Trailing Off....: October 2014

October 21 marked my first anniversary of being made an honest woman. And since year one is the “paper” gift, what better way to celebrate than with two paper tickets to a foreign locale. I had never been to France before and the combination of strange meats, cinema history, and cheap wine (not to mention the cheap price and direct flight on Aer Lingus) led us to Lyon rather than the more popular destinations of Paris or Nice.

For four days we did nothing but eat, learn about something, eat, drink, walk around, and eat some more.

WALKIN’
The old and cultural parts of the city are between or near the two rivers--the Rhone and Saone--and make for some lovely walks.

we stayed in a place between the two rivers near the middle/top

Sathonay Place is located at the bottom of La-Croix Rousse Hill, a World Heritage Site. It was the perfect place to stay as it is near all the interesting neighborhoods. Though our little flat had a tiny bed, it was great to be in a real French neighbourhood and not near any hotels or tourist areas.

our building was the one on the right

La-Croix Rousse was my favourite part of the city. It is the historical location of the silk trade and where the silk workers created secret passages and shortcuts to transport their products. We explored a few of them but felt weird wandering in and out of people's living areas.
What I loved, of course, was the Saturday market. Loads of local vegetables and products. I bought some seafood croquettes that were fantastic.

Fourviere Hill and Vieux Lyon had the main Roman ruins, two cathedrals and those lovely narrow cobblestone roads of medieval Europe.

Gallo-Roman Ampitheatre

inside St. Jean's Cathedral

view of St Jean's cathedral

Place Bellecour is a schwanky and expensive part of the city designed for people with fashion sense and a large pocketbook. On one street there were actually three fur shops.

LEARNIN’

Guignol's Puppet musuem

We bought a 3 day Lyon City Card and it ended up being a fabulous deal. Free entry into nearly every museum, free public transport, one tour, and a river cruise. We signed up for a tour of the old town but when we arrived and saw how many people there were, we decided to do our own tour.

the spot where first film was made

We visited the usual art and history museums but two museums really stood out as something special and unique. To stand on the spot where the first film (Worker Leaving the Lumiere Factory 1895) was amazing. They still have the set as well. What I found even more interesting about the Lumiere brothers is that they made the first documentaries. They sent people out to all parts of the globe to film people doing everyday things. When they showed the footage in Britain and France, people were astounded. This was before the days of internet and commercial travel. Few people had any idea what an African or Indian looked like or how Japanese women got into their complicated attire.

The Miniature and Cinema Museum was a visit of pure fun. with tons of displays of special effects. My favourite was Scully's decapitated head from an episode where Mulder dreams he kills her. There were body parts and a lot of gruesomeness that was fitting for the Halloween season.

Gizmo!

EATIN’

Lyon is considered more of a culinary hotspot than Paris and is home to famous chef Paul Bucose. We had lunch at Les Halles de Lyon which is a huge indoor market with a ton of small restaurants serving local cuisine. It was such a sensory overload I couldn't even take pictures, but if you google it, you can see what it's like.But one top experience to have is dining at a bouchon, a type of restaurant serving traditional, meat-centric dishes your grandma would make.

For our first experience, we dined here, where I had booked on-line a few days before. The starters were a rich broth with a poached egg, Lyonnais salad with a ton of bacon lardons and a crazy good dressing, cold lentil salad with a mustardy-vinegary dressing, wild boar terrine. For the main, I had stewed pork cheeks and S had black pudding with apples. All of this followed by a ton of cheese and dessert. Oh and plenty of wine.

enough food for a small village

Before going I had told myself I would try all the strange offally meats on offer, but when it came time to order, I chickened out. And one time, ordered chicken. But it was the best roasted chicken I’d ever had. We also went to this place, which made me think of Delmonico’s in NYC. The added bonus of this borderline garish steakhouse is that they brew their own, delicious beer. So I had a steak instead of tripe, but it was the best steak I’ve ever had. Ever.

Chez George's--German style beer in a French steakhouse

For our last meal, I had to try one more typical Lyonnais dish and opted for the quenelle in crayfish sauce. A giant fish dumpling in a creamy, rich seafood bisque like sauce. The consistency reminded me of moh hok, the fish custard dish in Thailand.

I could only manage half

The time spent in Lyon went by too quickly but it couldn't have been more ideal with such warm sunny days, easy transport, and lots to see by just wandering about. Here are some random photos of the best bits.

cute little airbnb room with a skylight

view of Notre Dame de Fourviere and a government building from across the river

there's no such thing as a French dweeb

riverside beers with great view of cathedral and Notre Dame bascilica

bear shop!

we barely fit in the elevator in the apartment building

view of Notre Dame from our window

same view in morning

view from window; excellent bakery below

family playing petanque (I think)

view from La Croix-Rousse

Hotel de Ville square

old Lyon

the real prop from Predator, moving and everything!

more special effects displays

miniatures used for movie set

afternoon break beside St Jean's

I don't know what this is called but it had a lot of heavenly flavours

traboules

Irish albums for sale

An America album for sale

love the idea of a riverside book market

not sure of the name of this church, but there's S consulting his map again

tried 5 different pastries here. Yes, at once.

Lumiere Institute. A film festival was on but nothing with English subtitles.

Lyon cemetery

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the post where some lucky guy waits for a lion at Amphitheatre of Three Gauls

hilly street in Croix-Rousse

random

Saturday market in La Croix-Rousse

Murray Park-30+ minutes by bus

The past summer in Ireland gave everyone an affinity for global warming. Blue skies and the type of temperatures a girl from the Midwest dreams of: never above 80 and never below 60. There were certainly a number of Irish who had fits of distress over their perceived melting, but for me it was perfect. However, as I made the long trek through the city to my school, I often lamented my distance from the sea or any place green to enjoy the long summer days. I began to long for nearby parks and streets free of vomit and dog poo. I wanted spontaneous picnics and beach walks that didn’t involve an hour of transport on the city bus. I began to hate living in the city.

This morning, I decided I needed a new perspective on the area I call home, so at sunrise, I bundled up (idyllic summer temperatures are gone) and took my camera to capture all that is within 5-10 minutes walking distance. The sky was a cloudless bright blue and the sun was doing its best to warm the streets. Usually I’m in a rush to get from point A to point B and especially in a rush when Point B is my comfy apartment and the open arms of the internet. But today I slowly wandered in and out of lanes, along the tram tracks, and through the empty shopping streets. I gave up half way, partly because I was freezing and hungry, but mostly because I felt satisfied that the tiny apartment on Ryder’s Row is the centre of the best little microcosmic universe.

Shopping streets (3 minutes)

Henry Street before the shops open

Henry/Mary/Talbot Street is always packed during business hours. In addition to the usual shopping, you can buy fresh strawberries and boy band posters from people hawking various wares in the street. You’re also likely to see buskers, at least one homeless guy with a pet rabbit, and people who paint themselves and act like statues. One of the shopping centres is the ILAC centre and is the oldest in Dublin. You can tell the target market by the abundance of discount shoe shops and the Pound Store, not to mention the few fast food places. It’s also home of Dublin’s central library.

Moore Street (5 minutes)

This is off of Henry Street and has several stalls selling fresh vegetables and fruit as well as a couple of butcher shops. There are also people shouting that they can sell you cigarettes and tobacco and there’s usually one or two shady guys trying to sell SIM cards. If you need hair extensions or habanero peppers or crave fresh perogis (Polish dumplings), this is the place to go. There’s also a sign on the street showing the bullet holes from when there was a shoot out during the Easter Uprising. I really love this street but some people say that the quality and character of the place have suffered in the last few decades.

Pubs (2 to 10 minutes)

Irish breakfast and Guinness at 8 a.m.? yes!

Someday I'll do a post about ALL the pubs that are in 5 minutes walking distance from my apartment. But today, I’ll highlight Slattery’s which has the double distinction of being one of the only pubs open in the morning and one of Anthony Bourdain’s stops when he visited Dublin for his TV program. There’s the Black Sheep for when we’re in the mood to see hipsters and drink craft beer (not to mention eat the best chunky chips in the world) or the place where you have to ring a buzzer to get in and where you may or may not be allowed in depending on the mood of the owner.

The Wholesale Fruit and Veg Market (5 minutes)

In the mornings, I run by the men who work at this huge market with the elegant stone façade. They’re schlepping the produce which has been brought by farmers or other trucks so that it can be taken to various parts of the city. The men work at night which is why Slattery’s is open so early in the morning. As of now it’s a wholesale market with a couple of stalls for shoppers, but there are plans to redevelop the area so that there will be more stalls and cafes/restaurants. With all the cobblestoned streets leading to and from this old building, I always feel transported back in time when I go by.

inside is a giant warehouse of produce

Cinemas (1 minute or 10 minutes)

my building on the left and Cineworld on the right

My building is attached to Cineworld so it takes no time to go downstairs, into the cinema, and into a comfy seat. The downside is that Cineworld is the most expensive cinema around (regular admission is about 11 euros). Luckily, about 10 minutes away is the Lighthouse Cinema that is not only cheaper, but also allows you to bring beer into the cinema. Double win!!

inside the hip and reasonable Lighthouse Cinema

Recycled Bicycle Shop (30 seconds)

before

I’m not into bikes, but these guys have made this little corner of the hood much more colourful, not to mention offering affordable bikes.

after

Asian Restaurants (5 or 10 minutes)

10 minutes away is the “Chinatown” of Dublin and home to my favourite noodles that are EXACTLY like what I used to get in Nanjing (with bits of pork and pickled mustard greens). You’ll also find an interesting mix of old man pubs and Korean restaurants. And discounted crap from the US (that was likely made in China, so full circle).

But one minute away is Capel Street, which has Korean BBQ, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Filipino restaurants. They’re all great and I especially love a big bowl of Pho and a newspaper on a blustery Friday afternoon. For more ethnic diversity, the block over has Hungarian and Mexican fare.

Charity Shops (3-5 minutes)

On Capel Street there a few second hand shops run by a variety of charities. In the US we call them “thrift shops”. Since I moved to Dublin, I’ve bought the majority of my clothes at these shops. I find interesting, quality stuff without having the overwhelming number of choices at the mall. Everything is at a low price (average 5 euros for a top) and the money goes to charity. What's not to like?

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Asian Markets (5 minutes)

There are actually about five within five minutes walking distance but the one I like and use the most is this one. They have mostly central Asian products but I can usually get the things I need for Thai and Vietnamese dishes. The men who run the place are all incredibly friendly.

all the plantains, coconut milk, spices, lentils, and pickled stuff you could ever want!

Scary Looking Georgian Area (5 minutes)

Stephen told me this area has been filmed for a lot of movie scenes. It definitely has a weird haunted vibe. It’s called The King’s Inn and is some kind of law school.

did I enter a time warp?

Jameson Distillery (10 minutes)

I’ve never been here but walk through it on the way to the Lighthouse cinema. Someday, I’ll take the tour and get my free shot.

Parnell Square (7 minutes)

This is a free art gallery located on the north side of Parnell Square called the Hugh Lane. The most interesting part of the gallery is that they transported Francis Bacon’s entire London studio and put it as is in the gallery. There are also free symphonies on Sunday’s afternoon. Next to the gallery is the Dublin Writer’s Museum. The Square also has the distinction of being where Stephen works. Yes, that’s right. He only has a 5 minute walk to work.

The Gate Theatre is on the east side of Parnell Square and across from Stephen’s school. Last month I saw Arthur Miller’s “The Price” here and loved being able to get there in just a few minutes.

S's school

Where all the Buses Go (8 minutes)

Every morning I get to see The Spire, aka “The Stiletto in the Ghetto” as I wait for my bus to go to school.

O'Connell Street

Sex Shop

I just discovered this little gem today. And only 3 minutes away!!

This is only a smattering of places I can get to from my little abode in Dublin 1. In ten minutes, I can get to the south side of the Liffey where there's the touristy Temple Bar area, medieval Dublin, and a whole host of cultural and historical venues. But for this weekend, I wanted to keep it real on the north side. There's truly no place like home.