Dublin Take Me

Finally, winter has passed – and what a winter it has been!  It was the first winter in Ireland where both Michael and I really felt the cold. We used to joke that spending two winters in Canada had damaged our cold receptors and we became immune to the cold, however it seems that was only a temporary reprieve.  First came the Beast from the East, which swept across the Russian Far East and the British Isles bringing heavy snowfalls to Ireland, including Dublin.  The snow was accompanied by huge winds and all of Dublin shut down for two days. All trains, trams and buses ceased and all shops closed.  Michael’s work closed and he had to work from home for two days.  We decided to pop to our local supermarket for a few last minute items before they closed and I have never seen anything like it – the queue stretched up and down each aisle with people buying everything they could get their hands on.  Shelves were literally stripped bare.  It was actually a little unsettling, as I had never experienced panic buying before. We returned home and settled in and watched the snow being blown horizontally by the fierce winds.  We ventured outside again when the storm had passed and it was lovely seeing the streets covered in the snow.  Two weeks after the Beast from the East we were hit with the Pest from the West.  This storm brought sub zero temperatures, sleet, frost and ice.  We then experienced a brief spell of warmer weather before the Mini Beast from the East hit (seriously, who comes up with these names?) Snow was once again accompanied by high winds and many events had to be cancelled, including the homecoming of the victorious Irish rugby team, who had won the 2018 Six Nations Championship.  Thankfully the predicted Beast from the East Mark 3, which was due to hit Ireland over Easter, is now going to spare us.  Spring must surely be around the corner!

Luckily the snow didn’t stop the St Patrick’s Day parade.  It was bitterly cold so Michael and I only stayed long enough to see some of the marching bands before finding a warm pub to have a glass of Guinness. It is always a fun day and it is interesting to see the effort that people put into dressing up for the occasion. 

Michael and I have joined the National Gallery of Ireland and have taken a tour and a talk, both of which were interesting. The Emil Nolde exhibition, Colour is Life, is currently showing.  Michael enjoyed the exhibition. I can’t say that I really appreciated the artworks however they were extremely colourful.  Michael has also joined the Whiskey Appreciation Society and enjoys their monthly meetings and tastings.  This is the same man that used to recoil in horror if someone gave him a bottle of whiskey for Christmas.  I guess his palate has matured!

 

We have kept up our swimming in the mornings throughout the winter, the only exception being when the temperature plunges below zero.  I am always nervous about slipping on the ice in the dark.  We were rewarded one morning on our way to the pool with the sight of an otter playing in the River Liffey.  I can’t tell you how happy that made me and even though I will probably never see him again, just the thought that there are otters swimming about the river makes me smile.  I have since found out that minks live in the river as well.

A London Thoroughfare

James and Amber invited Michael and I to celebrate our birthdays with them in London and we readily agreed.  I flew over alone in the morning with Michael following later that evening.  It was lovely to see them both again, although Amber was looking a little worse for wear with her leg in an enormous moon boot, courtesy of a bad fall when they were in the Dominican Republic.  Amber was working from home so James and I left her to it and we headed into the city to run some errands.  It was great to be back in London and I couldn’t get over how quiet the city seemed, even to the point of being able to travel comfortably on the tube in peak hour.  I know that tourists would avoid staying there in the winter, however it seems that half of the Londoners must head to warmer climes as well.

My arrival coincided with Burns Night and James and Amber had booked a Burns Supper for us at the Duke of Cambridge in Islington.  We had a fabulous night, enjoying a meal of Cullen Skink (mine without the fish), Haggis served with neeps and tatties, fruit pudding and of course, finishing with a wee dram.  A true kilt wearing Scotsman recited poetry with gusto, which was entertaining (even if we didn’t understand a word).  We did understand the poem To a Haggis, as this was accompanied by actions, such as the slashing of the knife.  We all toasted the Haggis at the end of his rendition.  It was such a fun night and it was a shame that Michael missed it.

We were up bright and early the next day as James, Michael and I were off to the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich to see the Painted Hall.   Unfortunately, Amber had to work, although she most certainly would not have been able to manage the 70 steps up the scaffold.  I had already visited the restoration project back in August, however I was delighted to visit again to see the progress made.  We had a different tour guide this time, and he was absolutely passionate about the works being undertaken, and he delivered a very enthusiastic and informative tour.  It was a once in a lifetime experience, and I am so lucky to have experienced it twice now and it only makes me more determined to return and see the completed restoration.  James and Michael seemed to enjoy the experience as well, before heading to lunch at the nearby Meantime Brewery where they both enjoyed a tasting paddle of beers.

We took a walk along the Greenwich Tunnel to the other side of the Thames where we caught the DLR to Whitechapel to visit The Blind Beggar pub.  The pub was built in 1894 and was where William Booth, creator of the Salvation Army, gave his first sermon.  I would like to say that was the reason for our visit however we were there to see where Ronnie Kray, one half of the notorious Kray twins, murdered George Cornell in 1966.  The pub itself was a bit of a disappointment, as it has been renovated in generic fashion however there was a bit of memorabilia on the walls of the pub regarding the murder.  I don’t think that James could quite believe that I had dragged him to have a pint in a boozer made infamous by an East End gangster!

We also had a quick look at the Whitechapel Gallery, which showcases contemporary art.  Michael always likes visiting there however this visit took the biscuit as far as I was concerned.  First, we walked through an exhibition of string hanging from the ceiling, which was bad enough.  Then we visited another exhibition room where the main feature was an enormous inflatable sex toy.  I really do not understand modern art.

The next day, Michael and I walked along the canal to the Broadway Market where we met James and Amber.  We sat Amber down on one of the benches with some food and a coffee while we had a look around.  The market was as good as ever and remains one of my favourite London haunts.  We then dropped James and Amber home and Michael and I headed into Angel to enjoy Michael’s new hobby of shopping.  It is really nice seeing the inside of stores instead of just peering through the windows.  Michael purchased a really smart jacket and I didn’t even have to twist his arm to try it on.

Our birthday dinner that evening was at Trullo, an Italian restaurant named after the conical houses we had seen in Puglia. The only downside of an otherwise fabulous evening was discovering on our arrival that we were seated downstairs.  Amber stoically descended the very steep staircase with her crutch and I couldn’t help thinking of Michael’s mother breaking her leg two days before our wedding and confronting a staircase very similar to this at our reception.  We were seated in a very cosy booth in the cellar and enjoyed a fantastic evening of great food and wine. Happy Birthday to us! 

Sunday started with a hearty café breakfast and then, after depositing Amber back at their apartment to rest, James, Michael and I walked to the Barbican Centre Conservatory.  I had walked past the Barbican on just about every visit to London without knowing that such a garden existed.  The huge conservatory is only open on selected Sundays and is home to exotic fish and over 2,000 species of tropical plants and trees.  We thoroughly enjoyed walking about and admiring the view from the top of the centre. 

We took a short walk from the Barbican to the Museum of London, stopping along the way to see a piece of street art recently completed by Banksy.  We checked out a couple of exhibitions at the museum.  The first one was about the London 2012 Cauldron of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.  We were able to see the cauldron pieces up close and viewed displays explaining how the individual copper pieces were shaped and made.  The other exhibition was London Visions, which imagines what London will look like in the future.  James and Michael really enjoyed this one however I found it all a bit too dystopian and bleak. 

A brisk walk took us back home where we picked up Amber and headed out to the Smokehouse for lunch.  We were very lucky to secure a table as they had a late cancellation.  We enjoyed our roast dinner with all the trimmings and then it was time to say goodbye to Michael, as he had to fly home and return to work the next morning.  I remained behind to spend a few extra days with James before he takes up his new position.

James and Amber are members of the Natural History Museum so James was able to take me to see the Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2017 exhibition.  I was lucky enough to attend last year’s exhibition, which I really enjoyed, so I was particularly looking forward to this year’s viewing.  All of the photographs were stunning and it must be enormously difficult to choose a winner.  My favourite photograph was off a mother brown bear with a caught fish, and her two young cubs eying it hungrily.  James and I then lunched at Ceru, a restaurant serving Levant cuisine.  The food was delicious and I even tried a glass of Macedonian wine.  We finished with a quick walk to show James my favourite building in London – Michelin House.  I love the stained glass windows and decorative tiles on the building depicting famous racing cars. 

The next day was one of those perfect winter days, cool but with clear blue skies and virtually no wind.  James couldn’t have chosen a better day to take me to Hampstead Heath.  I have been there a few times before but never tire of the walk through the beautiful expanse of grass and trees.  We enjoyed the sunshine, eventually arriving at our destination of Kenwood House.  James and Amber had been there previously and thought that I might enjoy the house and gardens.  They were right!  The house dates from the early 17^th century and has been subsequently remodelled and extended.  Lord Iveagh (of the Guinness family) bequeathed it to the nation in 1927.  The paintings, which adorn the walls are from Lord Iveagh’s collection and are remarkable.  They include The Guitar Player by Vermeer, Self Portrait with Two Circles by Rembrandt and Portrait of Pieter van den Broeke by Hals as well as works by Gainsborough, Reynolds, van Dyck, Turner and Weenix among others.  It really is an extraordinary collection.  The house itself is very grand and we spent some time chatting to the knowledgeable volunteers positioned in each room.  We also strolled around the gardens where I was delighted to find the statue Two Piece Reclining Figure, No 5 by Henry Moore, Michael’s favourite sculptor.  I will have to take Michael to Kenwood House next time we visit London, as I just know that he would love it.  James and I finished with a pub lunch at The Garden Gate, which was a perfect end to a perfect day.

On my last day in London, I met James for lunch at The Quality Chop House in Clerkenwell.  The restaurant is beautiful having been built in 1869 and the Victorian décor is stunning.  The food was simply delicious and I have earmarked this restaurant for Michael for his next visit.  We then headed over to the main event for the day – The Postal Museum.  I had read about this newly opened museum and was very happy when James suggested a visit. 



The main thing that I wanted to do was to ride the Mail Rail.  This one hundred year old railway, in tunnels deep below the streets, was used to transport mail all over London.  A specially made miniature train now takes visitors through some of the network, stopping along the way at the station platforms to see audio-visual displays of what it was like to work there.  It was absolutely fascinating and I couldn’t help thinking that Michael’s dad would love it.  When the train journey finished, we crossed the road to the main postal museum, and there spent considerable time viewing the various exhibits.  James made me feel terribly old when I pointed out aerograms to him and he had no idea what they were!  It was a really interesting afternoon and a lovely way to end my trip to London.

It was sad saying goodbye to James and Amber this time, as I don’t know when I will see them again.  Hopefully it won’t be too long and by then Amber will be back on her feet.

        

 

  

Vienna, City of My Dreams

We had our final breakfast at the hotel and then Michael dragged me kicking and screaming to the station.  I really did not want to leave our luxurious surroundings and could have quite happily stayed however all good things must come to an end otherwise how else would we appreciate them?  We had a little bit of drama when we arrived at the station, as none of us could see designated seat numbers on our tickets.  We showed them to the train guard and he informed us that we did not have reserved seats and that we would just have to find unallocated seats somewhere.  We proceeded to drag our suitcases through the long carriages until we came to the last carriage where there was one, lonely vacant seat.  The prospect of standing for three hours loomed and Michael kept searching the tickets, certain that he had booked reserved seats.  Finally he located what appeared to be seat numbers on the tickets and so we set off to find our seats, luggage in tow, pushing through the crowded train.  We found our seats in the carriage furthest from the end and were pretty much exhausted by that stage.  At least the rest of the journey was uneventful and we arrived in Vienna to find our hotel opposite the station. 

The rest of the day was spent walking around the city, enjoying the Christmas lights and markets.  Amber found a lovely, historic Viennese inn for our evening meal – Griechenbeisl.  This wonderful, old building has been an inn since 1447 and many famous people throughout history have dined there including Beethoven, Mozart, Mark Twain and many others.  Inside was a rabbit warren of rooms with a pianist playing on pianos in the different rooms throughout the evening.  The menu was full of traditional Viennese dishes and we all enjoyed our meals.

The next morning, we took a walk through the Belvedere gardens, which were looking a little bare as the grand fountains had all been drained and switched off for the winter.  We had breakfast at Café Mozart, a lovely coffee house, which opened in 1899 and where Graham Greene wrote The Third Man.  It was cakes all round, as what else would you have for breakfast in Vienna?  We did a little bit more walking after breakfast until we arrived at Michael’s favourite restaurant in Vienna, Café Diglas, where he ordered his Scheiterhaufen. 


We were seated at the window of the café, and children kept pressing their noses against the glass to look at Michael’s enormous cake.  I don’t think that they could quite believe their eyes!

A much longer walk was needed after our second café visit of the day, so James led us over to the Prater, a large public park.  In the middle of this huge park is the Wurstelprater amusement park, which is the oldest amusement park in the world.  One imagines that in the summertime, the whole park would be packed with people, young and old, enjoying all that the park has to offer.  There were no crowds when we were there though and we found a restaurant for a very light lunch before returning to the city centre and visiting some more Christmas markets.  Unfortunately Amber was unwell, so she had an early night while James, Michael and I dined at a nearby Czech restaurant.

Amber was still under the weather the next morning, so the remaining three of us took a walk around the museum district and markets once more.  We took a look at the Sigmund Freud Museum, which is housed in the building where Freud and his family lived.  The rooms, which include his former practice and private area, are full of displays about his life in Vienna and his works, featuring many photographs, paintings and sculptures.  It was all very interesting.

It was time to relax a little, so we found a nice Italian wine bar and asked the owner to recommend a wine for us to try.  She bought us three glasses of very nice red wine along with a platter of meat and cheeses.  We enjoyed our wine so much, that we didn’t hesitate when offered a second glass each and it wasn’t until Michael went to pay the bill that he discovered that the wine we had been drinking was ranked among the top 10% of the world.  No wonder we had enjoyed it so much!

Amber was feeling better, so she met us for dinner at Gasthaus Zu den 3 Hacken, a lovely traditional Viennese restaurant that Michael and I had visited on one of our previous stays.  It was a nice way to end our time in Vienna.

Once more it was time to say goodbye to James and Amber as they were flying home and we were returning to Munich.  They had given us a wonderful Christmas together and a memorable holiday full of fun.  It was a shame that we couldn’t give them a white Christmas however I hope that they enjoyed their time with us.  We will see them again at the end of January, so that is something to look forward to.  Michael and I had a peaceful train journey as far as Saltzburg, when 4 very loud Australians boarded our carriage.  I tried to bury my head in my crossword book but it was hard to ignore them as they sat themselves three rows apart and carried on their conversation by yelling across to each other.  I should point out at this stage that they were not young people – far from it – they were grey nomads older than Michael and I!  Despite Michael’s best efforts to look absorbed in his book, they engaged first him in their conversation and then it wasn’t long until I was dragged in as well.  They volunteered the information that they were from Western Australia and Michael pleasantly told them that his father was from Bunbury.  They then announced that Bunbury was the ice capital of Western Australia!  Michael’s face was priceless and I never did get to finish my crossword.

We alighted in Munich and discovered that it had been snowing.  Poor Amber, she had wanted to see the snow so much, and now here we were with snow and she was back in London.  We lost no time dropping our bags off and then headed out to dinner at Wirtshaus Zum Straubinger.  Michael had made a reservation when we were there with James and Amber, to ensure that he didn’t miss out on one final pork extravaganza.  We both ordered the schweinshaxe and it was absolutely delicious.  I have decided though that we will have a meat detox when we return to Dublin.

A Rainy Night In Paris

Our train was slightly late leaving Munich so we unfortunately missed our connection at Mannheim.  Not to worry, the ever efficient German station staff soon has us booked on a train to Paris, changing at Karlsruhe .  The result was that we arrived in Paris an hour later than we had originally intended however that didn’t worry us, as we had nothing planned.  We had our usual walk around and finished up with dinner at one of our favourite bistros along the canal.

The next day I saw a side of Paris that I normally don’t see, shops, or more accurately, the inside of shops!  Michael has always had an intense dislike of shopping however he seemed to undergo a transformation of sorts and actually ventured inside.  We spent a lovely morning visiting various stores and of course, Galeries Lafayette.  



 The Christmas tree under the magnificent lead light dome was made up of huge balloons and on the hour, music played, and other balloons danced up and down.  It was such a glorious sight and it was lovely to stand there just watching the colourful display. We also walked the streets and saw long queues at the various patisseries as people waited patiently in line for their pastries and cakes for their New Year celebrations.  The shops started to close up at around 2.00pm and gradually the streets became deserted as everyone headed home to get ready for the evening.  Michael and I celebrated the New Year with dinner at a traditional French restaurant, Le Plomb Du Cantal, accompanied by a bottle of Chateauneuf-du-Pape.  We took a short walk after dinner and saw that the crowds had returned to the streets.  We were beyond staying up until midnight though, and so headed back to our hotel long before the clock struck midnight. 

2018 got off to a soggy start, with torrential rain.  We braved the downpour and walked around for a while before admitting defeat and heading back to our hotel to relax and read for the afternoon.  We really couldn’t complain, as this was the first time on our trip that the weather had interfered with our movements.  The rain stopped by the evening to allow us to find a nice bistro for our dinner.

Our remaining time in Paris was spent shopping (still a novel experience for me).  This presented me with a problem when I went to close my suitcase.  Did I really need to buy that enormous canister of Kusmi tea? Yes, yes I did!  After much grunting, sweating and cursing, I finally managed to close the case and we were on our way to the airport.  Time had gone so quickly but we had such a lovely time.  I wonder where we will be this time next year?