I’d never noticed this beautiful weathering panel on the Quay just east of the Four Courts. Lovely, isn’t it?

I’d snuck in one last trip to see the nephews this past weekend while I was back in the States.  It was such fun, but I caught a bug that kept me in bed all day Monday.  That prevented me from wrapping up my writing in a timely fashion and packing for my return to Dublin.  I had to lean on my colleagues for help and then throw my bags together in the wee hours before my flight.

The resulting overweight bag set me back $200.  And, I arrived in Dublin sans Irish credit card, bus pass, et cetera.  I suppose those documents are at home in some very safe location.  Dave has been in bed with the bug today and hasn’t yet located them.  I spent the day pulling myself back together.

The sliver lining in this cloud is that a new bankcard is on the way.  And on my walk to withdrawal cash I discovered wonderful new delights of Dublin.

Leaving home, the plane flew right over my neighborhood (the gridded one in the foreground).

Leaving Newark, we flew smack over Manhattan. Had I been sitting on the other side, I’d have seen my sister’s apartment in Harlem. (From the runway here, you can see the Chrysler building just off the wing tip and the new Trade Tower on the right hand side.)

I love studying city and land patterns from the sky.

The Dublin airport is shiny and new…

…and it’s well linked to the city by two different bus lines. This one has a stop just four blocks form my apartment.

The parks of Dublin are stunningly green, even in the coldest of weather.

My bank (AIB) recently opened a new brach location on Capel Street…

…the security is so tight that even after you enter, you have to wait in line to go through a double security door. (Wish I’d left my cards here instead of some random safe place at home!)

I discovered a brand new vegan restaurant on Mary Street. It’s been open just two days. The gluten-free foods were tasty.

There was a bassoon player out on Henry Street. Double reeds in this cold weather? Burrr.

I found an alley I’d never passed through before. It led to a place I’d been during Dublin Open House — complete with anther emerald green park.

I captured a view of Dublin’s historic vegetable market before my camera battery gave up the ghost for the day. It must be feeling jet-lagged!