Ireland

March 16, 2019November 25, 2018

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

I used to be intentional about celebrating St. Patrick’s Day on March 17 each year. I learned to travel solo in Ireland and I love this celebration of all things Irish. While I don’t like cornbeef and cabbage, I do love Irish stew and Guinness. So any excuse…

Learn more about St. Patrick–an Englishman called to save the Irish after his Christian conversion–by reading Thomas Cahill’s How the Irish Saved Civilization. If you are traveling through Ireland, stop in Downpatrick in Northern Ireland and check out the St. Patrick Centre.

If you can’t get to Ireland, never fear. Several Irishmen have shared over a pint that the best St Patrick’s Day they’ve ever had was in Chicago, New York or another US city.

Raise a pint and toast the man and the saint! “Sláinte,” (pronounced “slawn-cha”) and translates to health or cheers.

February 24, 2019February 12, 2019

Peadar Kearney Quintessential Irish Pub

My very first solo trip overseas was to London and Dublin. London was a tough slog as people are just not very friendly. I treated myself to the Royal Mews and all the other things that previous trips I’d been deprived in the negotiations with friends over itineraries.

When I arrived in Dublin I immediately felt welcome and relaxed. I would order my half pint of Guinness at the bar and someone would hear my American accent and start a conversation. I had an absolutely fabulous time. I really loved the Irish peoples love for group singing in pubs. It doesn’t happen every time. Every time it did happen I would sit grinning and join in if I knew the song. At that time in the mid 90s the Dubliners I met LOVED John Denver so we sang a lot of “Country Roads.” It is an uplifting experience and that is not the Guinness talking.

When Tevis and I got to Dublin he confirmed a meet up with a friend who he met when working in Mountain View. We met up at a pub on the edge of Temple Bar in Dublin–Peadar Kearney. It is smallish, even so we were able to grab a table. Deeper in the bar a live band led the crowd in a sing along. I smiled wide. I love Ireland.

January 17, 2019January 14, 2019

Afternoon Tea at Powerscourt Hotel

One of the highlights of staying at certain hotel properties in Ireland or Britain is the Afternoon Tea. This was my special birthday treat to myself when I stayed at Powerscourt Hotel in County Wicklow.

I was looking for a special way to celebrate my birthday at the end of November. I chose to stay at the Powerscourt Hotel. I remembered being impressed umpty years ago when I saw it in the distance. I checked it out on-line and then my son offered to use his points to make a reservation.

Tevis had to return to Boston for work, and his points allowed me to stay two nights and enjoy the hotel amenities and the garden at Powerscourt. His “status” earned an upgrade to a garden suite and I was tempted to not leave my room.

It was raining on and off, sometimes intensely. I had originally thought I might drive to other places in County Wicklow. The weather and the quality of my accommodation made it easy to stay put and focus on Powerscourt Hotel and the garden. I walked the labyrinth and ate dinner at the hotel’s pub.

81c41d34-7e8f-473c-88fa-ea5e73bac5ed — Delicious Afternoon Tea for one! I didn’t have a reservation but they had enough for me.

They have a spa (didn’t try because I had a massage scheduled when I returned home). Breakfast was included with my upgrade and the downstairs restaurant served up a wonderful omelette. I would have stayed longer if I could. It isn’t far from Dublin (businesses in Dublin use it as a place for off-site training) and it could serve as a base for seeing the greater Dublin area and avoid the ridiculous hotel prices in the city.

January 15, 2019January 13, 2019

Powerscourt: What a Garden!

One of the best gardens in Ireland is in County Wicklow less than an hour from downtown Dublin. Powerscourt gardens are beautiful and delightful even in the end of November–the mark of a garden with good bones. The house is a shell of its former glory since a fire ravaged it. The living spaces have been replaced by specialty shops and cafes. The stable at Christmas sells Christmas trees and greens. The garden drew me back and it still satisfies.

This folly gives a great perspective of this corner of the garden. This is the area where Scouts are invited to camp each year.

The entrance fee for an adult is 10 pounds from March through October and 7.50 pounds in winter. There are discounts for seniors, students and children and it is 25 pounds for a family of five. There are headphones with additional information and an introductory film, both available for free. Although the repetition of how proud the owners/descendants are of the property gets tiresome.

The Japanese Garden is well established and maybe needs a good trim.

I first discovered Powerscourt many moons ago when I traveled around Ireland with Cameon, my chum from high school. I had won airfare for two in an Irish-American Club raffle on St. Patrick’s Day. We flew to Dublin and rented a car to travel around the island. We started by driving north so our stop in Powerscourt was towards the end of our week. I remember it fondly and have frequently wanted to return on other visits. Even though it is only 40 minutes from Dublin, I could never include it in my itinerary. I’m so glad I made it back.

December 30, 2018December 26, 2018

Local Dubliners Recommend

While dining on stew at O’Neill’s pub, a couple of local Dubliners made some recommendations. I was thinking aloud with my son about what I was going to do in the afternoon considering I have seen most of the popular destinations at least a couple of times. I took up both of their suggestions.

First I walked to St. Stephen’s Green to see the temporary exhibit of the World War I soldier. “The Hauntings Soldier” is the creation of Martin Galbavy with the assistance of Chris Hannam. The sculpture is made from scrap metal items like horseshoes and spanners. It is really quite moving and I was especially impressed to see how many people were on site to take it in.

Then I walked to the other side of Dublin–to Parnell Square–to see the Francis Bacon studio (recreated) at the Dublin City Gallery The Hugh Lane. The studio walls could use a fresh coat of paint. I walked all the way through the galleries (tiptoeing past a concert in the middle gallery). The exhibit with the Francis Bacon studio begins with a David Frost interview with the artist on a loop. Chaos fed his creativity. Then you walk up to a window into the recreation of his London studio and see why he is so very creative.

It looks like a tip, yet he created beautiful modern paintings.

“The Hauntings Soldier” may not be there when you go to Dublin, but the Francis Bacon studio will be. Go!

December 28, 2018December 26, 2018

Bookshop Crawl in Dublin

The Winding Stair, named for a book of poems by WB Yeats

I was staying close to the O’Connell Bridge in City Centre, so when I asked Google Maps to show me “bookstores near me” a lot of red markers popped up. Big smile. I decided to head across the River Liffey to the nearest red dot.

The Winding Stair is lovely inside. The coziness invites browsing and buying. I have no business buying more books, so I bought gifts for others.

I received a text from Tevis and met for lunch at O’Neill’s pub on the other side of the river–crossing the Ha’Penny Bridge. We were chatting over lamb stew about our plans. A couple of local Dubliners sitting next to us heard me say that I’ve seen everything at least twice. They suggested I check out a special statue in St. Stephen’s Green and Francis Bacon’s studio (see next post). I decided to continue my bookstore crawl and see the tribute to WWI soldiers in St. Stephen’s Green.

I walked past a few unmemorable shops, plus a rare bookstore (danger, Will Robinson), I ended my crawl at Hodges Figgis at 56-58 Dawson Street. It is in the Waterstones corporate family and yet it offers so much choice I had to go in. To avoid purchasing I took pictures of books that appealed to me.

I did buy books for others and I mailed them home from the post office in Bray. Some of those books took a month! to get to California.

Across from Hodges Figgis is a Tower Records! It started in Sacramento. I didn’t know any were still open. Amazing.

Bookstores sing a siren song to me. I cannot resist going in. I’m already thinking about how close my hotel in London is to Foyle’s bookstore for my stay in March. I just had some new bookshelves built in my dining room and I was finally able to unpack my boxes of books after more than a year. I found a book on polo with a forward by Prince Charles that I bought with money I could not afford when studying at Cambridge University one college summer.

I will embrace my weakness and make it my strength! And pack accordingly.

December 9, 2018

Christmas Recipes from Abroad

IMG_6478 (1) — The mincemeat pie I baked for Jim Adan. I used my favorite pie crust recipe that uses Crisco.

Christmas is an inspiring time for baking. I usually focus on pie but I never liked mincemeat pie. Until I spent a Christmas season in New Zealand and fell in love with mince pies (a tart size version). Kiwis sell them in coffee shops, in the grocery store in 6 and 12 packs, and at church bake sales. When I was in Ireland I fell back in love with mince pies at Starbucks of all places. Their shortbread crust and mince is the perfect combination.

Plus my art dad Jim said all he wanted for Christmas was a mincemeat pie. In the past I’ve tried mincemeat from a jar. Even the fancy stuff leaves me “meh”. I looked at the prepared mincemeat sold in the Powerscourt shop and also knew I didn’t have room in my suitcase. So I asked my friend UK Sarah if she had a recipe. She took a photo of it and sent it to me right away.

PHOTO-2018-11-26-07-43-43 (1) — Delia Smith’s recipe. Makes enough for two big pies or lots and lots of tarts.

I looked through the ingredients and read the instructions. I can do this! Oh, except what is suet. UK Sarah said to look in the shops before I leave Ireland. So on my way back to the airport I stopped at the grocery in Bray and found suet. I slipped it into my suitcase in case TSA might confiscate. (At the time I wasn’t really sure what suet is; I learned that it is beef fat, which sounds much grosser than it tastes.)

Once I was home I bought the rest of the ingredients and proceeded to make the mincemeat. It is not difficult. It does take time with the resting 12 hours and baking 3 hours on low heat. I made the pie for Jim and it was a big hit.

IMG_6452 (1) For the tarts I used Nigella Lawson’s crust recipe. I don’t have a photo of the mince tarts but so far everyone has been enthusiastic (and they disappeared quickly). Several people commented that the tarts are just the right balance between the mince and crust.

My friend Carole gave me Christina Tosi’s new cake cookbook. And my neighbor friend Tiffanie presented me with gorgeous persimmons. I do believe I will be baking a lot this season.

December 3, 2018November 25, 2018

Must See Guinness Storehouse

The Guinness Storehouse is only 8 minutes by car from City Centre. Tevis and I both looked forward to visiting St James Gate Brewery. It opened at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday.

A pint of dark stout with a creamy head of foam is part of the Irish experience and when you are in Dublin, it is fun to learn more about what makes a Guinness great. I visited the Guinness Storehouse previously but it has been more than 10 years and the entire experience has been redesigned. They have state of the art exhibits that both entertain and educate. Plus there is tasting. You don’t have to be 21 (or 18–Ireland’s drinking age) to visit as they pour soft drinks as well as Guinness products.

When you first enter the Storehouse, after buying your ticket, people gather around a copy of the 9000 year lease for the property at St James Gate visible in the floor. As you look up you can see the glass and structure of the 7 story building that houses the exhibits and tasting rooms. It echoes the shape of a pint glass.

You can save money by buying in advance and there are discounts with some of the “Hop On” bus tours. The Storehouse is open 7 days a week from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. except major holidays. Going early in the day is a great way to avoid the tour buses and crowds. There are restaurants and coffee shops if you want to incorporate this in your plans. Leave time to browse in the gift shop.

My favorite section has always been their advertising, which has been top drawer for over a hundred years. I found myself crying over the Irish rugby ad.

We decided to imbibe at the Gravity Lounge on the top floor. The view of Dublin is incredible. I decided to try a half pint of the new to me Hop House 13. This lager is only available in Ireland, UK and Canada. I really like it–it’s crisp and clean tasting. When you order a half pint they tear your ticket in half and you can try something else with another half pint. It was 11:00 a.m. on a Sunday so I stuck to my half pint.

I really enjoyed the silly sculpture of the fish riding the bicycle. A few people will be getting this image in their stocking this Christmas.

November 26, 2018November 26, 2018

Irish Lit

“The hardest part of finding the perfect gift for a friend is parting with it.” JA Pieper

We love the Irish because they don’t take themselves too seriously. Even their genius writers got pissed on a regular basis at pubs round Dublin (according to the Literary Publ Crawl guides). Yet their small island can boast 4 Nobel prizes for literature: WB Yeats in 1911, George Bernard Shaw in 1936, Samuel Beckett in 1977, and Seamus Heaney in 1995. Seems they are due for one.

Alas the Nobel committee didn’t have the opportunity to debate whether to honor the by-then disgraced Oscar Wilde. The prize started in 1901 and he died in 1900. Oscar Wilde towers off to the side where he can critique and sometimes ridicule the pompous and the fool.

I found this gem of book of Oscar Wilde quotes at the Dublin Writers Museum bookshop. (I admit I only went there for the bookstore because they haven’t changed up the exhibits since the 90s, and they still don’t have a website!)

James Joyce is celebrated by some as the greatest Irish writer but I’ve never been able to finish anything of his. I discovered *An Evil Cradling* by Brian Keenan on the literary pub crawl back in the 90s and it is still one of my all time favorite books.

This morning I am reading it before I mail it to a friend and I am inspired, amused, and left with quite a bit to think over. Here are a few of the highlights:

Selfishness is not living as one wishes to live, it is asking others to live as one wishes to live. -O.W.

Bad art is a good deal worse than no art at all. -O.W.

Prayer must never be answered: if it is, it ceases to be prayer and becomes correspondence. -O.W.

Society sooner or later must return to its lost leader, the cultured and fascinating liar. -O.W.

Anyone can make history. Ony a great man can write it. -O.W.

Anybody can sympathize with the sufferings of a friend, but it requires a very fine nature–it requires, in fact, that nature of a true Individualist–to sympathize with a friend’s success. -O.W.

June 5, 2017

Brilliant Idea: Airport Customer Feedback

Aer Lingus is a no-frills airline and my ticket to London was cheaper if I stopped in Dublin. I had enough time between flights to buy a pair of Guinness socks and eat the best yogurt parfait I’ve ever had and drink a decent flat white from the Chocolate Lounge.

No more time to browse and time to get to my gate. As I passed out of the main terminal I saw a brilliant small kiosk asking for customer feedback with just 4 quick options. I pressed full smiley face because the customs process and overall airport experience was terrific. The airport is compact and clean with great signage.

I am standing in line for boarding and see another feedback kiosk expressly for the restrooms. I decided to use the facilities. Imagine the worst scenario: trash on the dirty floor, messy sinks, toilet paper stuck on seat. Okay, that was LAX Terminal 2. The Dublin Terminal 2 women’s restroom was beautiful, very clean and fully functional. On the way out there was a further kiosk to allow customers to alert them to any problems. Clearly they will receive prompt attention. Simply brilliant.