Adventures in the Big Smoke
I had training all day Thursday and we were trying to work out how to get up in time for the play and it was a bit of a tussle but we made it work in the end. We had the fastest and messiest pizza ever (messy because I was eating it with 5 minutes to spare before we ran to the theatre) in Milanos, chosen because their pizza is delicious, they offer gluten free and it was en route to the Olympia. After the play we caught a bus out to my brothers place out near Harolds cross, I had never been to visit but it was clear from our brief walk through his neighbourhood that it was all built in the 70's and little had been changed since. Our first night, one of my brothers house mates was away so we got a bed but I still didn't manage to get a decent nights sleep because I sleep badly in unfamiliar surroundings. When we got up Friday morning everyone was gone to work and I had a genius plan that we would leave the place early so we could have breakfast in the city but by the time we got washed and were on our way into town it was nearly 10.30. It takes forever to get anywhere in Dublin and we also didn't really know where they hide all the good places to eat so after reading many menus we found a place in Temple Bar we both agreed on. After breakfast the plan was that we have a quick look in a few shops because I really needed boots and then we would head out to visit my sister in Dun Laoighre. Somehow we didn't end up at the dart station until 2.30 and I was clutching several bags having bought stationary in Muji when I only went in for a voucher for my brother ( as a thank you for letting us stay) and new jeans, boots and cardigan. All completely necessary of course. Stephen meanwhile had been spending money he really shouldn't be spending on a new blazer and runners ( which he really really needed according to him) so I can just say he's a bad influence. We got out to my sisters just in time to go in search of food and I was about to fall over with the hunger so it was badly needed. We weren't even there two hours when we had to get the dart back to down and start our trip back to my brothers place so we could get ready for pulp fiction night in the sugar club. An hour and a half later we were off the bus (we got on after a short walk from the dart station) and had decided that dinner took priority over getting to the movie on time. My brothers house mate suggested we try Cornucopia on Wicklow street as it's known for good vegetarian cuisine and we had been frantically googling restaurant options on the way home without much avail so we gave it a shot. It was probably the best decision we made of our entire trip.
They had allowed us to book a table and open a tab but Cornucopia is self service and all vegetarian or vegan. Our very friendly waitress brought us soups and sprouted crackers with hummus to start. I went for a soup of broccoli and seaweed because I was feeling really indecisive and I just copied Stephen but I really don't like the taste or thought of eating seaweed so I didn't enjoy my soup as much as he did. I did eat most of it on the basis that it's good for me, as though I was a small child who was told she couldn't have a treat until she finished her dinner ( I think inside that version of me is still alive and kicking) . Once we had those finished we went up to choose our mains. I went for a ragout with squash and parsnip and picked two salads for sides and Stephen went for a quiche. It was absolutely delicious, now I have no idea what exactly a ragout is ( there's a picture in my collage above) but I can tell you that I really like it especially the butternut squash which I've never eaten whole( only in a soup). I picked a lovely wall and keogh tea to go with dinner while Stephen had wine and because I wasn't drinking I treated myself to this delicious chocolate ganache for after.
By the time the meal was over we were really late for the Sugar club but my belly was making happy full sounds so I didn't mind.
We had to stand for the movie because all the seats were gone and I was so tired I needed to prop myself up against a wall but I did really enjoy rewatching it, it's a great venue and I'm told they have themed movie nights every few weeks. Once the movie came to an end we grabbed ourselves seats and sat down to listen to the band. I'm sure I was a bag of fun as I was sober and shattered so we only stayed an hour before getting a taxi back to my brothers and watching the end of a movie with him before setting up bed in the living room. I bagged a couch and set myself up with a sleeping bag and then ended up having the worst night sleep ever, the fridge hummed, the heating gave me a headache and all the coffee I'd had that day was coming back to haunt me. I really shouldn't have such a bad nights sleep because the sitting room was perfectly comfortable but I was subhuman by the morning time and I knew Saturday would be a struggle. We packed all our stuff and tidied up the blankets and headed into town in search of food and coffee. I ended up waiting till I got to a health food store and buying a sort of healthy bar to keep me going because the breakfast I was offered in a slightly dodgy looking cafe we stopped at was so woeful that I couldn't eat it. I did have the genius idea of finding the Temple Bar farmers market and then promptly realised why we had never found it before. It consisted of three tiny stalls. I did get some lovely sourdough to take away. We made our way out to my sisters where she made us all lunch and met my parents and brother for a bit and just hung out there until it was time to start the trip home to Waterford.
Pluses of the trip were seeing family and a bit of culture and delicious food but then on the down side there is the endless stream of public transport where we spent most of the two days and how bloody expensive it is to visit. It sure is nice to be home and I can tell you I slept like a champ in my own bed on Saturday night.
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