The Dublin Community Blog has posted about the wonderfulness that is The food market @ Meeting House Square, Temple Bar, before, but I just thought I’d share some pics as a reminder of just how lovely it is; if the weather is in any way good this weekend, it’s a brilliant way to spend a Saturday.

It doesn’t matter how many times I’ve already done it in a given month or how many hung-over hens I have to push my way through: it always puts me in a good mood. There’s lots of pretty, colourful organic fruit (it’s a bit pricey though):

A delish and very authentic Mexican stall (try the organic chicken fajitas or veggie burritos served with a dollop of frijoles refritos, guacoamole, salsa, cheese and sour cream):

Wash it down with some very yummy, tangy apple juice:

And, finally, treat a few greedy scoops of chocolate-covered hazelnuts, flakey truffle thingies or even sugar-free choccies from Chez Emily:

There are lots and lots of other stalls, serving everything from mussels to noodles to cheeses. Definitely worth a visit.

And while you’re there, why not pick up some of these:

When asked about the weather in Ireland, and particularly Dublin, the only fitting description would be Four Seasons in One Day. You leave the house in the morning with bright sunshine, by the time you reach your destination you will be soaked, only to be blown off the pavement on your way back.

Today, of course, was no different. I once again found myself stranded on O’Connell street, waiting for a bus that didn’t come while the rain was pooring down and umbrella’s were giving in all around me. The best remedy to save you on a moment like that is to quickly pop in to a Butler’s Chocolate and buy a hot chocolate. With or without cream but with the complimentary truffle, it is in my opinion the best method to temporarily escape everything cold and wet while the rain is still pooring down on your head.

While letting the truffle melt in your mouth by the hot chocolate you drink, you simply forget that you are getting soaked and are freezing.

Trust me, the bus will be there before you know it…..

I read with interest in yesterdays Sunday Business Post that there is currently a photographic exhibition being run by the Temple Bar Cultural Trust as part of Temple Bar’s 15 anniversary programme. The retrospective photographic exhibition of Temple Bar will take place from Friday October 6th – January 2007 at the Irish Architectural Archive, 45 Merrion Sq to celebrate the 15 year anniversary of the regeneration of the Temple Bar area.

The photographs in the exhibition, entitled ‘Temple Bar 15’, date from 1985, a period when the proposal to transform Temple Bar into a bus station was being given serious consideration. They reflect the area as it was then – a collection of decomposing buildings, surface car-parks and abandoned properties. The objective of the exhibition is to celebrate the physical regeneration of the area over the last 15 years.

The catalogue for the event can be found here, and, I suppose this could easily be squeezed in as a lunchtime quickie!

There is another exhibition of art for sale around Stephens Green, today (September 29), Sep 30 and October 1st.

I spotted the colours and lines on these paintings from across the road as well as the shadows of the leaves fn the overhead tree on the work. So off I went camera in hand and took some snaps when I met the artist himself and another lovely woman who was exhibiting next to him. If you pass them by tell them you saw them here.

 Artisit Dan McCarthy with his work

Sheila Hanley with her work

Seeing as how the last time I didn’t have time to take many pics I decided to try and capture the atmosphere until a very rude and aggressive artist practically jumped at me telling me that I could not take pictures of artist’s original work. I didn’t have the heart to say that I actually wasn’t, that actually I was taking pictures of people looking at the work. As a result particularly following my earlier lovely encounter of friendly banter with Sheila and Dan I have decided to omit the pictures I took which included his work.

I don’t believe he is strictly correct either, the paintings are being publically exhibited on a footpath. I wasn’t taking close-ups of his work to reproduce them so I do not see what the problem was other than I wasn’t buying!
How and ever do not let one eejiit put you off. Check out the art, there is some amazing paintings and drop by Sheila and Dan and say hello. They are located on the opposite side of the green to the shopping centre (the Upper Baggot Street side)
 

According to their information the Peoples’ Art is a voluntary non-profit making charitable association which holds three outdoor exhibitions a year with funding from Dublin City Council and the Office of Public Works.

Once again my plans for a post have been thwarted by tardiness. Well in fairness we had spent all afternoon in Dublin Zoo after which we decided to stop off at the elegant Phoenix Park tea rooms, only they were closing for the day. D’Oh.

The tea rooms are a lovely and enchanting place to stop off for some lunch, afternoon snack or just a lovely coffee. I first went there about six years ago and it was where I discovered panninis, and they look just as delicious now.We stopped in for a take-away coffee on our way to the zoo and the food looked yum. It looked so good that we decided to go back after the zoo, only as I said they were closing.

If you are up in the Phoenix Park make the tea rooms one of your stops. (And more on the zoo later.)

I came across this image of the tea rooms from 1929 on this site while looking for more information. The caption reads “Humpfrey Cook’s Bentley passes the Phoenix Park Tea Rooms at the 1929 Irish Grand Prix, Eireann Cup race”. Here’s another link to the Rough Guide’s section on this spot.

I took the day off today. As I was on my way back home from running some errands, I noticed a floating stage in the Liffey near the Ha’Penny Bridge. There must be some free concert going on soon. I have heard a band warming up a bit and people cheering every now and then so if you are in the area, come check it out! The band appears to be starting…

Yep, the band just started and they are loud. I can hear them quite well from my apartment.

Grrrr. I had an idea for a series of posts which could also be undertaken by other contributors here which I was calling Lunchtime Quickies. The idea being that with the good weather and indeed the forthcoming bad weather that instead of sitting at our workdesks with sambos that we head off and do something in the hour instead and then write about it.

There are so many wonderful things to do in Dublin and I planned to start off with a visit today to the National Museum. So off I headed only it is closed on Mondays grrrr. There’s a lesson here, ring up, or check on their websites whether they are open or not. I have since checked on the museum’s website and there is no mention of opening times, but there is a great list of all the summer events planned over the next couple of weeks.

So back to the drawing board. When I get a chance again I’ll come back to this. But in the meantime if there is someplace which is worth dropping into on your lunch hour feel free to tell us all about it.