The living/dining/working area of my apartment in Dublin.
My “integrated” kitchen — the cabinet fronts hide the dishwasher, combined washer/dryer, refrigerator, and freezer.
Your guest bedroom.
Dave and Shannon’s room.
Dinner with Mom (right) and her neighbors from Pennsylvania, Mary and Tim. They arrived today for a two-week visit. And, then Tim and Mary hosted dinner at my place tonight! What great house guests!
Shannons in Swords and a Guinness….
Evidentially the word Shannon is plural (in Swords, Ireland) as none of the signs we saw downtown today included an apostrophy. After snapping some pictures of Shannons in Swords, we slurped down some soup at the pub. Then we headed to the suburbs of Swords (to pick up a used chair I’d secured on http://www.adverts.ie).
It’s not the most comfortable office chair… I have to admit that on-line viewing leaves much to be desired. But, I took it anyway as we’d made quite an effort to get there. If it doesn’t suit for long stints at the computer, perhaps I can re-list it on Adverts.
We had rented a car–to use for our trip to western Ireland–and to make a few errands. After our chair purchase, we found we had a couple of hours to spare before we needed to pick up my sister, Heather, at the airport. We decided to make a quick trip to IKEA. I was thrilled to find the same model of desk I use at home… it will fit snuggly in the corner of my living room and I can transform into a cafe table for use on the balcony in good weather.
Heather was surprised by coolness of the weather here. She just spent a sweltering 16 days in drought-ridden Italy. The mountainside across from her Spoleto lodgings went up in flames and burned for two straight days. In Rome, she stayed with the hostellers I use on my student trips. Our friend Monti showed her around the city… including some hair-raising rides on the back of his motorcycle. Glad I wasn’t there to see that! Dave and I enjoyed a ride with him in his car and that was hair-raising enough for me!
Here, she’ll be borrowing sweaters. She’ll also have to dig that umbrella from the depths of her suitcase.
After collecting Heather outside customs, we all hurried back to town to meet some people I’d hired to help clean the apartment. They know a bit more about this particular job than I do. The place feels much cozier now!
Horse-wash in progress.
Sadly, though, I still haven’t figured out the sizing for the beds. I keep buying sheets that don’t fit. Two twin beds zip together to make one “super king,” but these are longer-than-normal twins and I can’t find anywhere to buy long twin (i.e., dorm) sheets. I’ve learned all this through trial and error and I still lack some of the bedding I’d hoped to have in place before Heather arrived. Dave and I will huddle together for warmth tonight. If, of course, he ever finishes editing and comes to bed… people keep ordering new images. They all want to enter an architectural design competition that closes soon and they need exceptional images (that he’s previously shot, was smart enough to bring with him, and now needs to edit).
Even though we’ve been intensely busy the past few days, we’ve stumbled across some interesting sights along the way. There’s movie filming going on all across the city and a Notre Dave versus Navy football (!?!!?) game in Dublin this weekend that has brought in throngs of Americans.
We also spied the stable for a old-timey horse-drawn carriage. I posted a photo (at the top of this blog) of the owner washing his horse last night. We were walking to find a place recommended by Peter (from the Kildare Street Hotel). I’m so glad to have his ideas… this funky little restaurant pub is quite close to where I live. It has fascinating accouterments (such as the menus in the photos above). You’ll notice that Dave got a little wet on our walk there. He dried, eventually!
What we haven’t found yet–sorry Morgan–is Lucky Charms. Despite having a large section seemingly devoted to Kellogg’s, the Fresh Market has no sign of such Charms. We did locate readymade pancakes in the refrigerated section, however. They’re available in either “American” or “French.” As Morgan’s dad would say “Who’d a thunk?” Certainly not me!
I captured a few more images of curving streets on our walk to dinner last night. I mentioned yesterday that Camillo Sitte recommended the urban designers include non-straight streets. The urban design students I taught this past summer used Sitte’s principles to guide their designs for a new (theoretical) plaza in Rome. You can see their proposals at Urban Push. Two of the images below feature landmarks around the bend in the street.
In the photos below, you’ll also see that Dublin has bike share. If I find the drop-off locations to be convenient, I’ll join the program. I’ve heard it’s just €10 per year. Remembering to drive on the left is pretty difficult for me when I’m not in a car, though, so it may be a while before I’m up for riding a bike in the city. I actually had no problem driving a car on the left side when I rented a manual transmission auto for two weeks in 2003. The most difficulty I had that year was remembering to convert back to right-handed driving when I got back home.
I awoke this morning to an excited phone call from Dave. He’s accustomed to going out at dawn to photograph in the morning light. Today, he was out with the tall ships and he summoned me to come see them sail. The ships closest to the city were moving out. The city had opened the Calatrava-designed bridge to allow the ships thru passage. (Calatrava is an architect and bridge-designer whose work Dave and I greatly admire.)
“Take a picture every time you see something that surprises you,” the International Four-H Youth Exchange had instructed me when I was an IFYE to Switzerland in 1994, “because after a few days that thing won’t seem unusual to you and you’ll forget to take a picture.” I recalled that advice today after the Facebook image of my “mini” Irish breakfast raised eyebrows among my friends back home.
After eating dozens of these meals over the years, I’d nearly forgotten that beans on the side seem unusual to the American palette. But our cat-sitter, Morgan, posted a query about our choice of side items. She’s the person who asked me to bring back some Lucky Charms (her favorite boxed cereal product). I guess she’ll be surprised when the luck I bring her comes in a can!
After breakfast, Dave headed back to work editing photos. He’s at in non-stop these days, to meet deadlines back home. I did a bit of shopping on my own (again) in preparation to move into the new apartment. Today, I went shopping on Grafton Street. I’ve posted reflections from the area. The one (to the left) reminds me of the importance of landmarks in creating a beautiful townscape (an idea of Gordan Cullan’s) and of using landmarks to help people orient themselves in the city (as explained by Kevin Lynch). See how effective the church is in providing a visual cue to your location? And how the curved streets provide a sense of mystery (as recommended by Camillo Sitte)?
The reflection on BT2 I captured today (shown to the right below) was completely different from the one I posted yesterday (to the left).
After that, I was off to a tour of the Freemason Hall just up the street from our hotel. The tour was offered as part of National Heritage Week. I learned so much from the guide! I’ve posted some photos of the building–which serves as the headquarters for all of the island’s Freemasons–in honor of my Hampton University office-mate, David Perronet.
On the way back to our hotel, I noticed a sign for the “Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport.” Now, that’s a title and combination you wouldn’t see in the States! It’s shown below, to the left. The photo to the right is a memorial to the Celtic Tiger. More on those topics later. (Please remind me if I forget!)
For now, I’ll get this posted and try to pry Dave from that computer so we can enjoy the last few moments of sunlight today.
Reflections of old City Hall in shop windows along Dame Street (© Shannon Chance, August 2012).
Tall Ships along the River Liffey in Dublin (© Shannon Chance, August 2012).
Visiting artist Aga Szot at her exhibition “Punctuation.” One of Aga’s original paintings hangs in our home in Portsmouth.
BT2 storefront reflection (© Shannon Chance, August 2012).
Our Norfolk breakfast club — Shannon, Dave, Wayne, and Morgan.
Not much time for reflection today – we hit the ground running.
After a lovely farewell breakfast in Norfolk with Wayne, Rose, and Morgan Ringer, we spent much of the day flying to Ireland. We enjoyed spending the first leg of our flight with Glen McClure, who is now in Westport partaking of breath-taking views of the Atlantic Ocean.
After waiting at Dublin airport in the longest passport control line I have ever encountered, we successfully cleared customs using my brand-spanking new Irish work permit. We sipped coffee at the airport while setting up appointments via Skype and then headed into town.
Lunch with Glen at the Norfolk airport.
Due to a taxi strike, we had to haul my luggage in using one of Dublin’s fine bus companies. Fortunately, the driver dropped us just a block away from our temporary abode on Kildare Street. We successfully towed all the bags to the hotel four-handedly! (Never underestimate the power of Dave or of roll-on luggage. It took thousands of years for man to put wheels on luggage… we made good use of that discovery today!)
After a quick lunch and a splash in the shower, we were off to find new digs.
We sprinted to our first apartment viewing.
I loved the apartment. I was certain I would as I’ve scoured the Internet for weeks to find it. I know the market, and I am pleased with the space, layout, views, sunlight, and appliances in this particular unit. I tentatively agreed to take it.
Dave with our luggage after clearing customs at Dublin airport.
We decided to keep the second viewing I had booked, but since we had a little time on our hands, we stopped by the yoga studio I’m hoping to use and got a tour from a Brazilian fellow namedWellington. We also went and got two new cell phone numbers.
The second place we visited was also very nice. It’s located on the grounds of King’s Inn Law school. Being that the stone row house was built in the 1500’s, and today’s weather was quite balmy, the house felt cold to me despite being bright and sunny. I’m sticking with the first one, but hope to hang onto the new friend I met there (another Dave who clearly loves this place and gave us a very fine tour).
We’re currently recuperating. I now await a dinner of Guinness Pie… having just pried Dave from his jet-lag-induced afternoon slumber.
What I hope will become my new kitchen.
Can you tell what this is? What clues does the image give you about life today in Dublin?
Dublin, Ireland. (Copyright Shannon Chance, March 2011)
Traveling with a professional photographer has its perks. I get to use fabulous hand-me-down cameras and I have a most astute technical advisor on hand.
It’s got some drawbacks, too. A few years back, I’d started to adopt Dave’s eyes and to automatically see the world through his frame of reference. The problem was: I found myself all too tempted to copycat his compelling visual language whenever I was behind a camera. Most people would see that as a blessing, but we found we were competing for the same spot of ground everywhere we went. There always seemed to be one most-logical place to stand to capture that perfect image and Dave got there first.
I’d have to find my own photographic niche. So I started capturing images of what lies beneath the surface. I became fascinated by the reflections that dance off metal, glass, and water.
In this pursuit, I’ve combed cities throughout the US and Europe in search of reflections that tell a story. I seek to capture the essence of each city I visit and mark its place in time.
I hope that when we look back at these images in years to come, we’ll know intuitively “that was Madrid in the ’90s” or “Dublin in the early part of the new millennium.” We’ll be able to learn something of history, of the city, and of ourselves in the image’s details.
For me, this hobby never grows old. Each shop window becomes a full-length motion picture, revealing to me layer upon layer of time and of social reality. Every puddle and each car fender provides a kaleidoscope of vibrant images waiting to be discovered. In the blink of an eye or the subtle shift of the lens, a reflection can transform completely.
My camera captures what the eye sees but the mind generally ignores: the fleeting images that inform our understanding of the world without us even realizing they are there.
Below, I’ve posted the first of the Dublin Reflections I will share with you on this blog. This particular image is quite straightforward. I hope it will be very easy for you to untangle the layers, determine what it “is,” and decide for yourself what it means. There are far more challenging visual puzzles to come….
I selected this particular reflection to share with you today because I think it does a nice job summing up my hopes and dreams for the upcoming year. It was taken in Dublin in March 2011.
Cultivate Living and Learning (Copyright Shannon Chance, March 2011)
Ireland by Chance 