Saturday morning my SuperValu delivery arrived unexpectedly early, right on the dot at 10:30. It was Ciaran, the older Irish gentleman who used to be my regular delivery person when I first started using the service, and probably the friendliest. After putting everything away, finishing breakfast and cleaning up, I felt the need to get out of the apartment after being cooped up at home for the past few days. It was a nice day out, with off and on sun, and I spent the afternoon running errands and enjoying the weather, which was warm enough for shorts. Lots of people were out and about in the city, with the streets and sidewalks the fullest I’ve seen since my arrival almost a year ago. I also noticed an unusual number of sports jerseys being worn, and not just by the usual male sports types. It then donned on me that the All-Ireland Gaelic Football Championship would be taking place later on in Croke Park in Dublin (think Irish Superbowl). The tournament has been held every year since 1889, and all counties, north and south, compete. This year’s match was between Mayo and Tyrone, with Tyrone winning the title.
In the late afternoon I met up with a newish friend P whom I hadn’t seen in awhile since he lives outside of Dublin. We had a quick bit to eat, then meandered down to Panti Bar for some pints. It wasn’t very busy yet, so we managed to get some seats outside. Soon enough a crowd started to form around the vicinity of Capel Street, which at 6:30pm was closed off to to traffic as part of the city’s extended pedestrianization measure. Then it became jammed packed like on other Saturday evenings when the weather is nice out — the intersection flooded with small groups of people standing shoulder-to-shoulder with their “take away” drinks, which makes it quite challenging to navigate. We enjoyed the craic from our cozy spot, conversing about places we’d traveled and where we’d like to go next, among a host of other topics. We left before it got too late, as my friend had to catch a bus back to his town, and I headed home to enjoy the rest of my evening lounging on the couch and watching some TV.
I enjoyed the opportunity to sleep in late on Sunday, and then in the afternoon I went to see the new Shang-Chi Marvel movie with my friend CJ at an Imax theatre. The action and special effects made for good entertainment and an escape from reality for a couple hours. A cold front had blown in overnight, making it the chilliest day in months, with overcast skies and highs in mid 50s F / mid 10s C. Pretty soon I’ll probably have to turn on the electric heaters in the apartment again. When I got back home I had a quick nap, then did a few chores around the apartment before settling into a quiet evening.
Until next time….
