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!

'Why yes, the sheep here in Ireland come with pink and green patches. Pink for the girls and green for the boys."

I am almost tempted not to blog right now.

Today was truly awe inspiring and I find it difficult to convey certain things.

This is about where I lost stamina last time I was in Europe.

Day 2 or 3.

You begin to get really immersed in being where you are, experiencing it fully and the last thing you want to do is try to write some slightly amusing entry about it.

regardless, I will share a few details.

I woke up at 7am and headed out for my walking tour of Wicklow and Glendalough.

Anyone who wants to tour these areas should go through the tour provider called Walkabout Wicklow. They are the only group who will actually take you on the 10km walk up into and over the mountains. It was amazing.

Our tour guide Joe was born and bred in Sydney Australia. He is however the son of Irish parents and married an Irish girl. There were 8 other people on the tour and I happened to be the only American.

The day was spectacular, fun and breathtaking.

I think I will let the pictures mostly talk for themselves.

I walked 10km, climbed 2,000ft, ate a takeaway sandwich on an ancient ruin, etc, etc.

The guide told me he was impressed at how fit I was. He said most young American women ;ook fit and then can barely make it up a hill whereas I looked fit and was the strongest hiker on the walk. Woohoo for appearing somewhat athletic!

When I returned home from the tour I walk (some more) back to my hotel, took a shower, charged my camera battery, tried to make contact with my various friends or friends of friends in Dublin and headed out into the night.

I grabbed a yummy dinner at Nude on Suffolk.

t was potato and chickpea stew served with mash. YUM!

Anyway, after the food I found mt way back to Trinity and saw "Krapp's Last Tape" by Beckett. It was very well done. he actor and director really played up the long silences. It was very intimate and organic. I was totally enthralled.

After the show I walked in MJ O'Neill's, told the barkeep that my uncle, grandfather and great grandfather were all named MJ O'Neill, got a few cents knocked off my Guinness because of it and wandered up the stairs. I was being called by the siren song of Irish musicians.

It was a trio of fun, gregarious and wonderfully talented men.

I stayed for their whole set, met some cool guys from LA, bought myself a whiskey and chatted with the fellas until we were all kicked out. In our chat we talked about NYC (one of the guys lived there for 9 years), they told me I sang very nicely and they made me do an Irish accent for them (so embarrassing!). They said it was very convincing but I didn't sound like a Dubliner so they gave me some tricks to make my accent harder sounding. They gave me some good tips on where to hear the best live music and get the best pints. I gave them my card and was on my merry way.

Walking home I snapped a few more pictures, listed to a band called Apollo's Thief play on Grafton, chatted with them a bit (turns out they have a show tomorrow night). and made it home.

My plans are all up in the air for tomorrow.

I will definitely go over my must do list and start attacking it in full force. I'll probably be "alone" for most of the day (I put alone in quotations because I have found that I have not been alone for more than a half hour in this city. Everyone is so friendly!). I may see The Rivals tomorrow not with Greg (or without if he can't make it). My friend (er friend of a friend) Aiofe is DJ'ing, might pop in for that, try to catch some more live music. Who knows what my day may hold!

Until later...

(Tonight the picture is from Glendalough. Wow is the only word...)

"I don't think a dog likes wearing sunglasses, personally"

Well, Greg pulled through.

He showed me a grand night in Dublin!

He trekked out to my hotel and picked me up in the lobby.

From there, we decided to wander.

He took me to "the secret garden". It was so green and quiet. A cute little wheaten colored dog was playing with us. I thought Greg should have tucked him into his jacket,

Greg is an American living in Dublin for a little over a month. he is a cousin of a good friend and we had met once before in the states. He is a very intelligent, charming, handsome and enjoyable fellow. He's tall with brown hair, a bit of scruff and eyes that are both kind and a bit wicked.

After the secret garden he showed me around the house he has been living at. The kitchen is open and friendly, the bathroom is done up in "trinity blue" (known everywhere else as sky blue), there is a proper tub and there is a wonderful feel about the whole place.

We had ourselves a whiskey and a chat and went on to find dinner.

Out first attempt required a 45 minutes wait. The soup nazi from Seinfeld had his picture on the wall so obviously it was a popular choice.

We decided to walk a bit more and found a nice quiet Indian place.

They had a taper on the table and the Sag Aloo was yummy.

We moved on to a bar, sort of divey, sort of hipstery, sort of very Irish, I can't remember the name, I am sure Greg will remind me.

We had a pint and moved on to Grogan's for another pint.
We encountered a dog. Wearing sunglasses. That were made especially for him. All of my attempts at conversation were for naught seeing as nothing I said could have been remotely as interesting as those glasses and the dog wearing them. A bum nearly asked the dog for money, caught himself and had a nice giggle about it.

I love Dublin on a Tuesday night in August. Chilly, quiet, hauntingly beautiful. All of this was only made better by the lovely company.

Luckily for me, Greg will be a Brooklynite on his return to the states so we will have plenty of chances to recreate our silly Dublin escapades!

(above photo shows the sunglessed dog in question)

"The best thing we Irish ever did was to send a few of us over to America. It's done a damn lot of good for tourism!"

Day 1

(Aug 4, 2009)

I had a rather uneventful journey from The States to Ireland.

I sipped a Bourbon before my flight, got moved to the aisle of an exit row (ah joyous legroom!) and made friend with my row mate, Maximilian. He was born in Belgium, raised in Madrid and now resides in Dubai. He works in tourism, is a long time vegetarian and was endlessly helpful. He has been traveling himself for about two months. At the airport he helped me with my baggage and made sure I was on my way to my hotel safely.

My cab driver was a pleasure. he got me acquainted with the city and gave me my bearings on the way to the hotel. We chatted quite a lot and he gave me three compliments 1. 'You really did your homework before coming here Missy. I think you might know about Dublin more than I do!" 2. "I knew you were Irish the moment I saw you!" 3"You don't dress like an American. them with their mad colors. You'll be just fine here". Another good bit of advice was "If you feel lost wait till you hear an Irish accent and ask for help."

The Dylan Hotel, where I am staying, is quite posh.

There are only 28 rooms and upon arrival you are treated like a total VIP.

I sat while paperwork was brought to me. I was given an in depth tour of the hotel and my room in particular and the free (and not so free) amenities were pointed out to me.

I set myself up, washed my face and crawled into the disgustingly comfortable "7th heaven" bed.

My two hour nap turned into a three hour nap and I got a bit behind schedule.

No worries though. I took a quick shower, gussied myself up and headed on my way.

I was given a map at the front desk, the tourist office and Grafton St. were pointed out to me and I was on my way.

It takes me about 15-20 minutes of brisk walking to get to the city center.

It's a very pleasant walk in a very safe neighborhood.

I get to pass by St. Stephen's Green and then I hit Grafton St. (the Molly Malone Statue is at one end and it's also the street where much of the action of Once takes place, if I am remembering correctly). Very lovely, lots of tourists. Not where I would choose to spend a great deal of time but it's a good place marker. it's easy to navigate your way around Trinity College and such from that point.

I made my way to the tourist office where a very honest civil servant said I needn't bother buying to too expensive Dublin Pass.

I decided to make my way to Trinity College. I wanted to take the guided walking tour combined with the entrance to "The Book of Kells". It only cost 10 euro and I figured it might be worth it. I got there just after the last tour began so I ran to catch up. My tour guide was a tall, skinny Irish boy with a mop of wavy blonde hair and sparkly blue eyes. He was dressed in shades of Grey and Blue. A very cool, vintage scholarly look. Collared shirt with a few buttons undone, a soft blue cardi and boot cut grey pants. Very nice. nicer still was his general charm and wit. After the first section of the tour he pulled me aside to ask where I was from and what I did. We got to chatting and at the end of the tour chatted a bit more. He recently finished his History studies at Trinity and is moving on to "Bell Paree" as he called it in the fall to take a French Language course. We got on quite well so, I gave him my card, letting him know when I'd be in Ireland. He realized I was about to miss the Book of Kells so we both went on our merry way.

The Book of Kells was interesting but not really worth the price of admission in my opinion. I am glad I went on the tour though. I learned quite a bit about Trinity and hear some interesting and silly anecdotes. I also learned there is a Beckett show on at the theatre on campus. I might try to see it tomorrow evening!

I love that I am already making friends on this trip! People have been kind and I am not being naive in my trust of them.

It's nice, when traveling alone, to have someone to smile at or chat with or whatever.

Tonight, I am supposed to be meeting up with my friend Greg. I can't reach him on his mobile though so let's keep our fingers crossed shall we...?

Tomorrow I go to Glendalough and Wicklow known as the garden of Ireland. I am being taken on a tour by Joe, the Australian bloke who runs Walkabout Wicklow. I think it will be a grand time. I must remember to bring a sack lunch!

Tata for now!

(the photo above in a flower seller on Grafton St. They are everywhere and I saw so many people carrying big, beautiful bouquets of flowers.)