I'll give you a brief rundown on the past few (busy!) weeks...
First, we found our permanent apartment. It is a really lovely place in a part of the city called the Docklands. Chris and I were out here for a visit when we were first in Ireland in 2000 or 2001 and I can't believe how much it has changed since. Back then, we were a bit scared to be in this part of town and happy when we reached our destination. Now it is full of brand new apartment and office buildings, great restaurants, shops and more on the way. We are on the 7th floor and can see the River Liffey and the mountains from our balcony and windows. The walk to the heart of the city is about 12 minutes. We have a guest room, so please come on over for a visit any time.
Our new livingroom before we moved in
We moved in the Saturday before Christmas and had just enough time to get settled in and organized before the entire city shut down for two weeks. Despite an invitation for Christmas dinner with Glenn's colleagues and their families, we opted to celebrate the holiday quietly at home. Glenn was able to leave work early in Christmas Eve and we spent the evening at the only open pub we could find. On Christmas Day, we went to a service at Christchurch Cathedral in the morning and it was really beautiful. We walked home through a completely deserted city and spent the rest of the day preparing a turkey dinner with all the fixings and watching movies. The true highlight of our day was chatting with family members abroad. It was so nice to be a part of the family Christmases, even from this far away.
Christmas on Grafton Street
Boxing Day (or St. Stephen's Day in Ireland) is a big holiday as well. We spent it in true American style by taking advantage of the after-Christmas sales at the Ikea in Belfast. We loaded up the rental car and spent the rest of the weekend assembling various bookcases, desks and shelves. Once the rest of our "stuff" arrives from the States (should be today!), we will be right at home in our new home.
On Dec. 30th, Mom arrived for a nice long visit! We have been having so much fun while she's been here. We spent New Year's Eve at a really lovely restaurant in town called the Port House. It is a wine/tapas bar with just a few tables and excellent food. We had been there once before with new friends from Glenn's office and knew instantly that it would be on the top of our list. We followed dinner with stops at a few pubs around town and finally ended up at The Ferryman - about 2 blocks from our house. We met some nice people, rang in the new Year, and chatted away until the bartender kicked us out at 2 AM.
New Years Eve at the Port House
Other highlights of Mom's visit include a trip to Belfast and the Northern coast of the island (Jeannette, I said hello to the Giant's Causeway for you), movies galore, visits to the seaside towns of Howth and Bray and Powerscourt Gardens and House in the Wicklow Mountains, tea the Ritz (decadent and fun!), and lots of time to talk and laugh. Mom has helped me figure out the bus system (to the extent that it can be figured out), find the things I need for the apartment and gets to help me unpack our boxes today (lucky girl). I don't know what I'll do when she goes.
Antrim Coast, Northern Ireland
Powerscourt Gardens, Wicklow Mountains
Luckily, we have more visitors coming in a few weeks. It will be so fun to have Glenn's family here!
Glenn is starting to feel like part of the team at work and meeting new people every day. His work load is starting to ramp up and he is figuring out the lay of the land in the office, all the while eating the yummy food and snacks. Time to start investigating gyms!
Now that the City has reopened, my hunt for the wine bar space continues. I am already feeling antsy and ready to get going on the bar, despite the terrible economic situation over here. Glenn was talking to a taxi driver one morning about our move here and my Irish heritage. The taxi driver said, "Oh, she's a Kerry girl is she? I bet she can cook, but you need to keep her buys!". How right he was. Time to get to work!
HAPPY NEW YEAR. May 2009 be filled with change, hope and good fortune for each and every one of you.
