With the excitement of Italy behind us, we came home to the joys of accommodation hunting which was proving difficult separately and +Niamh starting her new college course in Healthcare Informatics. When we started to look for a place together, although still hard was more promising. We still had time to enjoy ourselves, with a reception at Harvey Nichols and cinema tickets to see Before I Go To Sleep in Dundrum. My weekend off, was a quiet affair, just spent watching Clare U21 hurlers winning 3 in a row All Ireland titles, followed by a day spent at the zoo, as Niamh put it baby hunting, which was more fun than I thought it was gonna be.
Getting used to our surroundings, we noticed the historical structures, churches and buildings nearby on James and Thomas St, such as Guinness' St James' Gate of course, St Patrick's Smock Tower, St Catherine Church site of Robert Emmet execution and John's Lane Church where there a relic of St. Nicholas and the twelve statues in the niches on the tower are the work of James Pearse, father of Padraig Pearse.
After a few weeks with no luck, it all came together on Wednesday the 17th, when despite Niamh ringing a particular estate agent that morning with no luck, I chanced my arm ringing after work at 3. I got a call back just before 4, for a viewing 30 mins later, which couldn't have suited us any better. We nearly fell in love with the apartment as soon as we entered it. I couldn't have ran any quicker to the ATM and back with the holding deposit. On Friday lunchtime, after spending the previous two days packing up my life, we signed our lease for our place and got the keys, which was a great relief after a stressful few weeks. As I had time to kill after unpacking, I decided to make most of culture night, and finally go see the Freemasons buildings on Moleworth Street, a building which has eluded me over the years as their open days never suited me until now. Despite getting totally soaked to the bone, once inside, from the onset it didn't disappoint. Over the 3 levels, the history of the Grand Masonic Lodge was everywhere to see and the Freemasons themselves were on hand to answer any questions. I ended up spending longer here, then I had initially planned. On the route home, as Niamh had ordered thai takeaway, I made a slight detour into the city hall exhibition. An exhibition I was not willing previously to pay into, once inside my reservations were correct, as this exhibition is not worth any price of admission.
Our parents made the journey up that evening for the weekend, which was nice that the whole moving in was quite the family affair. Whilst I was working all day Saturday, which itself was an ordeal with no delivery and the never ending queues. At least the parents and Niamh had a more enjoyable day, spending it at the zoo at the request of our mother, who not been there in 20 years. However it was poor Niamh's second trip in less than a week. After their eventful trip to the zoo, they strolled from the Phoenix Park towards Collins Barracks museum, which neither of our parents had been to before. Just before exiting the park, Niamh attempted to give 2 strangers directions and somehow they ended up inside the new criminal courts. By Saturday night, both Niamh and myself had moved out of our old places and unpacked and moved into our new one.
After a few technical issues with our UPC order, over the weekend, through social media on Monday and early Tuesday morning, I received the horizon box and got everything sorted, now the place really feels like home. On Friday, our mother decided to visit for the weekend again, which was starting to turn into a habit, arriving just after 11.30pm. The following day, we got up and took her by her request on a hop on hop off tour, which I managed to get on Living Social for 7 euro each for all 3 of us. My mother and myself meet Niamh outside the Little Museum on St Stephen Green, who came after college that morning. The ticket to the museum was included as part of the hop on hop off tour one. Our mother really enjoyed the guided tour of this particular museum, we followed this by continuing on the bus tour, followed by the Docklands one, which Niamh and me hadn't done previously and was a pleasant surprise. Disembarking at the Grand Canal, we strolled over to George's Dock, where Oktoberfest was on. The crowds and the atmosphere was electric and the first time I've drank a Stein glass of beer. This was a nice way to finish a week off work and settling into the new place.
Things were definitely on the way up, as on October 4th, it was time finally to see +Ed Sheeran in the +3Arena Dublin. Im not sure who was more excited myself or Niamh, and this after we both saw him, the May Bank Holiday Monday in +Vicar Street. Ed really knew how to get the crowd going, which made the whole experience electric. Just like the intimate gig at Vicar street, we left the gig singing all the way home.
