Say what you want about the diminished size of the British Armed Forces. But, here in Cardiff docks, the Senedd Cymru (Welsh Parliament) is ensuring its own security against foreign invasion in this increasingly uncertain world.
Until we speak again, a special thanks go to the Spanish Armada surplus stores for the loan of Galeon Andalucia. What, you thought the British Navy had anything more viable? 🤔🤣
Who’d have thought it back in the summer of 2013… as a cat deep in thought, pondered nothing but good intentions towards a swan on the canal beneath Chez Juno? Wind forward nearly 11 years, and the 500th post on Juno’s View has arrived.
How best to celebrate this milestone… when you just happen to find yourself in Dublin? As the previous post pondered… what are you going to do? Perhaps a quality control review of the city’s finest is in order… after all, it’s Guinness time!
First off, it’s The Stags Head… and yes, that first pint really does hit the spot while surrounded by the trappings of a well-preserved Victorian pub.
Then there is The Brazen Head… for some genuine history. It just happens to be the oldest pub in Ireland dating back to the 12th century and serves a cracking pint of the black and white stuff. What’s more, a traditional Irish band seems to be celebrating the 500 with me!
Then a call into Darkey Kelly’s just happens to combine all that’s good about visiting Dublin, including tasty Irish beef stew and great music…
Don’t be flagging, as there’s a load more celebrating to be doing. Kehoe’s might just provide that much needed pint… in between pints!?
Not forgetting The Temple Bar… so good they named the whole neighbourhood after it…
If bands are a bit full-on at this stage, try The Auld Dubliner for a Guinness with a solo guitarist/vocalist backing soundtrack…
And you lucky old soak, you, as there is only a few yards to stagger to The Oliver St John Gogarty across the cobbles. You might even have a horse-drawn carriage waiting outside for you to finally be poured into as you head off into your drunken stupor!
And when you wake up the day after the day before, there’s always a visit to the Guinness Storehouse Brewery Museum itself as a reminder of why your head’s not feeling like it did 24 hours earlier! A fabulous educative tour across several floors culminating in that hair of the dog pint in the Gravity Bar… complete with a 360-degree view of all you’ve forgotten you did before!
Until we speak again, that quality control review is published in full as follows… Wow! Here’s to the next 500… wherever they may be. Juno may be long since passed, but Juno’s View continues!
Is that even a real question? Ask any random selection of pissheads… sorry, tourists, and you can be sure that none of the most familiar reasons for visiting will be liquidated. But is there anything that can seriously interrupt the flow?
Quenching that religious thirst that draws so many of us when on holiday is well served in this capital city of a Catholic country. Here, there are two cathedrals, neither of them Catholic in persuasion! However, both are very capitalist in nature. You don’t need to wrestle your conscience when staring at the donation box… you’ve already paid a compulsory admission fee to get anywhere near the box.
Christ Church Cathedral comes with a fully accessible crypt. It’s a great place for hiding that most worshipful of gift shops…
Half a mile away sits St Patrick’s Cathedral dedicated to a Welshman who possibly decided his own homeland wasn’t wet enough! Meanwhile, the organist clearly buys into the more regular reasons for visiting Dublin…
Apparently, the General Post Office was a site of much spillage back in the early 1900s… blood in particular. Once you’ve purchased your commemorative stamp in the cathedral-like main office, splash out some more dosh next door and educate yourself about the 1916 Easter Uprising, leading to Irish independence from British rule.
Still got that need for surfing local history? On the north bank of the River Liffey, you really should set aside an emotional half day to learn more about the impact of the 1845-52 Potato Famine. The EPIC Museum details mass emigration, as the national need to install the Irish Pub into every other part of the world officially began. Further connection with the horrors of the day can be found in the statues making up the Famine Monument. Also, a must visit is the 45-minute guided tour of the Jeannie Johnson tall ship, which made 16 journeys carrying human cargo across the Atlantic.
Finally, if you’re apprehended for any misdemeanours, there is a large and empty place of interest waiting to accommodate you. Kilmainham Gaol is another highly rated tourist attraction. Closed down in 1924, it’s still a fine source of social and political history and became something of a blueprint for subsequent prison layout… including crosses to identify the places where executions by firing squad took place!
Until we speak again, Dublin Castle provides less depth of interest. But, who would’ve known it was the blueprint for tall cranes?
Life in a country facing all the Atlantic Ocean is able to throw at you means the weather is a continual topic of interest.
On a recent visit to Dublin, The Brazen Head pub, the oldest in all of Ireland, offered invaluable advice built on 8 centuries of experience…
Until we speak again, remember in Dublin all four seasons often happen… in the same day!
What comes to mind when you think of New Orleans? Maybe voodoo rituals around the Witch Queen Marie Laveau, or the above ground cemeteries (because much of the city is below sea level). For some, it’s the pissheads theme park that is half of Bourbon Street. For others, it’s the deep culture revolving around a quality combination of music, food, and more sophisticated imbibing.
My advice… always join the ‘others’! There is an enchanting and somewhat chaotic elegance that emerges out of so much of what this city represents. Above all else, this is an authentic place… as unAmerican as an American city can be. It’s almost as though the Louisiana Purchase came with a covenant… that this city is and always will be Nu Awlings, come what may!
For a start, just check out the calming backdrop of the National Museum of Jazz performance venue. Here are the enchanting Belinda Moody Trio…
The creative spark is visible wherever you wish to find it. Avant garde jazz or the raw power of a Grammy award winning brass ensemble are available on successive nights at Snug Harbor…
Even the street scene exudes an eloquent passion in its music. Take Royal Street at lunchtime, for example. Doreen and the guys would easily seduce your musical inclinations for nothing more than a drop of cash in the bucket…
The finest of dining has been explored in previous posts. However, it is also supplemented with signature favourites, such as the Palace Cafe unique Crabmeat Cheesecake. As elegant a dish as you would wish for… and the subtelty of that creole muniere sauce could defuse any international conflict.
So, what about the intoxicating element of this entrancing city? Big Ass Beers on Bourbon look more like something that should come with a geiger counter attached. If you want something more sophisticated, try the Roosevelt Hotel famous Sazerac Bar to sample the world’s first cocktail…
Or maybe Hotel Montelione is the place for you… waiting to take a seat on the Carousel Bar? Surprisingly, they do a Sazerac, as well as a Cosmopolitan.
But if you’re looking for a real blast, why not drop in on Pat O’Brien’s for a Hurricane or a Fuzzy Leprechaun. Beware, the former packs a quadruple rum (amongst other things), while the latter packs a double vodka (also, amongst other things). Elegance can sometimes come with a cerebral challenge if one is just not quite enough!
Until we speak again, remember that elegance may come with not doing that which you’ve done before!
Ineligence also comes with its own warnings…
History didn’t end when us white Europeans colonised the already populated lands we know of as America. But we do occasionally have an arrogant tendency to look on these parts as too young by comparison if they try to claim historical context.
Take the Treme district of New Orleans, for example. The widely recognised birthplace of jazz also happens to be the oldest Black neighbourhood in the USA. 212 years and counting is good going. You may not find any ruined centuries old castles here, but if you open your mind, then walking these streets inspires imagination.
As a neighbourhood, Treme likes to wear its pride prominently on its sleeve. History emerges from a wealth of creative people and culture with memories that reverberate down the generations.
Alongside a thirst for knowledge all of this walking can generate an appetite. Talking of which… Dooky Chase’s is right on hand and remains a must for Southern Fried Chicken at its best… particularly with sides of stewed okra & mustard greens.
For many visitors to NOLA, the French Quarter just may be all they see or struggle with their vision after many hours imbibing on Bourbon Street. Pre-inebriation historical appreciation can still be indulged, for example, a stroll by what claims to be the oldest bar in the US (Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar). But, look forward and look up in order to appreciate that mix of classic French/Spanish architectural styles.
And when that stomach rumbles to a beckoning tune, you’re spoiled for choice with fabulous restaurants populating the area. On this auspicious occasion, Antoine’s Restaurant on St Louis Street provides a perfect blend of historical setting and fine dining.
It’s a shame that eating the full menu wasn’t physically an option, so I had to be satisfied with a cup of Seafood Gumbo, Grilled Pompano Fish, and their signature Pecan Bread Pudding. An armtwisting got me to accept a French Medoc off the burgundy list. But don’t let the erstwhile ‘enforcer’ know I said it was a great choice.
And so to the Garden District, with all its horticultural finery on display. There is no shortage of historic opulence here. Just let your imagination cast its own spells as you wonder who lived in these great residences over the years. A few have their historic occupants named on metal plaques to indulge your curiosity.
And, any district affording the donation of the following building as a public library isn’t doing too bad for itself.
Still feeling peckish after a mesmerising meander around ‘the Garden‘? Why not make a reservation (months in advance) for the iconic Commanders Palace.
Once again, the food was otherworldly… just don’t ask about our experience of the service as it failed to match the incredibly high expectations we brought to the table. The Turtles were sure doing what they did best… with the help of an ostentatious splash au Sherry at the table! The Chargrilled Jerk Spiced Duroc Pork Chop was simply steak-like in its presence and undoubtedly the best chop I’ve ever tasted… with special thanks to the provider, I hope they enjoyed the life dedicated to this moment.
And, yes, he who doesn’t often do deserts was diving into another Creole Bread Pudding Souffle affair… this time with warm whiskey cream.
Until we speak again, dive into your history with a passion equal to your culinary fascinations. But beware of unexpected pyrotechnics… when they ask if you like your food ‘hot’, this wasn’t what I had in mind.
Yrs, you read that right… as my skydiving days are definitely a few decades ago! Funchal is all about looking up. Surrounded by mountains, with steep hills very much in evidence throughout the city itself, elevation is key to the whole experience.
For the fabulous tropical gardens of Monte or the botanical gardens of Jardim, there is only one way to travel…
And the payoff is every bit as high as the altitude…
The amount of climbing can be hungry and thirsty work. So, step forward the Galaxia Skybar and restaurant in the Savoy Palace Hotel to maintain that elevated theme…
A la Carte fine dining comes with an elevated price tag… but limpets with seaweed, baby lamb with truffles and yam, and all sorts of local produce done with unique twists create the unique experience; and tuna and egg never tasted quite like this at Chez Juno in Cardiff!
Desert just needed to be an extra glass of a particularly fine Portuguese red wine from the vineyards of the Douro region. But caution is needed when taking in all you survey after a particularly fine meal with delicious wine…
Until we speak again, it’s back to the chill and gloom of late winter, tinged with the memories of a taste of summer in February (yes, I know it’s always summer in February in Australia!)…
In these days of dreadful corporate scandal, it’s good to have a positive post office story! [For any readers outside of the UK just Google ‘UK Post Office Scandal & Fujitsu‘, grab your popcorn, and settle in for a real life horror story!].
Meanwhile, back in the land of minor horror stories (i.e. Cardiff), a place where a good few fabulous old Victorian buildings are left to rot presumably until they fall down of their own accord… Listed Building or not! The former Head Post Office was completed in 1897 built in The Dutch Revival style. It ceased its function as a post office in 1983, briefly became a British Telecom hub for bureaucrats before those with great power and little imagination decided it should be left empty for 20+ years.
Now, as the Parkgate Hotel, a great building breathes new life; and another presumably ideal location for a bland office or multi-storey car park has thwarted the ideals of the town planners. [As a former town planner I say three cheers to that!].
Stepping off a damp Westgate Street into the reception area you’re greeted with a large and brightly lit welcome, at the centre of which is a modern chandelier. Well, I guess even the riches they robbed off poor innocent postmasters and postmistresses probably couldn’t stretch to restoring the original!
The restaurant off to the right side of the reception area is aptly named The Sorting Room in keeping with a previous use. Where’s the imagination? those downtrodden town planners yell at me! There’s always room for a nostalgic reflection of past uses, my dears; not everything has to be in pursuit of destroying historical reference!
But, as those innocent victims of corporate greed and institutional incompetence contemplate their years in bland cells, behind bars, pleading their innocence, what can us luckier mortals expect? Well, the spacious wood panelled room provides an excellent setting for sipping a nice Rioja while perusing the interesting menu. Not bread and water rationing for us, oh no!
Smoked Mediterranean Octopus and Penderyn Single Malt Welsh Whiskey Cured Salmon for starters. Former upstanding post office people might well be thinking what they can spend their viciously hard earned compensation on (if they lived to see it, that is). Well, a little bit of squid ink sponge, chorizo, tempura samphire, roasted garlic and herb oil will help the octopus to dance delicately across the taste buds. As for the salmon… Brecon vodka creme fraiche, deep fried avocado, pickled cucumber and a fresh mini loaf are set to tempt those beauties of the deep to swim back upstream into the catchments of emporia of fine dining.
Yes, my reader… if you’re of the pile it high and shovel it down (i.e. all-you-can-eat buffet) bent, look-away now. This is one of those strange places where large areas of porcelain (slate/wood/whatever the current fashion) are on show. This is where incredible flavours blend to satisfy exquisite tastes, leaving you more than fulfilled by the experience.
Good service can be identified by the time they allow between courses… though clearly not the length of time the post office/governments of the day/Fujitsu had in mind when torturing innocent workers who had dedicated their lives to serving their local communities.
So for the main event… I’m not sure what noises octopus and salmon make, but it was definitely time for an Oink & Quack show. Slow Cooked Pork Belly & Crackling and a Pan Roasted Garlic & Thyme British Chicken Breast would just have to offer up their sacrifices for this particular table… with a shared side of Thyme & Honey Roasted Root Vegetables… For the record, the belly pork arrived with toffee apple, smoked carrot puree, chorizo jam, sticky red cabbage, Pommes Anna, and Welsh cider sauce, and it was definitely slow cooked… but not as slow as the aforementioned post office employees would recognise as the definition of the word ‘slow’. The chicken had to make do with being brined in Welsh beer, with Tatws Pum Munud, confit onions, leek and bacon lardons, crispy chicken crackling, Welsh rarebit, confit chicken croquette, and Glamorgan ale jus.
Now, if you were left to rot in a jail cell for something you were entirely innocent of, just so those higher ups in society don’t lose a little face (or a few quid for their daily fine dining excursions), you might well be wondering how do they get all of this stuff onto the plate? Well, somehow they do, and even find room for the pan of gravy to reside by the awaiting nosh. Amazing!
Until we speak again, who needs the pan pipes to serenade away such a great dining experience when you can improvise your own instrument? Just don’t forget your humanity, and save the water and the mini loaf of bread for the poor unfortunates who had their whole lives stolen from them by a bunch of lying, cheating, disgraceful and despicable rich and entitled b*$t@*%s.
It’s not exactly the welcome you expect when splashing the cash on some quality nosh. But, if you happen to be splashing something else, you may just be rubbing shoulders with this guy…
The Guardian of the Gent’s surely isn’t meant to provide the highlight of a visit to Ivy Asia. After all, he is resting beyond the prying eyes of many visiting punters.
It may be borrowing on a famous name from London restaurant culture. It could even be a barely disguised financial trading up on the aforementioned cultural icon. But, the Ivy Asia is still a relatively recent addition to the Cardiff dining scene, adding some distant exotic colour to the supposedly bland indigenous cuisine.
And oh, what colour it adds…
Whilst disposable chop sticks greet you at the table, sunglasses may be a useful implement for aiding the dining experience. Talking of which… what is the dining experience? Essentially, Asia sums it up… a fusion of cuisines from across a sub-continent.
As a group of diners, we were trading up from our previous meetings over fry-ups in South Wales Valleys caff culture! Here, the challenge is to make some sense of a menu written in English, but not necessarily the language we were more familiar with. Blindly sticking a pin in the menu to make a choice would probably be just as rewarding as trying to decifer the range of what was being offered.
Ultimately, we each went to seek guidance from the aforementioned Guardian… and then stuck a pin in the menu. For the record, we side-stepped the more exotic options to settle on vaguely familiar choices of Szechuan Chicken, Duck Spring Rolls, Beef & Lamb Skewers, and Steamed Rice. And all were deliciously presented and in taste.
As it was a celebration brunch, my own phobia for desserts needed to be overcome. Passionfruit donuts, and Lychee, Mango & Chocolate were instantly snapped up by the others. For me, something called The Green Lantern sounded in keeping with the ambience of the place. If I told you what was in it, I’d be causing a stampede to the place…
Until we speak again, beware of strange men in unexpected places! At least remember the tried and trusted British welcome… who are you looking at!
What is it about churches, well cathedrals really, that draws me like a magnet? Quite simple, really, they just knew how to build something spectacular back in the day. Take Stephansdom in Vienna, for example…
I’m sure there is something important about the religious trappings and paraphernalia, at least for some people. I personally just don’t subscribe. A bit like Facebook, really, it’s populated with people and events that simply don’t attract my attention.
As for Peterskirche, a short walk from the cathedral, it provides a fabulous backdrop for a Vienna Classical Ensemble concert. The idea that I might sing a hymn and listen to a sermon would never present a cause for temptation.
Moving onto Prague, the imposing St Vitus Cathedral is yet another built in an imposing top of a hill position (c.f. Lincoln Cathedral in the UK). Located alongside Prague Castle, this one requires you to climb several flights of stone steps to arrive at the front door…
… but beware, if you want the fabulous views of the city there is a further few hundred spiral steps up the south tower (they hadn’t heard of lifts back in the day, and for authenticity, and lack of suitable space, they still haven’t!).
However, Prague did entice me with a religious experience (each of the three nights)… the AghaRTA jazz club had all the architectural trappings of a subversive underground religion…
Until we speak again, enjoy your religion, enjoy good architecture, and when the two combine… feel free to worship!
JUNO's VIEW 