Today is my 48th birthday. I had to work, so it wasn’t the most exciting birthday, but I enjoyed receiving texts from friends and family throughout the day. For dinner, my friend CJ and I went out to a tapas restaurant in Temple Bar a couple of streets away from Spranger’s Yard. It was an enjoyable, relaxing meal over wine and some tasty dishes — charcuterie, spanish cheeses, croquettes with various fillings, marinated mushrooms, potatoes with dipping sauces, grilled pork in a red wine sauce, and scallops in a cream sauce with breadcrumbs. For dessert: chocolate cheesecake with port (Graham’s Six Grapes, of course).
This evening in a live broadcast, Taoiseach Micheál Martin addressed Ireland’s recent surge in COVID cases and announced a re-tightening of some restrictions. It was only on October 22 that pubs, restaurants and nightclubs were allowed to stay open past 11:30pm, but as of this Thursday November 18, they will be required to close at 12:00 midnight. COVID-19 certificates will be required at cinemas and theatres (many have continued to check them), but there will not be required for hairdressers, barbers and gyms. The government is putting a pause on the return to workplace policy it had promoted before, advising employees who can work from home to do so. The use of antigen testing will be expanded. Vaccine boosters will be rolled out to everyone with an underlying condition and everyone over the age of 50.
Until next time….
