Since the end of lock-down I have been doing a lot of traveling. Last time it was New York, this time it was Ireland — both family visits with work and side trips in between.
Arriving on the south coast of Ireland, just outside of Cork.
Where we live in Brittany it’s an easy ferry ride from Roscoff to the south coast of Ireland.
We stayed a couple of nights in Cork where my husband had his first job in journalism back in the Jurassic days. He took me around to the pubs he was thrown out of and his beautiful old office building that had been torn down to be rebuilt as a Next store.
Cork is a classy little city that clusters around the river Lee. The buildings include the architectural stylings of former invaders who stuck around and built for a while. Some older fortifications date back far and reflect the various battling Irish tribes and Vikings who kept invading over the centuries. These days it’s just a five minute walk to the health food store.
Walter & the Echo Boy, a newspaper boy in Cork..
A short four-hour, hop-and-skip to Belfast was next on the list. We stayed with the in-laws who were in fine fettle. They are a particularly charming bunch and we had a very jolly time outside of one or two political scuffles. However we made a pact to not get too brassy about our disagreements. Honestly this is good advice for the world. Maybe a few less wars?
Nephew Robin with his famous gin collection.
Belfast is in great shape. It’s been a while since there’s been any major catholic/protestant violence, for which I am profoundly grateful. The city loves murals and in the old days they used to favor fallen victims and rabble-rousing political leaders. These days they are more likely to be arty confections or upscale advertising hoardings. And you can’t throw a brick without hitting a mention of the Titanic (it was built in Belfast for all you Titanic newbies). Some steps in a better direction.
The murals in Belfast are getting more benevolent.
Heading back home we stayed a couple of nights in Kilkenny, famed for it’s castle and design center. The castle is magnificent. It has been renovated and re-purposed from being an hereditary estate to it’s current role of tourist attraction where it is one of the most visited spots in the country. The town specializes in charming little pubs with traditional Irish music. I love Irish music though I think we heard In The Rare Old Times at least three times in three different pubs one night.
The design center features local artisans who create knives, leather goods, pottery, as well as Irishy, touristy stuff like flat caps and woolly scarves. The most fascinating section for me was an exhibition of the Cartoon Saloon studio that created four Oscar nominated animations including the Wolfwalker. The exhibit showed prints of the original artwork used in the final movies, plus printed books that told the stories of the making of the works. Click here for more info.
Now I’m on the ferry heading back to le vieux pays. I’m looking forward to a long summer of artwork and not going anywhere. Travel is great. So is staying home and painting. Lmc
Sign on a tomb in St. Canice’s Cathedral, Kilkenny.
These stories are taken from Living & Painting in France, my monthly magazine about, you guessed it, living and painting in France. Sign up here for your free subscription.