Following a Saturday morning visit to the gym—weights, pool and spa for Aongus, yoga for me—we mulled over our breakfast of porridge and fruit at home before heading out by bike to the National Gallery on Merrion Square.

We wanted to catch the opening weekend of the National portrait prize exhibition.

We enjoyed the architecture, too, of course. The Gallery has historic old and sleek modern wings.

Nested somewhere between floors is a room full of portraits by emerging artists that includes a portrait painted by Aongus’ sister, Aisling Coughlan, of their late dad.

You may recall a prior post, where all four Coughlan siblings were assembled around the portrait while it hung in the Royal Hibernian Society. Since that time, Aisling retired from her job and enrolled full time at the National College for Art and Design to hone her skills even further.

I think I also blogged when she was on the television competition for portrait painting, which was filmed in London.

Leaving the Gallery, we pushed our bike through the throngs of holiday shoppers on Grafton street.

And since Aongus has been asking Santa for Five Guys, his dream of American burgers and fries under fluorescent lights finally came true.

Our tummies filled, we settled into a cozy table on Fade Street where we could people-watch to our hearts’ content… but we still made it home safely by bike before 8PM.