Out the other window... More of the same

Out the window... Dubrovnik

Wales

San Sebastian - in search of sun

Mission complete. Sun located, hanging out just over my shoulder.

Looking back to Ireland from Valentia

Clonakilty

Gelato in the park

You two? You too?

Just behind my work is this graffiti'd mess of a street. Turns out, U2 recorded a few albums here (Windmilll Lane Studios) and this is some sort of tribute.

The Taoiseach

This morning (and yesterday too) I stumbled across the Taoiseach, Enda
Kenny, on the way to work. Best pronounced "tea shookh" he is the
Irish equivalent of John Key.

He's campaigning at the moment for a "yes" vote to the referendum on
the EU Fiscal Stability Treaty being held tomorrow. The treaty is all
about economic growth, but with a massive focus on improving fiscal
management. e.g. it will require EU member states to run balanced
budgets.

Our astute political advice to Enda is that he should probably fire
his media team for putting him right in front of a "vote no" sign. The
one skinny Gardaí watching him is probably inadequate too. Would have
thought the Irish PM would need tighter security than the NZ PM...

Boom and Bust

How bad is the Irish economy? This chart shows unemployment since the early 1980s. The Celtic Tiger years are quite obvious... as is the end of them, when the house of cards came crashing down.

The good news, if you believe it, is that the rate is stabilizing at around 15%.

The celtic white elephant

Just along from where I work in Dublin is this building. It looks like its being constructed... but note the lack of cranes, workmen, etc. It was being built for an Irish bank which ended up being bailed out by the Govt. Now, it's a giant, ugly monument to the boom/bust of the Celtic tiger.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2012/0416/central-bank-to-buy-anglo-building-for-8m.html

Alderney

Defenestrations and Self-Immolations: Easter in Prague

After some long days at work (particularly by Charlotte) we were well ready for a long weekend break in the Czech Republic. We arrived on Good Friday and were instantly relaxed. It took about an hour (on excellent public transport) to get to our hotel in the centre of town. We dropped our bags and headed out exploring. 

First stop: Wenceslaus Sq, named for the same chap as the Christmas carol and home to a number of significant events in Czech history. The stunning national museum building is right at the top of the square. It is closed for three years of renovations, so we were surprised to find concert tickets being sold in the foyer (more on that later).

Just in front of the museum is this memorial to Jan Palach and Jan Zajic, two young men who self-immolated in protest at the Soviet occupation of Czechoslovakia. Wikipedia explains:

In August 1968, the Soviet Union invaded Czechoslovakia to crush the liberalising reforms of Alexander Dubček's government during what was known as the Prague Spring. A group of Czech students including Palach made a suicide pact intending to sacrifice themselves in protest of the invasion. Prague-born Palach was the first to set himself on fire, in Wenceslas Square, on 16 January 1969.

It took another 40 years before the occupation ended, with the Velvet Revolution of 1989. The Communism museum (probably better described as the Anti-Communist Museum) which we visited on Sunday, provided a good description of the Czech Republic's history and the extent of the oppression as the Soviets tried to keep the country wrapped in the 'Iron Curtain'.


Wandering up Wenceslaus Square, (more of an oblong than a square) we picked up some delicious Czech bready, sugary, handmade snacks, rolled around a broomstick and heated on a fire. After getting a bit disoriented by the side streets and architecture, we got to Cafe Louvre. Charlotte had googled "best hot chocolate in Prague" and this was the result.

Though we don't have any comparison, it was pretty good. We stayed on for strudel, then a beer. It's such a great spot we came back every day. From there, we hit the tourist hotspot, the Vltava river and the Charles IV bridge over it. It's such a great spot, we came back every day. 


By then it was time for more food and we found a likely looking restaurant (selected on the basis that it served Goulash). I got a huge plate of meat (5 varieties), cabbage (2 varieties) and bread (2 varieties) while Charlotte went for a slightly more conservative one-meat meal. An accordion player kept us entertained.


On Saturday we headed via metro and tram, to Prague Castle. While very picturesque, it's a complete tourist trap filled with people queuing their way round various buildings. The first photo is St Vitus's Cathedral, the second is some very serious looking soldiers under some very serious looking statues.

One of the main points of history at the castle involves the first and second defenestrations, where people were thrown out of the windows. The first (15 town council members in 1419) was part of a protest for the release of political prisoners and the second (3 catholic advisors to the king, 1618) was a protest by protestants against a catholic takeover. In the first defenestration they all died (either from the fall or the subsequent beatings from the assembled crowd). In the second, a pile of manure cushioned the fall and they survived.



After a few hours there, it was time for more food and we found a restaurant with Goulash, a stern waiter and a goldfish pond set into the floor. Strange. We rounded out the daylight hours with another walk across the Charles Bridge and another Louvre hot choc. 

On Saturday night, we went to a classical music concert in the stairwell of the National Museum (much better than it sounds as the whole building is closed to the public and it a very grand stairwell, and with 6 musicians it sounded great), followed by a trip to Zizkov, a supposedly hip suburb in the East, although it was a bit quiet, when we were there. We did find a cool Czech pub, a downed a few tasty Czech beers, and found the Zizkov TV tower which has some David Cêrny baby sculptures crawling up it. 

We spent a cold Easter Sunday wandering the streets again. While we were up the Powder tower, one of the old defense towers for the Charles bridge, it was snowing lightly. So lightly, it's impossible to tell from these photos.

We also found another couple of David Cêrny sculptures. One has 2 statues urinating into a pool shaped like Czechoslovakia, writing poetry with the stream. 

The other is self explanatory. Sort of.

That night, we went out for a few cocktails and dinner in Zizkov. On Monday we went for more hot chocolate, then to the Child of Prague church (where we bought a tacky porcelain Baby Jesus for the mantelpiece), before heading for the airport and a beer.

The perils of internet shopping

We wanted 2 cans of coconut cream....

Irish fashion

The grey hooded tracksuit is very much 'in' this season, especially amongst the teenage hooligan jet set.

We're in Prague

Charlotte, and the Charles bridge on the left. General Praguey things on the right.

Guest Post: Saint Patrick's long weekend

Thanks to Jack for this post...


Having learnt that Paris was to be overrun with communists for the weekend, I thought best to wait them out in quiet Dublin. After an ear-grating hour aboard RYANAIR (which is read as it is written), I walked through customs only to find the first arrivals of what was to be another monchromatic crowd boarding shuttles to descend.

After meeting Mark, Charlotte, Nicola and Tim at the 'Tart with the Cart,' we headed home in the first few minutes of Saint Patrick's day.

With the arrival of Anna and Melia, we headed down to Patrisk/Saint Nicholas Street to watch the parade, which included marching bands, rainbow dancers and a bicycle-dragon hybrid.

I don't understand the relevance of this wheelchair-bound rhinoceros either, but I enjoyed it.


Fortunately, we finished our parade-watching and lunching just in time to find sufficient seats watch Ireland get slaughtered at the pub.

Yer man looking less optimistic after the third English try.

The luck of the Irish was with us again for dinner, scoring a window table to watch the crowds slowly degenerate. Later on, it was off to further pubs for further music, the highlight of which was a fiddle and guitar duo, which whipped the paddies (and us) into a jigging frenzy.

So concluded the best St. Patrick's day I've ever had.

Sunday saw us visiting Dublin's excellent dead zoo, with details not only of the animal's taxonomy and habitat, but also who shot it. Even the proboscis monkey (apparently a spitting image of President Michael Higgins) appears to have been contrived into its most ferocious pose.

A ferris wheel ride gave a superb and mildly terrifying view of the city.

Our final day was spent on a country outing in Wicklow. Following a hearty lunch at the famous Johnny Fox's café, a republican hideout in the days of Daniel O'Connell, we visited the 7th century Monastic city at Glendalough. The view and buildings were splendid.

While I've barely touched the surface of Ireland, I had a terrific time, thanks to the wonderful hospitality of Mark, Charlotte and friends. Thanks very much. Sure it's grand!

Madrid

We decided (and booked) to go to Madrid on Wednesday... and left on Saturday morning. So we didn't really have time to build any expectations. It was another early start (taxi at 5am) but we arrived in downtown Madrid at about 10am. We stayed near Plaza del Sol, basically the centre of the city, which is full of beautiful Spanish buildings. 

The Plazas (there are many) were stunning spots to sit and bask, as many Madrilenos were doing. In fact, it seems to be a national pastime - no doubt aided by the deep, deep recession.

We wandered through the heart of Madrid - Puerta del Sol - in search of a coffee where you could actually sit down. Having found one and ordered (in terrible spanish) cafe con leche to start the day properly, we thought it  best to have another.

Batteries charged, we headed on to the Palacio Real (Royal Palace). It is still in use by the Spanish monarchy today, but they were happy to host us for the afternoon.

The palace is typically over-the-top, with ridiculous amounts of marble and mirrors everywhere. As expected, fantastic frescos adorn the ceilings. The royal armory (dozens of suits of armor) and pharmacy (old potions) are contained in out-buildings around the courtyard and are excellent collections in their own right.

We wandered around the Retiro, and came across the Jesus pigeon. 

The other lake was slightly less frozen, so we went for a row.

The rest of the weekend was spend munching on Hay Chocolat con Churros, drinking Sangria, basking in the sun and frequenting art galleries.

Galway

Paris, Las Vegas and Paris, France go tete-a-tete

Having visited both Paris, Las Vegas (PLV) and Paris, France (PF) recently, I felt I should offer an honest comparison of the two cities. Both were visited as part of birthday celebrations, PLV was a present for my 27th, and we went to PF for Charlotte's 30th. 


Attractions

PF has the Eiffel Tower. So does PLV. While PFs version is slightly larger, PLV has to win as the ticket to go up is included with the hotel room. I'm not sure if this should be positive or negative, but PLV does not have signs warning about pickpockets, nor touts selling miniature versions.

A similar story with the Arc de Triomphe, and the gardens at Versailles. PLV picks up points here as all three can be visited within about 30 minutes. In PF we spend a whole day visiting Versailles, an evening on the Arc, and a good hour looking at the Tower. PF has a lot to learn from its American cousin about efficiency. The pools at Versailles PF were freezing cold and uninviting, with no towel service. Louis XIV would be disappointed. 

PF does beat PLV on sheer number of attractions. Notre Dame, St Sulpice, the Catacombs, and the Louvre were particular highlights. 

Food, Restaurants and Cafes
The variety of food in PF is unsurpassed, and the quality and service is excellent. However, you do have to go outside in the cold to get to them and I was fortunate to have several translators on hand to navigate the menus. On the other hand, PLV has a handful of authentic-sounding restaurants, all easily accessed from inside... but most just sell burgers. Cafe Flore in PF does an exceptional hot chocolate (according to the waiter it has no water in it), and Le Bonaparte does a superb Foie Gras. Ahhh, charmed life. PF wins.


Transportation
The PF metro system is a complex web of subterranean tunnels, difficult for simple foreigners to navigate. PLV on the other hand, has an elevated monorail, free and easy to use. It can whip you over to Venice (aka The Venetian) or New York, New York in a matter of minutes.






Accommodation 
The luxury hotel room in PLV was hard to beat, but the tiny, tiny, central city apartment in PF was a clear winner, fitting 9 people in a space not much larger than the PLV room, with novelty factor to boot. Charlotte booked both, and her talents for finding great places to stay shone through on both occasions. 


Entertainment
The constant rattle of slot machines, and the selection of shows make PLV a standout. We had to make our own entertainment in PF.

Summary
All in all, a difficult comparison, and I'd recommend visiting both to make up your own mind. I've decided to give the award to PF for sheer authenticity. Next time, I'll compare Paris, France with Paris, Hilton.


(PS. Check out this post or this one for our notes on PLV)

Drogheda... rhymes with "broader"

Our first excursion out of Dublin and into the Irish countryside was to Drogheda. Like most Irish words, only half the letters have any impact on how it sounds.

We caught the train up on Saturday afternoon, dropped into a local pub (signposted as Matthews, but known locally as McPhails for some reason), and dined well at the hotel restaurant - "The d hotel". We had a great view of the town from the hotel balcony.

Drogheda and the nearby Boyne valley is absolutely full of history medieval ruins and more recent churches.  In 1649 Oliver Cromwell slaughtered most of the town, including 200 men who had surrendered. In 1690 the Battle of the Boyne took place just up the river, where Catholic King James II and Protestant King William III (aka William of Orange) faced off. William won, and thus began the Orange Order which continues to be a controversial force in Ireland.


But a few thousand years before that, stone-age Irish were busy further up the Boyne, building strange mounds. And that's what we were there to see. A short taxi-ride out of town is the ironically (it's 5000 years old) Newgrange, which is essentially a large mound of stones and dirt with a tunnel in it.

The photo above is of the entrance to the tunnel. It heads in about 20m and up about 2m to a point where the stone-age folk scattered the remains of their dead. The stone in front of the entrance is engraved with the triple spiral which was an important symbol of the day. The rest of the exterior (the little white stones) is reconstructed from material found on the site, but the tunnel and mound are all original.


The really clever bit of this whole arrangement occurs on the morning of the winter solstice, when the sun rises (yes, even in Ireland) and shines through the box above the entrance way. It illuminates the tunnel for around 17 minutes before returning it to complete darkness.


The countryside around Newgrange is picture perfect Ireland. We headed back into town and swung by the church where St Oliver Plunkett's severed head (he was hanged, drawn and quartered for treason) is on display, before catching the train back to Dublin.


We missed a lot of the Droghedian (a word?) sights, so we'll definitely be going back there a some stage to check out the things we missed.