Relaxations in Ireland - on our way to reopening

We are moving to a new phase in Ireland. From Monday, there is a slight relaxation on restrictions with people allowed to meet up to 4 others outside and of course 2 meters apart. Additionally outdoor workers can go back to work and also hardware stores will open.  Homeware stores are not allowed open at this time so Ikea will not open.

Ireland is on it's way to reopening but it will be on a slow phased basis. We have a Summer ahead of gradual cautious relaxation of restrictions and reopenings. Hopefully this slow steady approach will serve us well and will keep the curve flattened and won't bring a second wave.

An additional change that has been advised by the Government is that a mask should be worn in indoor spaces (shops) and on public transport. I have disposable masks but am on the hunt for a reusable mask. Drop me a line if you know of anyone selling them locally in Ranelagh.

This is the type of mask I'd like - it's my sister with her mask she got in Florida.  I probably could have made my own but I had given all my fabrics to the local charity shop and my sewing machine to my mother, just before the lock down, when I was clearing out my house. I know there is a place selling them in Dun Laoghaire, so I can buy one on Wednesday when I am back there for my day in the office.

Schitts Creek is back!!!
Final series is now up on Netflix. Last night we watched the last episode of the previous season and then moved on to the new season. It was as good as ever!!  We would have liked to watch more but we stopped after 3 episodes and will watch more tonight. It was the highlight of our week to hear about the new series!

We were asleep by 11pm and then awake at 7.30am and up early to walk the dog before Ciaran started a work meeting. While he was doing his meeting I hoped on the bike and dropped Gerry a little gift of Take the Cake cupcakes and a card for his birthday. I found the most perfect card as he has been doing his garden all this time in lockdown and he dug up his garden and reseeded his lawn and now has a gleaming lawn of perfect green grass.

And now it's only 11am on Saturday (time to have a cup of coffee while I blog) so we still have the whole weekend ahead of us - enjoy your weekend and til my next blog, Byeeeee! 

Wednesday is Work in the Office Day

Check me out in my high viz and cycling helmet!

As I've mentioned before, Wednesday is the day that I work in the office and not remotely from home. I have to say I really enjoy getting up early and leaving the house a little after 7am and cycling to the Dart Station to get on a practically empty Dart from Sandymount Station.

The views from the train are great as it goes along the coast - here you can see the two chimneys from the Poolbeg Generating Station. 
Same as last week I brought a coffee with me for on the train and I savored it as the train made its way to Dun Laoghaire.

It's a little unnerving going out in public to work on a weekly basis. This week I planned to wear a mask on the train but sure I forgot to bring it with me......but perhaps it may become second nature very soon to wear one whenever on public transport. In the office, it is great to see colleagues, but I am also nervous about being around people and I am constantly giving my hands a really good wash in the bathroom.  I guess this is just me trying to control the whole situation because in reality the only thing I have control over is how clean my hands are!!!

After work I took the dog for a walk - there is always something to look at and I enjoyed seeing this bush blooming in my neighbours garden.

Numbers are looking good in Ireland and we are probably heading to a reduction in restrictions on Monday 18th of May. From that day (if the Chief Medical Officer and NPHET give the ok) people may be able to meet others in public areas and construction sites will be allowed start up again.Let's see if this happens - an announcement will possibly be given tomorrow.

Where ever you are stay safe and well.........Byeeeeee

Monday Funday!

So Monday turned out to be fun, considering it was, well you know, Monday....

After work I got up to two things. First off I did an online Zoom Bikram Yoga class all the way from Luxembourg - that was A-mazing! 

And then after dinner (well I lie, I was actually eating dinner  at the beginning when I joined - but I left my camera off) I went to an online meeting of the Dublin Cycling Campaign Group with 100 other participants. It was so good and very inspiring. It got me all riled up so I emailed my local councillors this evening to thank them for all the recent cycling infrastructure improvements in Ranelagh (wands have been installed to protect cycle lanes) and to ask them if more could be done to protect cyclists and pedestrians.

It felt like I had a very productive Monday after a really slow Sunday. It was invigorating!

Bones also joined the meeting for a few mins - he plodded up the stairs to me and asked to be picked up. I had my camera on at this point so presumably he was seen by all!  In fairness he behaved himself and sat quietly - but he is a big fan of cycling as he loves me nipping around on my bike with him peeping out of my panniers :-)

Weekend Wrap Up.....

Saturday was SUNNY!!!

We got up and did a "Ramble in Ranelagh" which you can read all about on Ciaran's website with a few nice pics of the route we took to Framexperts.

After that it was a case of house cleaning which we did quickly and then I sat out in the garden and sunbathed - bliss!
Ciaran painted all day and then we did a Whats App meet up with Amy and Patrick which Ciaran then followed with a Zoom meet up with friends.

While he was on his Zoom meeting I organized dinner (Rasoi delivery!) and then after watching an episode of Hollywood following by Normal People it was time for bed.

Sunday was a slow day....possibly the slowest day ever....and the weather was cold cold cold. That's about all I can say....

Hope you had a good weekend and that you are safe and well.  Here's to a new week (with more of the same ahead)......

Byeeeeee

Friday Surprise!

Well Friday sure feels like a long time ago, but here is the conclusion of the ongoing Virgin Media WiFi TV saga.  So as of Friday afternoon after the 2nd visit by a technician we finally have everything in proper working order. The last piece of the jigsaw was our access to Netflix through Virgin Media on the television and that is now set up and back working.....so we started watching the Netflix show "Hollywood" which is interesting to say the least!

Surprises during this time are gratefully accepted and on Friday we came back from our lunchtime walk to find a lovely present for Ciaran on the doorstep in a gorgeous Chateau Minuty tote bag - what a gorgeous surprise indeed!

Later we sat out in our garden (it was incredibly sunny) and enjoyed the gorgeous Chateau Minuty Rosé with some cheese (see Pembroke Wines for info).

 

Bones joined us too after he got a bath - how clean does he look?  This is possibly the longest and best condition his hair has ever been in. I've been brushing it daily as I did not want it to get in to a knotty uncomfortable state given that all dog groomers are currently closed.

After we finished our wine and cheese, I wrapped the left over cheese in these awesome reusable wax wraps that were very kindly gifted to me by a work colleague when I was due to be leaving for Spain.....and sure we know how that all turned out :-(
These beeswax wraps are so handy and keep food fresh without the need to use nasty old cling film.  I see that you can now get them in Supervalu - these are not the brand that I have but I would imagine they are mostly the same, no matter what brand you buy. I actually mentioned them in a blog post back in 2019 so I am very happy to have some now!

Here are the Beeswax wraps you can buy in Supervalu and I see they are also available from The Kitchen Whisk

A short art film to watch from home

Here's a short film about Pigsy and his art that you can watch from home while staying at home

It can't be goodbye to Bewleys, a Grafton Street institution, can it?

On 26th of April 2020, I walked down a deserted Grafton Street (see blog post here) and took photos of shuttered shops and then wrote a blog later in the day.  I ended the blog by wondering when the stores would be open again.

Sadly it seems one of them won't be opening again - the iconic Bewley's cafe with its famous Harry Clarke stained glass

I've blogged many times about visits to Bewley's and it was a favourite pastime in recent times for my mother and I to meet and go to a lunchtime play in the little Cafe Theatre at the top of the building.

It is a sad day to hear it will close, a victim of the Covid 19 pandemic combined with massive rents, it seems.