Sligo Continued

Friday August 28th

I woke up on Friday and made myself a breakfast of cereal, NY style bagels and some instant coffee. I sat in the cozy kitchen and nibbled away. When Brendan came in we started getting ready for a day out. The day was grim. It looked like the coming of the apocalypse. Sheets of rain, dark skies, biting cold winds. I could barely see Benbulben through the fog.

We started our day with a quick drive to the monolithic cairns. It was too wet to hike way out into the fields to see the biggest ones but the museum had a fascinating exhibit. The cairns pre date Stonehenge by something like 3,000 years. it is unbelievable. They are scattered all over this area of Ireland. In fields, along the side of the road. There is a big one on the top of one of the mountain known as Queen Meave's (see also Queen Mab) Grave. There are lots of stories about Finn McCool. We got to see one right on the side of the road. It was amazing to be so close to things that are that old and man made.

Next, we hiked up to this gorgeous waterfall. Apparently at certain times the waterfall runs up hill. Like, backwards or so Brendan told me. I really couldn't tell if he was pulling my leg but I believed him. We also drove to Strandhill where I had planned on going surfing. After standing out on the cliff looking over the treacherous, stormy sea I was glad I had not booked my lesson. Yes, I may have surfed a half dozen times or so but I was not ready for this level of difficulty!

We took a drive out to Yeats grave. I took a walk around the grave yard and it was here that I first started truly feeling my Nanny's (great grandmother Molly, she was my best friend until she died when I was 15), presence. She grew up in the shadow of Benbulben and all of the stories she used to tell me started flooding back. Brendan and I got some lovely soup and sandwich at the gift shop and when we emerged the sky had cleared. It was a dazzling and sunny blue and it had warmed up quite a bit. We started driving to Nanny's old house. I looked at Brendan and said that I thought Molly sent the clear skies and he said he was thinking the exact same thing.

We arrived at the cottage I had always heard about. The one nanny grew up in. I could imagine her and her 12 siblings growing up here. i saw the field with the cows and donkeys where the black and tan shot at them. I saw the rose bushes. The school where they all went was right next door. One half for the boys the other for the girls. It seems to be a big artists studio now.

I was totally overwhelmed with emotions. I felt nanny with me more than usual. I started talking to her. Picked up a rock from the path. I wished I had been able to go inside but sadly the cottage is not in our family any longer.

From there we went on to drive all around the area where nanny grew up. We went to this massive estate where she used to sit by the water and play on the grounds. We drove up Benbulben and down to the sea. I picked up a smooth stone. It would become my worry stone. nanny always had one. A stone she would rub between her pointer finger and thumb to ease her nerves. We talked a bit but mostly we were quiet and thoughtful, soaking in all the beauty.

That evening we went to see Cian's Junior GAA match. Their team lost but I LOVED it! The game is really cool. Like soccer but you can use your hands and there are two different ways to score. Also, standing out by the field and looking around you seeing mountains and rolling hills everywhere makes everything better.

We had dinner at The Bistro, their favorite Italian place in Sligo town. They took Grandpa and Mandy there when they visited. We all ordered pizzas. The owner came over to say hello and when he found out I was from NYC he got very nervous. He said New Yorkers really know their pizza but he was encouraged by the fact that his pie won best pizza at the contest in Las Vegas (where Giove's from Trumbull, CT won 3rd place, random, small world!). The food was excellent and we didn't finish eating until after midnight. When dinner was through we dropped Cian off for a sleepover and the adults headed to Harry's: The pub with the well. It was a cozy spot full of friendly locals. There is in fact a well in the back with fish swimming around in the bottom. We met Fenton, the publican, who asked me for a kiss. I didn't hear him at first and he got very offended. He was a giant of a man who was wearing sandals in 40 degree weather. He was really funny and we had a grand time. I drank my first Guinness of the evening and could barely touch my second. I was so exhausted at this point that my cousins in Sligo must have thought I was a teetotaler. I wish they could have seen me on one of my proud nights in NYC or even Dublin downing Jameson and Guinness for hours like I was born to do! Ha! We took a taxi home and I fell asleep once again the moment my head hit the pillow.

Hello Sligo

I have been putting this off for so long.
I don't want to finish my blog because once the writing is done I have to face up to the fact that I am no longer tripping all over the world.

We begin...

Thursday August 27th

On the flight to Knock the plane was almost totally full of young men and woman who were flying into town for a wedding. I was sitting next to the bride and groom. I didn't talk to them but I liked being close to their radiant excitement.
I arrive at the airport and it is very tiny. There are pictures of famous Irish men and women on the walls, images of Pope John Paul II's visit, etc.

I was meant to meet my distant cousin Brendan at the airport. We had never met, I have never seen a picture. I figured he'd probably spot me though. I was the only 20 something dressed all in black, with giant sunglasses, a backpack the size of a small toddler, a giant bright blue rolling duffel bag and a fabulously large brown leather purse from Paris. I could only be his cousin from NYC.

Brendan knew me right away.
I guess I sort of stuck out like a sore thumb. We decided to have a cup of coffee at the little pub in the airport. We chatted a bit and headed out to the car. The air was unmistakable. I was back in Ireland. Only here it was cleaner and brisker than in Dublin. All you could see was green and hills and mountains. It was grey but I felt like I was about the be in heaven.

I made the silly mistake of trying to get into the drivers side. I forget about driving on the opposite side sometimes.

I thought we would go straight home but instead we just drove and drove and drove we saw the lake from all sides. I was stunned by the beauty of the place. Sligo is amazing and it's where my family is from. It was magic to be there.
After seeing a nice part of the country side we headed into Sligo town to pick up Eileen, Brendan's wife, from the bank where she worked.
We got there a bit early so we had a walk around the city. It was small and sweet with a surprising amount of shopping!

We get Eileen and headed to Una's (Brendan's mom) house. Una was not there but Tim (her husband) and Tina (her daughter) were. They have the most glorious view of Benbulben mountain from their home! We had coffee, chatted watched a bit of TV and then finally went to Brendan and Eileen's. Their house is stunning! It is this wonderfully homey, well kept, happy place. Big and yet somehow cozy. It felt like a very posh cottage. Eileen cooked us a lovely dinner. I had so many potatoes! I also met Brendan and Eileen's adorable son Cian. he is 12 and smart and cute and silly and I love him! It was so nice to be around a kid again!
Jamie, Brendan's brother came for dinner. He was so nice and funny! I had heard so many stories an Jamie and Hazel (his wife) and Brendan and Eileen and Cian and Una and Tim and Tina, it was amazing to finally meet all of them! After dinner Una popped in and so did Pat, their neighbor. I was so overwhelmed by all of these new and lovely relatives. I didn't quite know what to do with myself.

Brendan and Pat invited me to the pub but I was too exhausted. I curled up in the coziest bed I had since the Dylan in Dublin and slept the sleep of the guiltless.

I have not forgotten you loyal reader(s?)

I have been putting off finishing this blog for a few reasons.

1. I don't want the trip to be over and once I finish writing about my last week in Ireland it really will have ended.

2. I have had a massively exciting and eventful couple of weeks in the states.

3. I am lazy.

The end is in sight though... patience :-)

Last Day in London...

and oh what a day it was!

I woke up after Kara left for work and took a shower.

When Mark woke up we started discussing the recording we were going to do.

Originally he was only going to record me singing scales on a few different vowels for use in possible future recordings but the night before I had sat up listening to his demo on loop and started writing away.

I came up with two skeletons of a song and one that felt really complete.

Tiphaine popped her head in and said she'd like to warm up with me so we did.

It was lovely but in the middle of warming up I realized how truly unpracticed and out of shape my voice was.

After warm ups I donned the headphones and started singing my scales. It was an odd feeling. With the phones on, singing one extended tone at a time it felt like my voice wasn't a voice at all, wasn't even coming from me. It was scary at first and I didn't feel very confident but Mark gave me encouragement and adjustment when needed.

When the scales were done I just sort of plopped on the couch. Mark asked which track I had been listening to when I was inspired to write the lyrics. From there he played the song on loop and I started trying out bits of melody. After a few times through I had a pretty solid melody and structure going and Mark had added some additional stuff to the track. We then recorded a few takes. It was terrifying and exhilarating and difficult and wonderful all at once.

The recording session was really a gift. I have been inspired to write again, to sing again, to take care of my voice again. Mark and I will most likely continue to collaborate musically (along with a million other things but that is for a later post...) We ended our session with a great, big hug and a few inspiring words :-)

Let me say something about Mark...

When I met him I immediately liked him. In fact when I first spoke to him on the phone for less than five minutes I liked him. We are very much alike in all of the good and bad ways. But mostly Mark brings out honesty, creativity, ease, happiness and all the good things in me. He has become so immensely important to me over the past month or so and I am so amazingly grateful to have him in my life. When I finally get to writing about the states again you will more fully understand why and how he has become so much more a a part of so many facets of my life.

Kara returned from work and we had linner (lunch/dinner) @ Troubadour. It was very tasty! Kara and the cute Hungarian waiter encouraged me to order Bannoffee Pie. It is this absurdly rich concoction of cream, bananas, toffee and graham cracker crust. I am not one to be dainty about food but I definitely could not finish it!

When the meal was complete we headed back home to get ready for the Bad Ass Mo'Tash party!

Mo'Tash is a charity that raises money and awareness for Testicular Cancer. My friend Mark and some of his friends have put together this non profit PR company that supports charities, garners interest and support amongst young professionals in all fields and comes up with creative ideas to fundraise. I would personally like to start a branch of this group in NYC...

Anyway, the party was at Movida and it was a blast.

Kara, Tiphaine and I got all dolled up and hopped the tube.

On the elevator we took note of a handsome man.

When we arrived at the party we made our donations and put on our fake 'tashs.

After getting our drinks I noticed that the handsome fella from the tube was at the party.

I figured I had to mention to him that we had seen him and when I did he smiled and said he thought he had seen us too.

He then walked back to his table of friends. There was a brief moment of pointing and discussion. Then Kara, Tiphaine and I were invited over. We started chatting away and having lots of fun. I met Clay (the aforementioned guy from the tube), Dave and Pete. Dave and I hit it off immediately. He is this very charming, funny, smart guy who reminds me very much of a long, lost Beatle. He is a musician and it turns out we both have our roots in Sligo. I think we really bonded over this fact. Pete is also a musician and a very nice guy. He has one of the coolest looks I have seen in a while. Sort of like Yeats or something. Old fashioned, sleek, bookish. I dig it.

We also met Michael, a German actor/musician who is ridiculously handsome and sweet , Michael who was an amazing dancer. He really killed it on the dance floor and this guy Andy. I don't remember what Andy does but he is tall, blonde, funny and very charming.

As a matter of fact we met a lot of people but I can't possibly remember them all! They were all so pretty and fun and lovely and charming. Damn those brits and their charm!

The one person who sticks out the most in my mind is Esme. She is this little red headed thing. She is absurdly smart and fun and kind. I would very much like her to visit NYC. I think I have a girl crush on her.

When the party ended the tubes had stopped running so Kara, Tiphaine and I took a double decker bus! Score!

In the morning I said goodbye to Kara, Lottie and Mark. Tiphaine sweetly rode the tube with me to the Gatwick Express. She is such a dear friend. She helped me carry my bags and told me how much it meant to her that we became close and told me, very genuinely that I now had a home and a family in London.

I am so thankful to Kara and Tiphaine and Mark and Lottie and the other ladies of Whetherby mansions for hosting em and making me feel so at home. I am amazed by the people I met. How open and interesteing they all were and how they really made such an effort to make me feel welcome. London holds a lot of possibility for me and I can see myself living happily there for at least a period of time.

I was desperately sad to leave but very excited about the prospect of finding my roots in Sligo and getting to see the few people in Dublin who had been on my mind since I left...

Labor Day blues, I'd rather be in London

I have a lot of time to kill on this Labor Day Monday and I am feeling a bit low so I figure I'll try to finish up writing about the London leg...

Sunday- Kara was taking Bjorn for his birthday surprise which was a mime show. I can't remember the title but with them heading off it left me with a free morning and afternoon to myself.

I decided to go to Harrod's for a bit of window shopping.
I entered the store as it opened with the throng of other tourists and Sunday shoppers. You were only allowed to browse for the first half hour. After that, the shopping was allowed to begin. I truly though I would purchase some gifts while I was there but I was a bit overwhelmed by the sheer size of things. The store is lovely and The Harrod's specific merchandise was enticing but mostly it felt like Bloomingdale's. I tired myself out with fantasizing about the designer gowns and one of a kind shoes. I needed sustenance so I had a quiet lunch at Cafe Harrod's, even allowing myself an afternoon glass of wine. The food was not stellar but it did the job and I moved on out of the store.

Next I went to the Tate modern. Kara had said I would probably only need about an hour and a half to get a feel for the museum but I could have stayed all day. The museum is stunning and as you are walking around you almost feel a sense of anticipation verging on a feeling of danger. You literally never know what might be around the next corner. I saw a lot of Warhol, there were some really interesting video exhibits, something called "Ghost, no shell" where a few artists created a fully explored identity for a minor anime character. They actually purchased the copyright for the character in the character's name so now there is no actual ownership of the image. it was an interesting and trippy thing. I found myself wishing I could spend the whole day in the museum, alone, disappearing into the anonymity of the crowd.

After the Tate I met up with Kara and Bjorn. We had a pitcher at Pimm's outside of Doggett's and then walked down the south bank towards the London eye. We crossed the Thames and saw Big Ben and headed out for a cheap and tasty Mexican dinner near Rada. We weren't quite ready to call it a night so we decided to see "Inglorious Basterds" in Leicester Square. Going to the cinema in London was different. They were only showing one film at this very large theater, the seats were assigned as though you were seeing a play, they serve salty and sweet popcorn (I like them mixed together) and they charge a ridiculously high ticket price. The movie was typical Tarantino, gleeful in it's violence but I found myself surprised by how much I enjoyed it.
We were all pretty drained after the film so we headed home.

Kara and I went into Mark's room to make sure the plans for the next day were still on. Kara had gotten her and I ticket's to go see "The Drunks" at the RSC in Stratford upon Avon. It turned out that she was no longer able to go because there were no trains back to London until the next day and she had work early in the morning. So, Mark, sweet as always agreed to move some stuff around and go with me. But, when we got home we found out that our dear friend and flat mate Tiphaine had gotten some upsetting news about her most recent film. It was decided that she would come to Stratford upon Avon with me instead. Kara went to sleep but Tiphaine and I stayed in Mark's room with him for a chat. We stayed there until about 4 in the morning. it was a really special night for me. We talked about a lot of things. A lot of them very difficult. There were tears and laughter and signing and everything in between. I bonded with Tiphaine and Mark in a way that I hadn't before and I am very grateful for it. During that evening it was also decided that Mark and I would work on some music together. He wanted to sample my voice and maybe I would try and come up with some lyrics for some tracks he was working on.

Monday/Tuesday- Tiphaine and I headed out on the train to Stratford upon Avon. It was a two and a half hour ride and it just flew by. We talked, talked, talked. She has a lot of ideas and projects she wants to work on in the theater world over there so she picked my brain about The Vagabonds. It felt good to talk to someone who was really enthusiastic about their art and their goals. It helped to reinvigorate me. To remind me of what I really want out of my life and my career.

We arrived in SuA a few hours before the show. We checked into The Avon Hotel. Our room was in the basement but it was fine. A place to lay our heads. We walked to the theater and I was amazed at how small and quiet the town was. I am always either in the city or the suburbs. I like the idea of a small quiet place. I wonder if I could live somewhere like that or if the smallness would drive me mad at some point?

We arrived at the courtyard theater with time to spare so we grabbed some dinner. Soup and a jacket potato. Very British. Because the show was still in previews they weren't clod out and we got our seats upgraded. The show was amazing. It is a modern play written by to Russian playwrights who are brothers, I think? The RSC is stupendous. Obviously, they are world renowned but I can't even begin to describe how they made me feel. I have seen so much theater, so many wonderful actors and beautiful plays but this transcended all of it. The company was so seamlessly entwined, the energy was so consistent. I was drawn in the entire time and the hour and a half flew by. It was very cinematic and very real and grounded. I left the show feeling like I was on some sort of mood elevating drug. It has been my dream to see a show in SuA performed by The RSC and not only did it not disappoint, it exceeded all of my expectations.

Tiphaine and I went to sleep and woke up early the next day. We had a big breakfast at the hotel and went out to do some sight seeing. We went to Shakespeare's birthplace. I got very excited when I found out Thomas Jefferson and John Adams visited the site together in 1788 (I think that was the year...). After seeing the house we went out into the garden and started talking to these guys who were in costume. It turns out they were actors (big surprise) and they were out there to do scenes and monologues. We also found out that they had been at the performance of "The Drunks" the night before. The younger of the two gentlemen informed us that he had seen us at the show, that as a matter of fact he had seen us earlier that evening walking from the train station to the hotel and again this particular morning looking at our map and seeming lost. There goes my theory that we are really fairly anonymous in the world and that ti probably doesn't matter what we look like because no one is paying attention. Tiphaine and I went to a few other historic spots, including Shakespeare's grave.I wish we had more time in SuA because the massive Shakespeare nerd in me was so excited to be there. I will definitely be going back next time I am in jolly, olde, England.

After getting back to London Kara, Tiphaine and I had a long talk about upcoming projects in London that Kara and Tiphaine are planning together. I acted as advisor and facilitator and it made me want to stay in London to keep working with them. After our chat the ladies headed out to Notting Hill for some shoe shopping and dinner. I bought the most amazing pair of open toes, spike heeled, faux snake skin booties. We had dinner at a place called The Castle. then, we went to meet up with Kara's friend Ash at Market Place Bar. he is this really cool Australian guy who works for the BBC. It was his last night in London for a year. He is travelling around the world and I am really impressed with his plans. he is much better about roughing it and living on a budget than I am. If I could learnt o alter my travelling style I'd probably be ale to jaunt for longer than a month at a time. Ash was very appealing, funny and charming and down to earth. he is sort of a Johnny Depp type, slender, tall, long hair that is going gray at the temples and is pulled back in a top knot. I liked his energy a lot and I am glad I got to meet him.


To be continued...

I am back in the states...

but the next several posts will still be about the journey. Let's pick up where we left off...

London...

Saturday- Lottie planned a flat mates picnic and I was lucky enough to be around for it.

The ladies all congregated in the kitchen and made lunch. There was much chopping and scrubbing and mixing and smiling. It felt very old fashioned and sweet and I think it set the tone for the rest of the day. We finished making the lunches and walked out across the street to The Earl's Court garden. It was a perfect afternoon. Sun breaking through the clouds. Mark and I, as usual, played photographer. Soon, Bjorn showed up. I was thrilled to finally meet the man Kara loves. He is this tall, lean, blonde being. So full of energy and joy and honesty. After good food and good wine and Ribina we convinced Bjorn to perform on of his original mime performances for us. He did something called a life in eight minutes. I was smart enough to turn on my video camera and I am so glad I did. The piece was very moving and it was so special to see it in that garden on that day surrounded by those people. It was so idyllic. Like something out of a Jane Austen novel just set in slightly more modern times. I began to imagine my life that way which I know is not realistic. Even the people living in Earl's Court Square don't picnic with their flat mates every day. But, while on holiday and discovering new things and living out life long dreams, it's easy to forget that the sheen of seeing and doing for the first time never lasts forever.

After the picnic Bjorn, Kara and I went for dinner at the Troubadour.

I had an amazingly tasty vegetarian bangers and mash and 2 for 1 Singapore slingers. We sat in the garden and had a LOVELY time.

Kara and I headed home and got ready to go to one of the coolest places I have ever seen. A little place called Shunt. Kara, Tiphaine and I all made our way to this place that i had been hearing about for days. We got off the London Bridge stop and as we walked out I noticed an unmarked door with a line up of people outside. This, I was told, was the entrance to Shunt.

When you walk in you quickly realize you are going to be in tunnels. Whether they are unused tube tunnels or tunnels beneath London Bridge I don't know but the tunnels just go on and on and on and on...

Apparently, the club has different live performances, performance artists etc each night. When we were there they were showing old silent films on the brick walls, there was a cool Japanese DJ and visual artist, etc. It was insane. I felt like I was on another planet. We sat and watched the silent films for a while. I narrated, making up ridiculous stories and voices. After a while we attracted an audience. It was a lot of fun. We also danced with wild abandon on the floor. no one else was really moving but I felt really free. There is nothing like being in a place where almost no one knows you.

We ended the night by catching a set from the DJ. He was wonderfully cool and fun and listening to him spin I turned off my mind for the first time in what felt like years.

London continued

Friday - Kara and I woke up, took showers and went out to do our wash. We picked up some Starbucks and headed to The Old Brompton Cemetery for a walk. It is a beautiful old place. Some of the graves are totally overgrown with ivy and look spooky but mostly I felt a sense of peace. The oddest thing about the place is the massive, modern football pitch and stadium looming in the background. We also encountered some massively bold squirrels. Kara thought they were going to jump on our head but I knew we'd be just fine.

After that we headed towards Tower Bridge. Kara was working promotions for a sweet little tea place called Tea Pod. We stopped in early for a lovely lunch. I had cream tea and Kara had this amazing mint and pea soup. Yum! She headed off to work and I went to tour The Tower of London. Was quite surreal to be there. Got a fairly informative tour from one of the Beefeaters. They live on the grounds of the tower which I never knew. I saw the crown jewels, etc and I enjoyed myself.

Kara came and found me after work and we ate at Waggamama. Anyone from NYC who hasn't been there, it's like Republic in Union Square only yummier! Dinner ended and we headed to the hi light of the day... The Globe Theatre! We were seeing Troilus and Cressida. Neither of us had ever seen it performed so we were quite excited. We lined up early and got to stand directly at the stage's edge. While the acting was uneven in spots (the Cressida, Agamemnon, and Ulysses were phenomenal!) the entire vibe of being there was magic. I was totally enthralled the whole time and the music was wildly enchanting. After the show we got drinks at The Swan, the bar at the theater, and saw all of the actors. It was a perfect London evening and it just made me want to spend more and more time in that city.

Dear lord I have over a week to catch up on...

Let's begin with the rest of London.

I think I may do this in a few installments as not to overwhelm myself, or the reader. Enjoy!

Thursday - Kara had work, Tiphaine was still out of town and Mark was asleep so I headed out on my own for breakfast at The Troubadour. I had a full veg breakfast. Quite yummy. I sat in the garden well after I was done eating and only realized I should leave when it started drizzling on my head. I went back to the apartment for a wee bit, chatted away with Mark and suddenly realized it was time to meet Kara. We went to the Waterhouse exhibit and it was lovely. The women were beautiful, powerful, tricky creatures. I bought many postcards.

Kara and I decided to wander a bit and we ended up at Buckingham Palace. I didn't get to see the changing of the guards or take pictures with them or anything which was sort of disappointing BUT the state rooms were open to the public for a fee since The Queen was at Balmoral for the summer. The line was non existent so Kara and I went it. It was pretty exciting to be in a palace that is still used by a royal family. It's a funny thing, royalty. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and even treated myself to a lovely pair of swarovski crystal earrings. As someone I know would say I was "looking out for number one" :-)

After that we headed to Brick Lane for an Indian dinner. What happens is, you walk down the street and everyone tries to get you into their restaurant. They offer you money off your bill, free drinks, etc. I decided on the second place because they offered us a free bottle of wine. Who could turn down that offer, hm? The food was DREADFUL and I am not really one to complain about food. The wine was decent and the conversation was grand so Kara and I had a wonderful time. We ordered Indian ice cream. Kara got pistachio and I got mango. Hers tasted like soap and mine tasted like a candle. Or, was it the other way around? We switched flavors half way through and due to our slight wine buzz we devoured the whole thing despite the taste and our uncontrollable giggles. As our meal was ending two business men sat down at the table next to us. They asked us if our meal was good and we answered honestly that it was one of the worst we had ever had. They didn't seem too pleased.

Dinner being over we headed over to Shoreditch to meet with Simon and his friends. Simon is an old friend of my dear friend Lucy. We had never met but I felt instantly happy and comfortable in his presence. We went to a bar. I don't remember the name and met a bunch of his friends. They were all very fun and lovely. I got on particularly well with John, a Kenneth Branagh look alike who knew a hell of a lot about politics and languages and everything else. He lived in the states for a bit, worked on the Obama campaign and was overall a very fun guy. We all moved on to a different bar and continued to enjoy ourselves. I put back a few Pimm's and Kara and I headed home early enough to take the tube.

Hey Jude...

Yesterday I arrived in London.

I made my way to Earl's Court Mansions where Kara is living along with my dear friend Mark and a few other boarders. The home is owned by Mark's great aunt Lottie. I was not prepared for what a character she was going to be!

I arrived at the house and Mark welcomed me at the door. He showed me my room and took me into the kitchen where Lottie had a cup of tea waiting for me. She is this amazing woman. She is in her 80's. She's a painter and (I think this is the story) part of The Hapsburg family who lost all of their wealth during the 2nd world war. She is Austrian by birth but has the most beautiful, lyrical English accent. She is gentle and smart and a classic English lady, I think. She calls me things like "Sweetie" and "My love". I adore her.

I freshened up, rested a bit and then headed down into the tube with Mark. He introduced me to two of his musician friends on the way out of the house. They seemed very cool. Total hipsters but again without the NYC pretension.

Mark and I rode the tube and chatted away. We parted ways at Leicester Square and I met up with my dearest Kara!

We saw "Hamlet" at The Donmar west end. The theater was beautiful, our seats were great and the show was a massive success, with one or two exceptions (see Ophelia and Gertrude. Ugh, no heart, no commitment, totally insincere in every word and action they made.)

Jude... wow... just wow.

He is totally possessed by the character. Every syllable, blink, hand gesture, everything is purely belonging to his Hamlet. he handles the asides like no one I have ever seen. An amazing pace is kept up but everything is so brilliantly clear. He is a revelation on stage.

After the show we walked to this yummy vegan place. Oh man, the food was amazing. I can't even remember what I had except for the vegan shepherds pie. YUM!

We walked some more through Leicester Square, The West End, China Town, Covent Gardens, etc.

It was so lovely.

I am really liking London.

We then went out for a drink at the Troubadour with Mark,

Really great atmosphere. Jimi Hendrix etc used to play there.

And, I had a Pimm's Cup. Um, why have I never had one of these before???

They are AMAZING!

Kara and I went to sleep early. She is now off at work and I am getting ready for the day. Might take a walk with Mark (Abbey Road anyone?), might wander alone and then I am meeting up with Kara this afternoon to see the pre Raphaelite exhibit and to have dinner at Brick Lane.

half way

I am standing in CDG airport waiting for my easyjet flight to board.

I had a brilliant last few days in Paris with Granny.
We took our 14 hour trip to Normandy. Seeing the landing beaches and the bomb craters. thinking about the men who lost their lives and what they were fighting for made me very emotional.

It wasn't the most exciting trip I have ever taken (nor was the guide very pleasant) but I am glad I did it.

We met two very fun Irish/Italian couples from the Boston area. They were a hoot and a half!

I think I will make a very good older lady one day. I certainly get along with them well enough.

grandma and I had planned to go to The Hemingway Bar at The Ritz when we got home from Normandy but we were so exhausted that we both passed out and slept until about 10am the next day.

Yesterday we just took it easy. Late breakfast. Shopping and strolling on Blvd St. Michele. Sitting in the shade in the Luxembourg gardens. Eating an early dinner. It was lovely just watching the world go by.

We headed back to the hotel and got all dolled up for The Ritz.

It is oh so opulent there and it makes me want to become instantly affluent.

The Hemingway Bar is still my favorite bar in the world.

It was almost empty when we arrived at around 9pm on a Tuesday.

I had a cocktail called The Serendipity. it was fresh mint, apple juice, a drop of Calvados and it was topped with Champagne. Tres Bien! Granny got the Papa Doble. It was vodka, maraschino liquer, grapefruit juice and lime. Yum! Definitely worth the 30 euro each.

We sat and laughed and chatted for a long time. Took pictures in the halls and sitting room and even in the restroom!

We had a lovely time together.

I feel so grateful to have shared this part of my trip with Grandma Ann.

She is so funny and kind and I just love her so much!

I look forward to our next trip together!

Well, I am off to London!

Seeing Jude Law play Hamlet this afternoon. WOOHOO!

xoxo

I haven't even been away for two weeks yet?

Well, we did in fact sit on the beach for the rest of the evening in Nice.

Instead of going to Opera Plage we went to Castel.

Much better!

Nicer beach, nicer chairs, nicer waiters, nicer looking clientele, etc etc etc...

We stayed there until about 7pm. Tanning, sipping pastis, nibbling on panini, flirting with waiters, splashing in the crystal blue water... twas paradise and we hated to leave.

We discussed the possibility of staying a few more days but we had a hotel and a flight to Paris waiting for us in the morning.

We took the elevator up to Chateau Nice. It was beautiful. We watched the sun dipping in the sky with the waterfall flowing in the background.

We then showered and headed out for dinner, a stroll in the old city and a search for Socca.

We did not get Socca but we did have a lovely dinner. Although Grandma was very surprised when her Gnocchi came covered in beef gravy. She was a sport about it though.

The next morning, bright and early, we were off for Paris.

We are staying at L'Hotel Design Sorbonne, right around the corner from our first hotel and directly across for The Sorbonne.

The design aesthetic here is much more modern and I like it! Very young and chic.

We headed out after showers to Musee D'Orsay. it did not disappoint and Grandma really enjoyed it. She (as well as I) loves the impressionists. I was particularly taken but the naturalists this time around. We saw almost the whole museum in just under 3 hours. Much more manageable than the Louvre.

After the Musee we went (via taxi, due to metro refurbishments on the line we needed) to Sacre Couer. We got there about 15 minutes into mass so we stayed. It was a very special experience.

After mass I found St. Michael's Chapel (which is almost totally dedicated to St. Joan's story) and said a prayer. We left the Basilica and went to the French version of a diner. The food was fairly awful (I had a crepe avec fromage, tomate and a fried oeuf) but the view of Sacre Couer was stellar!

We then went in search on the hilly streets of Montmarte for Au Lapin Agile.

After a very valiant effort of Grandma's behalf we stopped at a hotel and called a cab.

Arriving at Au Lapin Agile was magic. We drove along Rue Lepic (one of the oldest streets in Paris) to get there. The cabaret itself is located in this charming old house at the top of an old street. You walk in to a little, dimly lit room with many sorts of artwork hanging on the walls. The singers sit at a big table in the middle of a room and sing together, alone, they make you sing a long, they each have their own solo sections where all the other singers clear out of the room. You are handed a glass of cherry wine and everything is sung and said in French but it doesn't matter. the history of the cabaret (it's been around since the 1860's I believe) and the magic of the performers explained everything. I can't really put it into words but it transported me. I wanted to cry. It felt so genuine and there was so much hearts. Some of the singers have been there since the 40's. I really suggest you go and see a performance if you can. 24 euro gets you one drink and all the French folk music you could ever wants (along with love songs, drinking songs and classic like La Vie En Rose, etc). I plan to go back as soon as humanly possible.

Today, Granny and I went to Versailles after sleeping in and a late breakfast.
it was terribly hot and crowded, we didn't get to see Marie Antoinette's Estate and I didn't get my orange juice but it was still beautiful and magical.

While at Versailles, right when I was starting to get cranky and moody, I got a phone call that made me smile for some hours after. So thank you to the fellow that provided me with happy thoughts. You know who you are :-)

We walked (see also, trudged) back towards the train station.

We were famished so we stopped at an Italian/French place.

The food was awful.

My "Risotto" tasted like white rice boiled in heavy cream. GAG! But the atmosphere was fine and the young man who was the night manager was a doll.

He is DYING to go to NYC and was very excited to meet a real New York actress.

I gave him my card 9I have been giving it out to lots of fun people on this trip!) and told him I'd take him for a cafe and point him to some fun spots if he ever makes it to The Grande Pomme.

After our RER/Metro trip back to The Latin Quarter we got a drink (Pastis for me a Coca Lite for Granny) and watched the city go by.

We are home now and I need to shower.

We are waking up at 6am four a 14 hours tour of Normandy.

Grandma is VERY excited. I think it should be very special...

It's fun to be a short drive from so many other countries...

Two nights ago Granny and I got all "tres chic" and headed off to a night in Monaco.
We walked around the palace which was so stunning.
Wonderfully clean, peaceful. Very much like a fairy tale.
We learned a lot about The Grimaldi's and then went down to Monte Carlo for dinner.
It was not the best meal of my life but it was passing and we met a nice couple. They were Cuban American and very sweet.
The man was sort of like Ricky Ricardo. He called Grandma "Bella Nonna" and me, just plain "Bella". After dinner we walked around for a bit and then headed home.

Our tour guide for the evening was HYSTERICAL! She is originally from the north of China and moved to France 7 years ago after marrying her French husband.
She kept taking pictures of me and saying things like "I should have know you were an actress! That is why you are so pretty. I was thinking oh why is she so pretty!". Then she was obsessively taking pictures of me. Posed, candid, etc. She said I really knew how to 'make a picture". She had lots of historical info and plenty of gossip. She drove us by Sean Connery's house (Grandma was thrilled!), pointed out where Bill gates has a home, told us the kind of salary's housekeepers get ($500,000 a year!) and how much it is to rent an apartment on the Grand Prix Circuit during the race ($45,000 for 3 days!!!).

Yesterday we took an all day tour to Aix en Provence. It was a private tour and our guide was Leo, a native Nicoise. He was dapper and dressed all in white, gave great information etc.

Aix was wonderfully charming. We got to see where Cezanne died, saw a Cezanne and Picasso retrospective at the museum, had lunch (I had an amazing salad with watermelon and orange melon and yum, yum, yum! followed by a stewed peach concoction with the obligatory glass of Rose from Aix.)

We also stumbled across 'Rue de la Masse". Leo told me it is a very typically French last name, specific especially to the south of France. See! I told you I was French! In one of the cathedral's I saw a painting of the wedding of the last King of Provence. he had four daughters. I am actually reading a book about them at home so that was cool. Also, i discovered there is a St. Sarah! She was Mary the Virgin mother's attendant!

The only bump in the road was when Leo pulled me aside to ask me if I might join him for a drink later that evening. Flustered, I said I'd have to check with Grandma. His response was to tell me to eat dinner with her and then meet him later. Anytime. As late as I want... EW!

Anyway, after Aix we went to St. Maixime and saw Mary Magdalen's skull. It was sort of amazing.

After a long drive home Granny and I went out for a relaxing dinner in the heart of Old Nice. We listened to some fun musicians. I think they were called 'The Basketeers" and had some glace and went home.

Today, we took a trip to Ventimiglia in Italy. We went to the market. It was a mad house. I'd like to see Italy some other time. I feel this wasn't a fair representation of the country.
I had a yummy sandwich of roasted a veggies and olive oil and an espresso so all was not wasted. I also bough some gifts :-)

After Ventimiglia we went to Menton right over the border in France. It is right on the sea and is surrounded by mountains. it is much more charming than Nice and I think I'd like to stay there next time I arrive in the south of France.

Until then, I will sit on the beach, walk up to the Chateau and look at more apartment prices in the newspaper :-)

Glace for Breakfast is OK by me...

Today we headed off at about 12:30pm (so late!) and went directly to the Fluer Marche.

It was exactly how I had remembered it.

We bought some peaches and pears and plums. yum!

I bought my olives and tomates provencales form the lovely woman who runs the stand and then went on a hunt for my baguette and fromage.

The man who usually sells them was already gone! Oh no!

So, Granny and I went off in search for the rest of our picnic on the streets of old Nice.

We wandered for a bit not finding anything open.

We came upon the who ice cream shop that I remembered from my last trip.
They must have at least 70 flavors (including, olive, rosemary, etc...)

Grandma got rhubarb and apricot sorbets and I got Vanilla and Lavender ice cream.
It was our first meal of the day and it was oh, so good.

I got directions to a place where I could buy a baguette and we headed over there.

It was a nice, leisurely walk through the heart of old Nice and we both enjoyed it.

When we got to the boulangerie it was closed until 3:30!

So, we thought we'd get a coffee and cool off for a bit.

All of the socca places and cafe's were packed so we went into this little restaurant called Oliveria.

Little did I know it would be some of the best food I had ever put in my mouth!

They specialize is Olive oil from all different regions with all different tastes.

We got some tomatoes with mozzarella and some pureed aubergines and peppers.

It tasted like the sun and the earth and it was amazing.

Different dishes got different oils.

The gentleman that owns the place used to live in Manhattan so we had a nice chat.

I would highly suggest anyone who is anywhere near Nice go to this establishment!

After our little meal we bought our baguette (finally!) but there was no fromage :-(

We walked back to our hotel with the intention of walking up to the Chateau that looks over the city but instead we booked ourselves a trip to Monaco and Monte Carlo with a 3 course dinner.

Grandma is getting all dolled up as we speak and I am just sitting here trying to remember every slight, smell, taste and color...

It's starting to all blur together...

I will write about the last day Granny and I had in Paris (until we return in 3 days hehehe)...

We got up early and decided we would go to Versailles. We had a Seine dinner cruise planned for the evening and we thought a nice day among gorgeous grounds and massive opulence would put us in the right mood to be wined and dined and cruised.

We left the Hotel and headed towards the closest metro. My plan was to grab a quick croissant and a cafe and head on our way also possibly buying a picnic lunch.

We went into a patisserie to make our purchases but spotted a very yummy looking cafe across the street so we decided on a sit down breakfast and a picnic lunch.

The food was GORGEOUS! I have an omelet with potatoes, gruyere and tomatoes. Of course it came with a salade and the obligatory cafe creme.

After our food we headed to the metro, got off to make our RER connection and made a terrible discovery. It was Monday. Versailles is closed on Monday. MERDE! Back to the metro it was but... wait... our stop is closed for repairs? MERDE!

We were quite far from our hotel so we did what any sensible girl would do... we hailed a cab (which took a VERY long time...)

Instead of Versailles we decided to do Notre Dame and Saint Chapelle.

Notre Dame was stunning as always. Grandma was very happy to be there.

The line for the bell tower was mad so I did not go up.

Instead we had a nice relaxing lunch in the shadow of Notre Dame. It's this little cafe/creperie I went to with Katie. I had a salade (with too much fromgae! I had to take some of it off) and a 1664.

Next, we walked along the seine to get to Saint Chappele. To my shock and total delight waiting right on the corner was Bertillon! The worlds best ice cream which I somehow managed to miss last time I was in Paris. I was surprised to find it open because my guidebook so it was closed for August. But they were wrong! I had a double order of nougat and caramel. mmmm heaven....

Saint Chappele was not a disappointment. The top floor (which is really what you want to see) was closed for renovations when I was here two years ago. It is totally stunning. The books of The Bible are on the stained glass windows and there is this balcony at the end.

So stunning. The chapel is also heavily decorated with fleurs des lis. They had this lovely pair of silver fleur des lis earrings so I got a pair.

After all of this we went back to the hotel and got all glammed out for our night on the seine.

The cruise was lovely.

In my opinion the food left a bit to be desired but in these cases you are paying for the experience more than anything.

Granny and I got a prime table right at the very front corner of the boat.
The views were superb and so was the wine. We almost finished a bottle of Rose which is a big feat since Grandma rarely drinks at all!

My favorite part of the night was when I said "you know, there is a smaller version of the statue of liberty somewhere on the seine, I have never seen it though. I wonder where it is?" Not 1 minute later "New York, New York" starts playing on the sound system and I look up to see Lady Liberty staring me in the face with The Eiffel Tour in the background! I nearly cried :-)

Our night ended with packing and then the next morning we headed to the airport for Nice!

I love it here. The air, the light, the food.

It is so wonderful.

We arrived at The Hotel Suisse and discovered that we have a gorgeous room with an amazing view of the bai de anglaise. I think I have a knack for booking hotels with great views!

We unwound for a few minutes and walked down about 100 m to the private Opera Plage. We had lounge chairs and an umbrella and waiter service. It was a perfect day at the beach in my opinion. I think Grandma enjoyed herself a lot as well although due to the treacherous and rocky entrance and exit into the water she only went in once. I think I must have gone in and out 6 or 7 times :-)

We got back to the hotel, showered and ate dinner at cafe Bliss. It is just across from the port.

It was a cute little family run place that specialized in pizza.

The owners sister was born in Australia but has lived in Nice for the past 40 years. She had this very charming accent. A combination of Aussie and Nicoise. And, she spoke a form of Franglish (what I call the oh so effective combination of French and English words to convey some sort of message to someone) that puts mine to utter shame.

I had a salad of lettuce, tomato, love, warm brie and some little savory chevre pastry followed by a massive and impossible to finish pizza du jardin. it had herbs de provence on it and I was happy.

We took a walk along the boulevard de anglias and went to bed.

We were very tired and accidentally slept until 10:30. Whoops!

Our plan is to go into Vielle Ville and then head out to Monaco and Cannes. We'll see what happens...

Ah, Paris...

Sorry I have left you all blogless the past few days.

As usually happens to me in Paris I have been go, go, go!

I arrived tired from my final evening in Dublin.

When I arrived at the hotel I was truly impressed.

It is in the shadow of The Pantheon on this stunning little alcove.

We have a room right at the front of the hotel and the views are gorgeous!

After a bit of freshening up Grandma and I headed out.

We hit the Pantheon and intended to see Notre Dame but Grandma tires easily and after the walk to notre Dame form The Pantheon she needed a rest.

We had cafe and fromage and a few sweets (my first crepe of the trip!) at this little cafe looking out onto the towers of the cathedral.

It was directly next to shakespeare and Company which is one of my favorite places on the planet.

I strolled along for a while and found myself in the Theater section, as usual.

I traced along the shelves with my fingers looking for an old book. I collect old books and I always have good luck finding something in Shakes and co.

To my delight I came across a 1st edition (1918( copy of a collection of J.M. Barrie plays.

Ever since to "The Wendy Complex" I have had a deep affection for Barry.

I am very pleased with my purchase.

After we finished at the bookstore we walked to "Les Deux Magots", a famous literary haunt that I have been wanting to get to for some time.

There were more locals than tourists which I always think is a good sign.

I had the "Les Deux Magots Salade" sans poullet and Granny had it sans oueff.

It was a delicious concoction of greens, raisins, eggs and curry sauce. Mmm.

I also had a class of Red Sancerre. It was dry and tasted of cherries. Lovely.

We then headed back to the hotel and slept like babies.

Yesterday we woke up and headed out for what would turn out to be a VERY long day.

We started with breakfast at a cafe just down the way from our hotel.

I had the "anglais" option which was a selection of breads with jam, butter, orange juice and coffee plus a delicious omlette and salade vert. the eggs were prepared perfectly!

Granny had the same sans oueff (I am sensing a theme here...)

We took the L'open tour bus. It's one of those hop on hop off deals and it made me insane.

I much prefer walking or the metro.
We went to The Louvre first. Saw the big three (mona, venus, and winged victory) and that was about it. The place is massive, not very well ventilated and Grandma was getting quite annoyed.

I do plan to go back to the museum and spend some decent time there one of these days...

We missed out on The Musee D'Orsay so we decided to move on to The Arc De Triomphe.

There was some sort of military ceremony going on which we got to see so that was pretty special.

From there we took the metro (I was so over the hop on hop off thing!) to The Eiffel Tower.

The lines were insane (although we got to skip the main line at the bottom because one of the workers felt bad that Grandma had to stand for so long. We got totally VIP treatment! hah!)

Once up there it was stunning, as would be expected. Much too crowded but really it didn't matter.

Grandma said she was happy she got to go to The Eiffel Tower before she died. (which I reminded her wouldn't happen for a VERY long time) Mission accomplished on my part.

We strolled down to Cafe Le Dome.

I had an amazing Croque Vegetarien and some less then stellar frites and a lovely 25cl's of cotes du rhone.

We cabbed it home and passed out exhausted from our 12 hour day.

Losing track of time a wee bit...

So yesterday was my last day in Dublin (for right now) and I didn't quite know what to expect.

I went out in search of the best Vegetarian food in Dublin. Went into Cornucopia on Wicklow and was not disappointed.

It is a tiny little spot with a really chill manager named Phil who is super dedicated to what he does.

The breakfast I got was so yummy and super hearty. I couldn't even finish it!

After breakfast I headed to The National library on Greg's suggestion.

On the way there I finally found Hodges Figgis! I bought a Colm Toibin novel called The Master and a collection of Yeats poetry.

Once at the National Library I saw wonderful exhibit on Yeats. I found the stuff about The Abbey Theatre especially interesting.

After the exhibit I saw a short Yeats's play. I had never read nor seen any of his theatrical work and I found it quite interesting. It utilized a lot of mask and movement work. I'd like to look deeper into his other theatrical writings.

I went to The National Museum and The National gallery.

Both were sort of underwhelming so I didn't waste much time there.

Walked for a bit in Merrion Square and saw the Oscar Wilde memorial.

Went back to the hotel, intended to pack, did not and then went to read in The Iveagh Garden. It is really quite lovely and set back away from everything a bit.

Next up for me was dinner with Aoife.

We went to a brilliant place called Gruel.

I had Brie stuffed Risotto Balls.

Totally killer. The place itself had a very homey vibe and the staff was super friendly and cool.

We went on from there to meet up with Dave (or Dublin Dave as I fondly refer to him) to see Brendan Behan's "The Hostage".

I was so excited to see it. I had done research about what was playing in Dublin before I ever left the states and I knew this is the one I didn't want to miss.

It was a sight specific show being done at the Patrick Pearse House.

The cast consisted of I think about 13 actors.

They all did a really amazing job.

I was totally sucked in and entertained and devastated by so many things.

I was especially impressed by the man playing Leslie.

He was so committed and interesting and I felt this total connection to him the whole show.

After the show was over I introduced myself and he said he could tell I was really genuinely enjoying myself which was nice to hear.

After, Aoife, Dave and I all went to O'Neill's for a pint with all the cast and crew.

I met the woman who runs this company, Wonderland Productions.

I think the work they are doing is really brilliant. I'd love to bring them to NYC to work with The Vagabonds! I also met most of the other actors. They are a really fun and sweet lot in addition to be supremely talented.

Once we were all properly introduced and settled in my new friend, Noel who played Leslie, and I got to talking.

It turns out he is a very special guy and we got on so very well.

(I think we really bonded over our matching scars on our noses...)

It's really amazing when you meet someone and there is just this true and immediate understanding and appreciation. It doesn't happen too often so I really treasure it when it does.

Needless to say I was out until all hours of the morning with my new, true blue, friends.

I basically went back to my hotel for a few minutes, packed and left.

Dublin airport was a madhouse but I did indeed make my flight on time.

I had a whole row to myself so I just sprawled out and slept for a solid hour...

We'll get to the Paris part of my trip soon but just to wrap up Dublin...

Being in Dublin made me feel so lucky.

I met so many new, warm, interesting people.

The country is stunningly beautiful, full of history and ghosts and tragedy and romance... I could go one and on and on...

That is why I have decided to go back and spend the last 4 days of my trip there.

I feel at home there.

Paris will always hold a special place in my heart and NYC is home but Dublin is something else. Ireland in general holds some sort of deep spiritual resonance for me.

I am very much looking forward to meeting my extended family in Sligo later this month and then finishing up this smashing trip with my new friends and my new adopted city of Dublin.

(Side note, a reader mentioned that they really like the way I describe men's eyes. Eyes are so telling in people. I think it's odd that I haven't dedicated any time to describing a gal's peepers...Let me talk about Aoife's lovely eyes for a moment... Her eyes literally smile, all the time. I know it sounds corny but it's true. She is a whip smart girl and not at all silly or goofy. But, she is funny and light hearted and totally kind and honest. You see all of this in her shimmering eyes and her face transforming smile. She really put me at ease right away and I feel that I have made a life long friend.

To describe yet another pair of eyes I'll mention Noal's. They are very intense without being self consciously so. I think the intensity comes from the way he seems to be always searching for something true. It can be difficult to look into eyes like that but quite exciting too. I think that is why his performance was so striking. His eyes told everything. And they subtly shifted with the physical and emotional change his character was going through.)

The above picture was taken by Dublin Dave outside of The Patrick Pearse House. It was intermission for "The Hostage" and we were drinking good tea out of real china! Yay! And, please take note of those smiling eyes on Aoife :-)

Getting a bit behind but no worries

Hello all,

I left you almost blogless yesterday due to some heavy carousing!

Yesterday was grand.

I headed off a bit late, 11am, on my own to see Kilmainham Gaol.

It's about an hours walk away so I took a cab.

The gaol is amazing. Very moving to witness all the history there first hand.

I was told they film quite a bit of movies and shows there including The Tudors (they us the dungeons and the exercise yards).

After Kilmainham I walked over to The Guinness Storehouse.

It's like Willy Wonka's Factory for grownups.

I had my tasting of Guinness which is about a quarter pint and then walked through the rest of the exhibit to the 4th floor where you can hand in your ticket and you get to pull your own pint for free. The other option is to go to the 5th floor and get served a free pint. But, pulling your own pint is more fun AND you get a certificate with your name on it!

I hadn't eaten so I had lunch in the Storehouse. great views of Dublin, yummy food. I had a St. Kevin's Brie and Apricot chutney sandwich with Potato Leek soup. I try and make a pint of having potatoes with every meal if I can :-)

I went to St' Patrick's and Christ Church Cathedral after that and walked back towards the center of town. Wandered around Temple Bar a bit and tried to find my way to Hodges and Figgis Bookstore near Trinity. I didn't know the street it was on so I didn't have much luck.

I decided to ask these lads who were standing in front of a pub where it was.

They looked to be about 14 but in reality they were 21. They gave me some very convoluted directions and then asked me in for a pint. My first instinct was to say know but I thought 'Hell, I am on Holiday and some real Dubliners want to buy me a pint, why not?!?"

I went in with Allen, Karl and met their friend Brian once I was at the table.

Allen was a mess, all spitting and shouting and trying to be handsy.

he kept begging me for a kiss and it was getting really annoying. I even pretended to have a boyfriend, that didn't seem to matter to him. His friends were quite sick of his persistence also and they formed a protective barrier around me.

Karl was extremely friendly. He is at University but he really wants to be a fireman.

His sister lives in NYC and worked as a nanny and a waitress and is also an actress.

Brian was very interesting. Looked very 80's punk. A bit hard, too skinny, very pale, his skin was not so great but there was something very charming about him.

He was very passionate about the Irish language and the culture and he really appreciated that I had done some homework before coming to their city.

He said most Americans don't know what GAA is or even the IRA. Odd...

I had a fairly nice time with them and we went our separate ways. they headed off to the horse racing and I headed off to find the book store.

No such luck.

I got a bit lost and found my way back to my hotel.

I love getting lost in new cities!

That evening I headed out to Spy bar to meet my friend Chelsea's friend Aoife.

She was dj'ing and it was a great time.

Everyone at the bar was either an English language teacher (Aoife's friends) or a journalist (Aoife's boyfriends friends).

I only had to buy myself one drink while I was there.

Everyone else was very generous in their drink buying.

I met a guy named Cormack who loves American Baseball so we had a LOT to talk about.

I also must say that Aoife is so lovely!

She is very cool. It was like all of the people at this bar could have been dropped in the middle of the east village and done just fine.

They are hipsterish without the bad attitude or the artifice. I like it!

After I had been there for a bit Greg and his friend Joe who is also staying with Colm (Toibin) came to meet me.

We moved upstairs for another drink and headed out to a gay bar.

The bar was fun and we made some new friends.

Niall who now lives in Brussels branded himself the "Male Irish Kathy Griffin" told me he wanted to talk to me because my hair was so cute and proceeded to try and touch my boobs for the rest of the night. pretty typical night for me in a gay bar.

His friend Matt was also lovely (and straight, who knew!?!). A woman named Julie was also with them, she is from Kentucky but has been living in Ireland for 4 years getting her PhD. (I think...).

We moved on to yet another bar and this one had DANCING!

It was loads of fun. I danced, drank, made flirtatious comments, got sneak kiss attacked on the dance floor and eventually realized I needed to leave.

Greg and Joe walked me home which was very sweet of them.

A note about Joe, he is also a New Yorker, grew up in Darien (yeah CT!) and it very handsome and smart. I have heard tell that someone way have referred to him as looking like a "greek god", I'd say that's not too far off.

In my drunken stupor I facebook chatted with my mom and Chelsea and probably a few other people.

I also ordered room service, Hah!

I am awfully behind on my photo uploading.

Facebook has been giving me some difficulties.

But, I will remedy that all later tonight or when I arrive in Paris tomorrow, eek!

I guess I'll write about today when I am finally in for the evening.

Ta for now!

oh dear...

I am a bit too drunk to blog tonight.

It was much needed.

Guinness, Jameson and a good crew can be a bit much at times.

Many thanks to Aoife for introducing me to a whole new side of Dublin,

And, many, MANY thanks to Joe and Greg for taking me to gay bars and walking me all the way home.

Hopefully I'll remember everything in the morning.

Slainte!