I’ve been in Dublin this weekend attending the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival.
I love Dublin. I’ve been going to Dublin for the past sixteen years, and even lived there for a number of years in the late 90’s. Being back in Dublin is like returning to my spiritual home. It's a place I'm very fond of and a place which holds very dear memories for me.
As an appetiser to the weekend’s festivities, I met a very dear friend for tea after she finished work. We headed to the Irish Film Institute (IFI) for gin, nachos and a good natter before I headed off to see the first of many films that weekend and she went to catch her train. Weatherwise, Saturday was a beautiful, sunny day. I’ve developed a bit of a photography bug and was itching to get out in the sun and take photos. The light shining off the Liffey and Ha’penny Bridge was simply breathtaking. I am rather pleased with how the photos turned out.
On Saturday afternoon me and three of my oldest and dearest friends spent a hugely enjoyable afternoon, having lunch, drinking cocktails and sharing wonderful conversation. I don’t think there is anything else I would rather do. I could quite happily drink gin until it came out of my ears and on Saturday afternoon, I just about did, with the odd Bellini thrown in for good measure! On Sunday I met up with more old friends and enjoyed wonderful food and conversation in their company. I love that no matter how long it is between us seeing each other, when we meet it’s like we only saw each other yesterday and we spent a pleasurable Sunday afternoon, talking about our mutual adoration of Mad Men.
Govindas is a vegetarian Hare Krishna restaurant in Dublin that has enjoyed quite a lot of my custom over the years. The food is delicious, with a special mention for the paneer cheese. A Govindas special for tea on Sunday seemed like the perfect ending to a perfect weekend.
My highlights of the weekend: the early morning sun shining on the Liffey and the river, like a millpond, reflecting everything back on the city; the Hugh Lane Art Gallery and an artist's emperor's new clothes; the Garden of Remembrance; weird Italian films on a Sunday afternoon in the Screen on D'Olier Street with no dialogue but an over-abundance of goats; the purty waiter in The Front Lounge with such elegant poise, magnificent quiff and a beaming smile; the girls together again like we'd never been apart; animated discussions about Mad Men and Joseph O'Connor books; a co-incidental meeting in a Church; goofy sci-fi films and men in anoraks; coffee and The Thirty-Nine Steps in The Winding Stair; snoozing in the cinema; a Bad Ass breakfast; the Blue Rinse ladies in the audience at the IFI; an early morning photography trip to the Northside; gin and tonics and belated birthday cocktails; conversations about crochet; a Govindas Special; gin, nachos and a Ken Loach film; a flea market and sparkly baubles in a former drinking establishment.