Today I’m expecting an IKEA delivery with some items I ordered awhile back… I had actually wanted to add them to the earlier “click and collect” order with the dining room chairs, but IKEA had already shut down that as an option due to the government’s tightening of restrictions. At any rate, the shipment contains a shoe rack and some storage bins for the built-in shelves in the bedroom where I’ve been storing non-hanging clothes, since there isn’t a dresser (or even room for one). My phone rings around 11:30am — it’s the delivery guy outside the front door, so I head down and haul the large box up to my apartment.
Before:
After:
After:
Thankfully the delivery came earlier in the day so I’m not stuck around waiting for it any longer. The weather is clear but still chilly today. Since I’ve stayed inside the last couple of days, I feel the need to get out for some fresh air… especially given that the forecast for the rest of the week calls for rain. I text my friend CJ to see if he’s up for a walk, which he is as usual. We head out eastward towards the Docklands, then turn southwards meandering past Google’s numerous office buildings that are empty and unused.
Further on we come upon the iconic Dublin Gasworks building that has been converted into apartments; with its curved shape, it still retains the original column and frame structure on the outside and a airy courtyard in the middle:
We continue walking into the affluent Ballsbridge neighborhood, turning back towards the city centre when we reach the US Embassy. We spot Sam the Fox alongside St. Stephens Green; he was featured in this Irish Times article from May 2020 around the time of his first appearance. Unfortunately I had my gloves on at the time, so couldn’t get a better snapshot before he went disappeared into the park.
A map showing highlighting the Ballsbridge neighborhood and some of the locations I’ve mentioned:
We clocked around 12,000 steps over two hours, so it turned out to be a longish walk. After CJ and I parted ways, I headed back home and have been doing laundry, folding clothes and putting them away in the new IKEA bins, and listening to the news on RTÉ Radio. A total of 1,372 today new COVID-19 cases were reported in Ireland today, which is still high but much better than the first half of January. The gardaí (police) have been stopping cars to/from the airport as part of a new crackdown on non-essential travel. Anyone travelling to take a flight or ferry for a non-essential reason is subject to the same “on the spot” fine of €100 for travelling further than 5km from home.
Until next time….
