Cycling in the Dublin St. Patrick's Day Parade!

Happy St. Patrick's Day to you all!

Amy and I joined up with a group of cyclists from the Dublin Cycling Campaign to cycle in the Dublin Patrick's Day Parade.

Most of the group cycled on Dublin Bikes which were bedecked out in banners and daffodils in the front baskets.

Lots of others cycled on their cargo bikes in which they carried a few kids!

The dress code for our group was blue but children could wear green (so Bones wore his green hoodie and his hi-viz vest).

A lot of work had been done by the group.  Flower baskets were made for the bikes along with flower pot head pieces(!).  There were also signs for the bikes that were very effective in letting everyone know that we were the Dublin Cycling Campaign.

Amy cycled on a Dublin Bike.

I cycled on my own bike with the trailer for Bones attached to it.  

Speaking of Bones, he got a serious amount of attention from the parade audience and we heard a lot of collective "Aw, look at the dog" as we passed by.

We waved, we blew our whistles and bike horns and we had the best St. Patrick's Day ever!

My photos are obviously all of the cyclists and don't really show a lot of the parade, click here to see more.

You can read Amy's blog about the day here.

San Lorenzo's, George's Street - Dublin, Ireland

Last night we went to San Lorenzo's on George's Street.  I had been looking forward to going here for awhile.  We were able to get a 9pm reservation so our friends called for a drink in our house beforehand.

I loved the setting of the restaurant - it was very minimalist with plywood walls and also bare walls painted with funky designs.  

Food wise we split two starters between us and then had a main each.

Here's duck liver crostini - I thought this was intensely delish!

Gambas on bread that was soaked in the most amazing flavourful garlic oil.

I had a Delmonico steak (10oz) that I thought was very tasty but way overpriced at €38.

The others had meatballs, duck and also a 10oz Hereford steak. 

I had a great night.  Our friends are extremely sociable and tell the most amazing stories.  

One of the stories was how my friend upped off to go work and travel in Spain and France when she was 17.  She ran out of money at one point and rang her Dad to get him to send some money to her so she could continue her travels.  Her Dad refused to send her money to continue her travels but said he would send money to buy a ticket home.  They got tickets to Gatwick in London but when they arrived they were unable to cash a cheque that one of the other girls had got from her parents as the banks were closed.

They really needed to get to Heathrow airport where there was an Aer Lingus desk that would cash the cheque and they could fly home from there but unfortunately they didn't have any cash to get from Gatwick to Heathrow.

Not knowing what to do my friend saw a policeman (an English Bobby!) and went over and explained their situation.  He felt sorry for them and gave them £20 from his wallet and told them to buy tickets and a sandwich.  

My friend took his name and address and when she got home her dad sent the money back to him.  Her dad also wrote to the Gay Byrne Radio Show and told the story of the kind policeman and of course it was read out on the radio!

I loved this story!!

Even though there were only three of us drinking we still managed to get through 2 bottles of wine - probably a little more than I would usually drink but it was so nice and we chatted in the restaurant until about 12.45pm which was nice - I liked the way they didn't rush us out but instead cleaned around us.

A chocolate pot was ordered and we all had a taste of it.  Very heavy and very good!

All in all I liked San Lorenzo's ALOT - the others perhaps didn't like it as much.  I did think it is a bit overpriced and although very hipster it seemed to be trying too hard.  The food was very good and I'd certainly return again.  We were lucky though as it was definitely the company that helped us have a really great night!

Roundabout Ranelagh

I had a great day pottering around Ranelagh and then took the Luas in to the city.  

It was a lovely sunny day and I took a few pics of some of the quirky sights and shops in Ranelagh.

Here's a few businesses in Ranelagh.  Village Books is a book shop that I have never gone in to.  A small Tesco express opened in the last year or two and is located next to Mutt Ugly.  The bottom pics are of McSorleys and Birchill's pub (est. 1850).

The Luas Station is close to Nick's Coffee.

I don't get the Luas in to the city generally so it was a real novelty!

The picture of the road is taken from up on the bridge that the Luas goes over in Ranelagh.

Here's a blast from the past!
It's a public pay phone in the Irish Life Mall.  
I saw it when I was waiting for my sister to meet me for lunch.  
I had got my hair cut in a hairdressers close by (the less said about the hair cut the better).

The world goes green on St Patrick's Day

Sit back and enjoy listening to the dulcet tones of Liam Neeson!

Seamus Heaney

Seamus Heaney's "When all the others were away at mass" has been chosen as Ireland's favourite poem.  While I think it is an intensely powerful poem, my favourite Heaney poem is "Mid-Term Break".  I find it moving and incredibly sad and, in fact, when I read it aloud I tear up as I get to the last line.

Here it is in full below, please let me know what you think of it.

Mid-Term Break 

By Seamus Heaney

I sat all morning in the college sick bay
Counting bells knelling classes to a close.
At two o'clock our neighbors drove me home.

In the porch I met my father crying--
He had always taken funerals in his stride--
And Big Jim Evans saying it was a hard blow.

The baby cooed and laughed and rocked the pram
When I came in, and I was embarrassed
By old men standing up to shake my hand

And tell me they were "sorry for my trouble,"
Whispers informed strangers I was the eldest,
Away at school, as my mother held my hand

In hers and coughed out angry tearless sighs.
At ten o'clock the ambulance arrived
With the corpse, stanched and bandaged by the nurses.

Next morning I went up into the room. Snowdrops
And candles soothed the bedside; I saw him
For the first time in six weeks. Paler now,

Wearing a poppy bruise on his left temple,
He lay in the four foot box as in his cot.
No gaudy scars, the bumper knocked him clear.

A four foot box, a foot for every year.

The Rewrite - Hugh Grant & Marisa Tomei

I borrowed a new Hugh Grant film from the library and we watched it yesterday evening.  I've been a big fan of Hugh Grant since Four Weddings.

He seems to have become typecast as a washed up/failed songwriter, singer and now in "The Rewrite" as a screenwriter.  I have no problem with this as I think it is a format that suits him and I think he was perfect as the writer of a one hit wonder in "About a boy" and even more perfect as an ex-popstar in "Music & Lyrics" which just happens to be a favourite go-to film of mine along with "The Family Stone".

So what about this new film?

Well it's not going to set the film world on fire but it is certainly watchable and I was thankful that it was not overly cliched in regards to him getting the girl.

So if you are a Hugh Grant fan, I'd definitely recommend but if you aren't well you can probably put it to the back of your to be watched list!

Gifts & pressies

I had a 50th & 60th birthday celebration over the weekend which was a lot of fun.  Here's the two gifts I got for the birthday boys all wrapped and ready to go.

And speaking of pressies, look what my super twin sister brought for me when she called over to my house before the 60th party on Saturday for nibblies and drinks.

It's this really cute serving tray from Laura Ashley.  As you know I love Humming Bird prints (check my Jennifer Rothwell dress out here) so I was thrilled by this little gift!

Kasey brought me an early Easter gift! Gorgeous truffle egglets and praline-filled soldiers from Hotel Chocolat.  

I feel quite spoiled by Amy and Kasey! 

The theme of the 60th Birthday on Saturday night was "Travel" as my uncle was a great traveler and lived all over the world including London and San Francisco before coming home and settling back in Ireland a few years ago.  

Here is his amazing cake which is shaped like a suitcase.  It was made by Candylane Cupcakes (which just happens to be owned by my cousin!)