes later and I was not amused to discover that it would have only cost 4.50 Euro to travel by taxi.  We deposited our bags at the hotel and set off to discover the city.

 

The reason that we added Toledo to our itinerary is that Michael’s mother, Anne, gave us a Val McDermid book, Killing the Shadows, which was about a series of murders in Toledo.  The book described a wonderful city and mentioned that there were a number of paintings by El Greco there.  This, in turn, inspired our visit.

 

We decided to follow the El Greco trail through the town, starting with the Iglesia de Santo Tome, a lovely church, with the huge painting The Burial of the Count of Orgaz.  This painting is considered amongst El Greco’s finest works and illustrates a popular local legend of his time.  At the time the very pious count died, St Stephen and St Augustine descended in person from the heavens and buried him by their own hands.  The painting is quite beautiful and lavish in detail.

 

The next stop was the El Greco Museum.  The museum consists of two buildings, one is a 16^th century house, which recreates the home of El Greco and the other is a modern building which houses the artworks.  There are not many El Greco paintings there however there are lots of works by his followers displayed.

 

The Primate Cathedral of Saint Mary of Toledo is considered to be one of the best Gothic cathedrals in Spain.  The building is huge and ornately decorated and the Chapterhouse is beautiful with a lovely frieze running all around the room adorned with portraits of all the archbishops.  The Chapel of the Treasure holds the great Monstrance of Arfe which stands over ten feet tall and is made of the finest silver and gold and bejewelled with gems.  The Disrobing of Christ, by El Greco, is also on display at the sacristy of the cathedral.  This is one of El Greco’s most famous works and it was thrilling to see this beautiful piece.

 

We continued the El Greco trail the next morning, finding our way to the Hospital de Tavera just outside the walls of Toledo.  Here we saw two versions of the Baptism of Christ as well as exploring the wonderful old church.  However, the highlight was seeing the Risen Christ, the only surviving sculpture by El Greco.  It is only a small work (45 cm) however it is mesmerising in its beauty.

 

The trail continued with a visit to the Museum of Santa Cruz, which was filled with ceramics and artworks as well as a number of works by El Greco, including Sagrada Familia con Santa Ana.  The Renaissance building itself is beautiful and the works are displayed to their full effect. 

 

Toledo is a magical old city and we spent hours wandering the laneways up and down the hills.  The food was terrific and we enjoyed sampling tapas in a number of bars and restaurants.  We were there on a public holiday and it was obvious that it is a very popular destination for Spanish people as the crowds poured into the streets.  The next day, when everyone returned to work, the streets were much quieter with only a handful of tourists strolling about.  I would love to return as Toledo was by far my favourite place we visited in Spain. 

Cantos de Agua Dulce (Songs of the Sweet Water)

We took the train from Granada to Almeria, a journey of just over 2 hours, followed by a half hour bus trip to Aquadulce on the Costa del Sol.  This is a holiday town set between tall, barren cliffs and the ocean. The population trebles in the summer time as the town swells with mainly British tourists all seeking a holiday suntan.  The town is practically deserted as we have arrived in the off- season, with many hotels and apartment complexes completely shut for the winter.  We rented a spacious apartment for the week, as Michael wanted to do some diving.  I will pass over the blog to Michael later so that he can relate his diving adventures.

 

 

I had a lovely time whilst Michael was off diving, walking around the town and park.  I had a favourite coffee shop where the lady serving knew exactly what I wanted – café con leche and I would sit and read in the sunshine.  Michael didn’t dive on one of the days, so we took the bus into Almeria to explore.  We wanted to visit the Cathedral however when we arrived there was a wedding taking place.  We took a seat outside and waited until we could see the bride and groom.  It was interesting to see how formally the guests were dressed with many women in long dresses.  When the bride and groom left the church, they popped open the champagne and toasted each other on the steps of the cathedral.  A Spanish band played and for some inexplicable reason there was also an Elvis impersonator.  Everyone seemed to have a wonderful time.

The cathedral is in the heart of the old city and was built in 1524.  It was built like a fortress, as Almeria suffered raids by North African pirates.  It is an interesting combination of Gothic and Renaissance architecture and we enjoyed admiring the windows and arches.

Next, we climbed the hill to see the Alcazaba of Almeria, a fortified complex.  A thousand years ago, this castle was the second biggest alcazar in Spain, second only to the Alhambra in Granada, and could accommodate 20,000 people inside its walls.  Now, a lot of it is in ruins, however there is enough left to see what a grand place it once was.

 

Michael’s Dives   

can you see the scorpion fish and octopus?

 

Managed to get 8 dives in overall, which was great. The water temperature was 16 – 17 c, just like a Dublin summer, but wearing 5 mm wet suits. As it was winter most of the dive places were closed, however Aquatours were happy to go out as long as it was fine and clear. Fernando the owner was great and we dived in a number of different spots. 

 

 

The visibility was up to 15 metres, which he said was poor compared to summer when you can see up to 30 metres plus and 28c is the water temperature. There was plenty of sea life including octopuses, barracudas, scorpionfish and even a sun fish (luna fish), which is rare and only one had been seen this year in the area and none in the previous year.

As it was the off season for all but one dive day it was just Fernando and I so it was very pleasant chatting to him to understand the Spanish way of life.