I decided to follow the cliff walk from Sutton to Howth. My plan wasn’t to follow the cliff all the way, but to break away from it just after the Baily Lighthouse and head down to Howth along the old tram lines. There’s a view over Howth harbour and Ireland’s Eye I wanted to photograph.

Before I even got to the Sutton Martello Tower I met a gaggle of Geese! Brent geese to be exact. They were doing what they usually do, feeding.

I wasn’t the only one out. There was a  group of intrepid kayakers getting ready to push off and I met plenty of walkers on the path. Although the route is narrow in places and there are stone steps to negotiate, it’s a popular route for walkers of all standards. I met plenty of those who were taking it seriosly and also some families just out for a stroll. I was surprised to meet a couple of mountain bikers who semed to like the route a lot.

Although it was cold, and the wind didn’t help, the sun and the activity was enough to stay warm. I really only felt the cold when I stopped to take photos. Natures way of encouraging me to keep going, perhaps?

 

The rocks around Howth are full of wildlife. There are plenty of screeching gulls looking for a meal and also cormorants, sitting on the rocks, stretching out their wet wings to dry in the sun.

Visibility was great and the views over Dublin Bay were wonderful. On a day like this its hard to know if you should push on and continue the walk, or just find a perfect spot, sit down and take in the view.

Once I reached the Baily Lighthouse I could have continued along the cliff to Howth but that wasn’t the plan. I went up the steepest part of the walk so far, past The Summit pub and started down the disused tram lines.

Following the path down there’s a spot on the right, that has a very attractive bench and a view over Howth Harbour that is stunning.

After a little rest, a chance to take in the view and a few photographs I headed on down to Howth Village.

If you do this walk on a Sunday and time it right to arrive at the Pier House around 1pm, there’s usually a traditional music session that’s worth stopping for. They also do a decent pint.

Post from: Blog Of Good Cheer

Sutton to Howth Summit On A Cold Sunny Day

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I’d arrived early to meet a friend at the Eason’s Abbey Street entrance.

I had fifteen minutes to spare and rather than “kill time” I decided to use it.

I had my camera and as I looked around for subjects I noticed the clocks of O’Connell Street.

There are five large clocks within a few steps of each other in O’Connell Street, Dublin:

• Eason’s Clock
• The G.P.O. Clock
• The Lir Clock
• The McDowell’s Happy Ring House Clock
• Cleary’s Clock

 

Looking at them closely I was surprised that they were all working and fairly accurate. Being within five minutes of the correct time isn’t bad at all.

The most used one of them all is probably Cleary’s Clock. Not to look at but to meet under. I’m not sure if it’s still in fashion but meeting under Cleary’s clock was standard practice before heading out on a date.

The clock I tend to see least is the one above the G.P.O. (General Post Office). I think because it is flat against the wall and also because there are pillars blocking the view I rarely see it as I’m passing.

For a long time the Lir clock, based on the legend of the Children of Lir, was broken, but it seems to be running fine now.  There are those who think it is hideous, but I like it.

McDowell’s, The Happy Ring House, is responsible for the clock that stands out most at night. The neon Happy Ring House signs just draws you to it. They’re also responsible for some very cheesy adds that greeted Dublin cinema goers in the 70’s and 80’s.

Post from: Blog Of Good Cheer

Time Spent in O’Connell Street, Dublin

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That’s what happened recently when I was in the Third Floor Espresso at 54 Middle Abbey Street, Dublin 1. I got taking to Colin Harmon, who owns the shop and also writes a blog called Dublin Barista. Instead of getting off the Luas at Busaras I’d started getting off at Jervis so I could pop in and have an espresso. Walking on to Connolly to get a DART is pobably good for me.

After asking me what I thought of the coffee he’d just made me (which I loved) Colin said that in a couple of days he’d have a blend that he felt would be perfect for my coffee maker. It was Machacamarca and I think (working from memory here) it came from Bolivia. A few days later I bought some and I really like it.

I’m not going to try and describe it. I’ll leave that to people, like Colin, who not only are experts but are passionate about producing a consistently great cup of coffee every time. If you’re a coffee-phile, then the next time you find yourself in the O’Connell Street area or anywhere around the quays, take time to drop buy and get a great espresso or a damn fine cappuccino for €2. That’s great value considering it’s served by the Irish Barista Champion 2009 who has also won fourth place overall, World Barista Championship Atlanta 2009!

I think I’ve visited the Third Floor Espresso about a dozen times now and I’ve always liked the coffee I was served. Colin isn’t always there (I guess even coffee lovers have to sleep) but everyone who works with him seems to have the same devotion to delivering a excellent cup of coffee every time.

Enjoy!

Post from: Blog Of Good Cheer

Excellent Coffee In Dublin City Centre From A Champion Barista

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First a confession: when I say it’s the best ragù I’ve ever cooked I’m not really saying a lot as I don’t cook that much. So it might be more accurate to say that it’s one of the best meat sauces for pasta I’ve ever tasted, and I managed to prepare it!

If you’re a natural cook I think you’ll find this recipe a doddle. If like me, you’ve difficulty finding the right utensils in your own kitchen then you’ll probably still find this recipe stress free, as nothing is done in a hurry. In fact, after the tomatoes are added the best thing to do is let it slowly simmer away until it reaches the consistency you prefer.

The recipe comes from The Classic Italian Cookbook by Marcella Hazan. I’m not sure if the edition I have is still available but I’m pretty sure the recipe is reproduced in her more recent The Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking.

According to the author, it is important to remember the following points:

• The meat must be sautéed just barely long enough to lose its raw colour.
• It must be cooked in milk before the tomatoes are added.
• It must cook at the merest simmer for 3.5 to 5 hours!

Here are the ingredients for 6 servings:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 40g butter
• 2 tablespoons chopped onion
• 2 tablespoons chopped celery
• 2 tablespoons chopped carrot
• 350g minced lean beef preferably chuck or neck
• Salt
• 300ml dry white wine
• 8 (120ml) tablespoons full cream milk
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 400g tinned chopped tomatoes

The Steps:

1. Heat a heavy based pot and sauté the onion with all the oil and butter until translucent.
2. Add the celery and carrot and cook 2 minutes.
3. Add the minced beef, crumble with a fork, add salt, and cook briefly until the meat has just lost its raw colour.
4. Add the wine and increase the heat to medium high and cook, stirring occasionally until the wine has evaporated.
5. Reduce the heat to medium and add the milk and nutmeg and once again cook until it has evaporated, stirring from time to time.
6. Once the milk has evaporated add the tomatoes, stir well and reduce the heat to the gentlest simmer.
7. Stir occasionally and allow it to cook uncovered for 3.5 to 4 hours. 5 is best.
8. Adjust the seasoning adding more salt and pepper to suit.

I didn’t follow the recipe exactly and purists will probably despair at my changes, but the end result was fantastic.

I started with 1kg of mince, so I multiplied everything except the wine and the milk by two and a half.

I increased the volume of wine and the milk by about 50%.

I used low fat milk.

I had no celery, so I left it out.

I used two small onions, one large carrot, lean round steak mince. And possibly the biggest faux pas, I used French wine!

I’m fairly certain I didn’t simmer for 5 hours.

Why I like this sauce:

• It tastes great, wonderful depth of flavour
• It’ll keep in the fridge for 3 days
• You can freeze it
• You can use it with pasta (tagliatelle is best) or in a lasagne
• All you have to be able to do is chop and stir – not that hard really.
• Did I mention it tastes great?

Buon appetito!

Post from: Blog Of Good Cheer

The Best Pasta Sauce I Have Ever Cooked

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It was fantastic. It instilled that conflict that comes only when reading a story that demands my full attention; with a third of book left I wanted to finish it, but I put it down because I didn’t want it to end too quickly.

It tackles an episode from the Trojan War when the grief stricken king of Troy travels to his enemy’s camp without his bodyguards and usual royal retinue, to plead for the return of the body of his slain son.

The war has been going on for years and although there have been many losses on both sides recent events, the tragic death of Achilles friend Patroclus at the hands of Hector and the subsequent slaying of Hector by the vengeful Achilles, bring Priam, Hector’s father and king of Troy, and Achilles the most fearsome Greek warrior, to a fateful meeting.

The story has themes of loss, pride, revenge, humility, mortality and transformation. Each approached with deft skill in this relatively short, 224 page novel.

David Malouf has had a fascination with Troy since he was a child.

I’ve also been fascinated by the story which is full of whimsical gods, larger than life heroes and fatally flawed mortals.

Unlike Malouf, I haven’t read Homer’s Iliad, but I have listened more than once to Andrew Rissik’s excellent Troy Trilogy. I don’t think it is available to buy, so keep an eye on BBC Radio 7 which I believe has broadcast it every year since 2004.

I appreciate that the style of writing can be a major influence on the enjoyment of a story so here is an excerpt from the book courtesy of the New York Times to help you decide if it’s for you.

Once I knew the setting of the tale I was always going to read it. I’m glad I did. It is the most enjoyable book I’ve read in a very long time.

Post from: Blog Of Good Cheer

Ransom by David Malouf: An epic tale told beautifully

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Last night at around 8pm I turned a corner and there staring right back at me was The Hunter, Orion.

I was facing south and at an elevation of about 30 degrees and I was able to make out his shoulders, his shiny belt, his right knee and his left foot, set against a clear night sky.

When visible, Orion is easy to spot because it is bright and has a distinctive shape, three close stars for Orion’s belt, two stars above are his shoulders and two stars below mark a knee and a foot.

I wasn’t able to see his club, held above his head, or his shield as there was plenty of light pollution to contend with. Dublin, like any city, isn’t the best place for looking at the stars. Lights from buildings, street lamps and cars make it hard to see faint stars without the aid of binoculars or a telescope.

But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible, and last night it was easy to see and identify half a dozen constellations with your eye alone. All you have to do is first find Orion (look south) and let it be your guide.

This is what you do:

• following the line of the belt towards the northwest you’ll meet Aldebaran of the constellation Taurus (The Bull)
• following the line of the belt towards the southeast you’ll meet Sirius of the constellation Canis Major (The Great Dog)
• A line from Rigel through Betelgeuse (stars of Orion) points to Castor and Pollux of the constellation Gemini (The Twins)
• A line eastward across the two shoulders leads you towards Procyon of the constellation Canis Minor (The Little Dog)

Away from Orion, if you look to the north you can see Ursa Major (The Great Bear), Polaris of Ursa Minor (The Little Bear) and Cassiopeia (The Queen).  I’ll let you look these up for yourself.

For a long time I thought that Polaris (The North Star) was the brightest object in the night sky, but that distinction belongs to Sirius of Canis Major (The Great Dog). (I feel a John McEnroe impression coming.)

Looking at the stars, learning about the constellations doesn’t cost much and there are plenty of online articles and books that help.

Two books I really liked are

The Stars: A New Way to See Them by H. A. Rey

and

Simple Stargazing by Anton Vamplew

Apart from books there’s plenty of great software freely available that you can use to identify the stars and constellations.

My favourite at the moment is Stellarium which is available for Windows, Mac OS and Linux operating systems. It allows you to set your location, set your date and time, and explore the night sky with easy navigation.

It’ll display constellation lines and constellation art to help identify what you’re looking at. It helps track star movements over time (the Earth doesn’t stay still, orbiting the sun and spinning on its axis means that many constellations are only visible at certain times of the year, and they appear to move through the night sky).

If you decide to hunt “The Hunter”, here are a few  tips:

• pick a spot where street lights, houses and trees don’t obstruct your view too much
• clear moonless nights are best
• if the night is clear, but there’s a moon, do it anyway
• if there are only a few clouds, do it anyway
• no telescope or binoculars are needed
• Identify North: find north using The Plough (The Big Dipper) part of Ursa Major (The Great Bear) and let it point you to Polaris (The North Star)

A friend who likes to look at the stars, got into the habit of sending me a text in the early hours of the  morning whenever they were clearly visible. It got out of hand when on a cloudy night he sent a text saying that there was a total eclipse of everything. I don’t keep my phone near my bed anymore.

Post from: Blog Of Good Cheer

Star Gazing and Constellation Spotting in Winter

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We got it wrong!

The newly opened stretch of the Galway road gives you back 30mins on the journey. This was a great start to what I was hoping would be a fantastic day exploring Cong, the grounds of Ashford Castle and with a bit of luck, Lough Corrib.

My wife came up with the brilliant idea of travelling with her to Mayo. She was working there for a day so going with her and staying over gave me a chance to explore the area and take a few photos.

There were a few little variables that if sorted would make this trip superb:

• I needed a free day – check
• The hotel could accommodate an extra person – check
• The weather would be reasonable – check
• I could get out on Lough Corrib with Corrib Cruises – to be determined

Everything looked very promising. I contacted Corrib Cruises and they said that if the weather wasn’t too bad (the forecast was good), if they got the numbers (they needed 8 people) and I could make my way to the pier at Ashford Castle then they’d take me out on the lake on their History Cruise.

The next day started well with a good breakfast in Lisloughrey. I ate a bit more than usual as I was planning to be out for most of the day. At around 10am it was overcast but I could see some blue skies peeping though the clouds. I phoned Dave of Corrib Cruises and was told we were down to one variable, if they got the numbers they’d sail. I said if I met any strays looking for something to do on my way to the Ashford Castle pier I’d try and persuade them to join us.

I had about an hour before the Isle of Innisfree was due to set off so I went for a walk around Ashford Castle. The building is simply magnificent. Add to that its aspect on Lough Corrib, its grounds and the many quiet paths available around the lake and into Cong it must be one of the most stunning buildings in Ireland. The sun started to shine though the clouds and this day promised to be something very special indeed.

 

I got back to the pier for 11am and Dave and Pat Luskin were there along with plenty of passengers to ensure we were going onto the lake. I paid the €20, fastened my camera bag to a seat (it was a calm day but I wanted to be certain it wouldn’t slide overboard) and waited for the trip to start. We were only going to be on the lake for a little over an hour. In summer months Corrib Cruises take longer trips to Inchagoill Island and Oughterard. I hope to come back to try these later in the year.

During the tour Dave and Pat pointed out many key historical sites along the Corrib. I got the feeling that there was nothing of historical significance related to the Corrib that they didn’t know about. In fact Pat has written a book on the subject called A Voyage Of Discovery, that is available to buy on the boat or online.

 

I got the impression that if weather permitted Dave and Pat would be on the lake every day of the year. Sure they are familiar with Lough Corrib and all its islands, but the light is never the same from one day to the next and makes every journey different. We started talking about photography near the end of the trip and it didn’t surprise me to hear Pat describe a photograph he took of mountains reflected in a perfectly smooth lake. The breeze and the rippling surface didn’t allow that today, maybe next time.

From the boat we could see a monument that looked like a grey obelisk beside a chalet and after we had our feet back on land Dave pointed out the walking route there. He said it was about 3 km from the castle and it would be rare for me to meet a car.

I wanted to see as much as I could before the sun went down or the rain clouds came in so headed off to find the monument. If it can be easily seen from the boat, I thought maybe there’s a good view of the lake from there.

It was great to walk in the woods with very few people around. There is a school of falconry and an equestrian centre on the castle grounds and sure enough I saw riders on horseback and two instructors with a hawk each exiting the school. I wasn’t fast enough to take a picture of the hawks, but I got the riders.

 

After walking around the grounds of Ashford I headed to Cong. Cong and Ashford have a strong association with the 1952 movie The Quiet Man, directed by John Ford starring John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara. Back on the 29th of December I had a chance to listen to Ryan Tubridy interview Maureen O’Hara about her career in the movies and the actors she’s worked with. The interview was super and she came across as a woman who was full of life. A great achievment for an actor who made her first movie in 1938 aged 18.

 

Cong sits on the border of Counties Mayo and Galway on a strip of land that joins Lough Corrib and Lough Mask. The ruins of Cong Abbey and the walks by the lakes make it a perfect base for exploration.

After all that, and since it was now nearly 3pm and I was feeling hungry, I headed back to Lisloughrey for something to eat. Although I was only staying for one night I thought the hotel was lovely and the staff very friendly. The food was good too. The seafood chowder I had when I arrived the night before was delicious, the breakfast the next day was very tasty and as you read, kept me going until well into the afternoon, and finally the burger I had for a late lunch really hit the spot.

 

The hotel has plenty of space, along with a games room with a pool table in the basement, and a Wii room with a large wide-screen television on the ground floor. I didn’t get to play pool or the Wii while I was there as I had plenty to do outside.

Post from: Blog Of Good Cheer

Mayo: Ashford Castle, Lough Corrib, Lisloughrey Lodge and Cong

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The weather was very like today, damp and grey but it was still pleasant enough for walking around taking photos.

It’s been years since I’ve spent any time in the centre of Cork and I really loved it. My day was full, but relaxed. The only commitment I had was to meet a friend for coffee at Costa Coffee on Emmet Place.

It was great to catch up, drink a good cup of coffee and enjoy a raspberry and almond slice! What could be better.

So this is what I got up to:

• Visited The English Market
• Had a pint of Beamish in The Long Valley on Winthrop Street
• Got a culture fix in The Crawford Gallery, Emmet Place
• Strolled around the UCC campus, Mardyke and FitzGerald Park
• Did Pana – that’s walk up and down Patrick Street
• Marvelled at the detail on the West face of Saint Finbarre’s Cathedral
• Followed the self guided Shandon Walk

Here are some photos I took on the way.

 

If all of that seems too much, then I’d focus on The Shandon Walk. Pick up a leaflet from the Tourist Office on Grand Parade and follow the route from Daunt’s Square along Paul Street to the Opera House, then over the Lee where you’ll see the Firkin Crane, the Butter Exchange, Saint Anne’s Church, the birthplace of Jack Lynch and the Cathedral of Saint Mary and Saint Anne. And it doesn’t stop there! You follow Shandon Street to Griffith Bridge and back across the Lee to North Main Street where you can see plaques marking historical lanes that ran off the street.

The walk itself only takes an hour if you’re just trying to get from A to B. But if like me you’re happy to pop into the churches, museums and galleries, see what the shops have to offer or just fancy a coffee or a pint, then the Shandon Walk could keep you busy all day long.

Post from: Blog Of Good Cheer

Cork City: The English Market, Saint Finbarre’s Cathedral, The Shandon Walk

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But according to the Celtic tradition, which is based solely on daylight and the strength of the noon sun, spring begins in early February and continues until early May.

Today I’ve two photos of my amaryllis finally blooming. It looks fantastic and it was wonderful to watch it grow.

 

So to mark the occasion I want to share three quotes, loosely connected by flowers or things in bloom.

To see a world in a grain of sand,
And a heaven in a wild flower,
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,
And eternity in an hour.

William Blake – from Auguries of Innocence

One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon instead of enjoying the roses that are blooming outside our windows today.

Dale Carnegie

The most precious gift we can offer others is our presence. When mindfulness embraces those we love, they will bloom like flowers.

Thich Nhat Hanh

Post from: Blog Of Good Cheer

Three Quotes and an Amaryllis

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Here are the photos to prove it.

 

It’s funny how the brain works. I guess because “amaryllis” and “Amadeus” both begin with “am”, have four syllables and end in “s”, the 1986 song by Falco, Rock me Amadeus, forced its way into my head.

That song was inspired in part by Oscar-winning film Amadeus, which I saw on its release and intend watching again very soon.

I love the tagline:

The Man… The Music… The Madness… The Murder… The Motion Picture…

…Everything You’ve Heard Is True

It’s loosely based on the lives of the composers Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Antonio Salieri and is well worth seeing if you’ve never had the pleasure.

Post from: Blog Of Good Cheer

Amaryllis, amaryllis, rock me amaryllis!

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