Ireland Time

2013 in Google Location History Screenshots

2014-02-23T14:53:00.000+00:00

December 2012/ January 2013We ended 2012 with a winter holiday in Paris, and had Christmas Day at Euro Disney. Then off to Berlin to meet the gang for New Years Eve. Followed shortly by a weekend in London.

FebruaryIn preparation for the wedding, we kept close to home

MarchTook off back to NZ to get married at Lake Hawea. Followed this up with the honeymoon in Dubai, and Egypt (Sharm el Sheikh and Cairo). Not willing to accept it the holiday was over, we organised Easter weekend in Rome from Cairo.

AprilReturned back to Ireland from Rome. Mark went to the now infamous Dagstag weekend in Exeter.

May
A great weekend outside the pale, in the Burren, County Clare. Mark survived Alan's stag in Berlin, then a week later we were back in Germany for Chris and Regina's wedding in Schliersee.

JuneRay and Karen came over and we went down to Cork with them. Then we had a relaxing weekend in the Algarve, Portugal.

JulyWent to London for Wendy and Pip's engagement party. Then a weekend hanging out with Mafioso in Sicily.

AugustWe toured the south of Ireland with the Monties (Rosie and Ian), and had a weekend in County Carlow for Alan and Catherine's wedding.

SeptemberWe joined up with the Monties again (plus Jack) for a family trip to Paris and Corsica. Then a weekend in Barcelona with Holly and Anna.

OctoberBack in London once again for Anna's farewell party. Then a foggy weekend in Krakow, Poland.

NovemberAnother party in London, this time for Nic and Tim's. Followed by a couple of days in Edinburgh, Scotland.

DecemberWe spent Xmas day by the Dead Sea, Jordan. Then down to Petra and Wadi Rum via desert castles. Over to Jerusalem, followed by a few days in Istanbul. Unintended stop in CDG on the way home.

Urban Fox!

2013-08-21T17:28:00.001+01:00

I've seen this chap around a few times. He lives in the Pearse railway station (above the bridge in the distance )

Summer kicks off

2013-06-08T10:19:00.001+01:00

Around Cairo

2013-03-21T14:03:00.001+00:00

This is taken from Muhamed Ali's Alabaster Mosque. Mac the guide seems impressed with his handiwork.

Name:		Around Cairo
Date:		21 Mar 2013 10:36 am
Map: (valid until Sep 17, 2013)		View on Map

Exploring Pyramids

2013-03-19T15:40:00.001+00:00

Name:		Exploring Pyramids
Date:		19 Mar 2013 2:24 pm
Map: (valid until Sep 15, 2013)		View on Map

St Catherine's Monastery

2013-03-19T15:37:00.001+00:00

Name:		St Catherine's Monastery
Date:		16 Mar 2013 11:49 am
Map: (valid until Sep 15, 2013)		View on Map

Out the other window... More of the same

2012-09-16T12:19:00.000+01:00

Out the window... Dubrovnik

2012-09-16T12:16:00.001+01:00

Wales

2012-09-15T17:34:00.001+01:00

San Sebastian - in search of sun

2012-08-04T17:09:00.000+01:00

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

Looking back to Ireland from Valentia

2012-07-15T16:14:00.000+01:00

Clonakilty

2012-07-14T12:08:00.000+01:00

Gelato in the park

2012-06-15T21:17:00.001+01:00

You two? You too?

2012-05-30T18:35:00.000+01:00

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

2012-05-30T09:19:00.001+01:00

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

2012-05-28T19:41:00.001+01:00

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

2012-05-28T19:27:00.000+01:00

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

2012-05-21T12:59:00.000+01:00

Defenestrations and Self-Immolations: Easter in Prague

2012-04-19T20:29:00.004+01:00

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

2012-04-12T21:36:00.000+01:00

We wanted 2 cans of coconut cream....

Irish fashion

2012-04-12T19:58:00.001+01:00

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

We're in Prague

2012-04-06T21:46:00.001+01:00

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

Guest Post: Saint Patrick's long weekend

2012-04-04T19:34:00.009+01:00

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

2012-03-12T22:11:00.003+00:00

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

2012-02-26T11:01:00.000+00:00