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’sView 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 TheStagsHead… and yes, that first pint really does hit the spot while surrounded by the trappings of a well-preserved Victorianpub.
Then there is TheBrazenHead… 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 traditionalIrishband 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 TheTempleBar… so good they named the whole neighbourhood after it…
If bands are a bit full-on at this stage, try TheAuld 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 TheOliver St JohnGogarty 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’sView 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 GeneralPostOffice 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 Irishindependence from Britishrule.
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 1845-52Potato Famine. The EPIC Museum details mass emigration, as the national need to install the IrishPub 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 FamineMonument. 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?
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 GalaxiaSkybar and restaurant in the Savoy Palace Hotel to maintain that elevated theme…
A la Carte fine dining comes with an elevated price tag… but limpetswithseaweed, babylambwithtrufflesandyam, and all sorts of local produce done with unique twists create the unique experience; and tunaandegg 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!)…
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 ViennaClassicalEnsemble 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!
Forget the commercial angle where purveyors of tat try to get you to part with your cash for stuff you don’t need. After all, they need money at Christmas as well… just not yours if you’re savvy enough. These events are more of a celebration… a time to eat, drink, be merry, and yes, part with your cash for a noble cause… your own enjoyment and that of those who happen to be special to you!
As an idea, Christmasmarkets go back a long way… traditionally established in German speaking European nations, and much later adopted by many other countries around the world. After all, if it’s a good idea, why not nick it (there’s a Santa pun in there for some of you).
So, where did it all start… why, Vienna, of course. The oldest and largest dates back to the 13th century. Today, it boasts up to 20 separate Christmasmarkets around the city! The largest is at Rathaus Park in front of the old town hall…
Meanwhile, another forms a ring around the Stephansdom Cathedral… well, you need to have some tenous link between your visceral pleasures and the religious connotations of the time of year…
Dresden and Frankfurt may want to make various claims of age and size… go ahead, but Vienna takes the prize with this correspondent (and independent historians, apparently).
As for non Germanic countries, take your pick, as many understandably have adopted a good idea for celebrating, just because people like doing it. For me, it was Prague that would provide a second stop on a whistle-stop tour of European capitals leading up to Christmas.
Here, there are two focal points for slurping the Gluwein. The first is in the old town hall square (there’s a theme emerging here of markets and old seats of local government)… who knows why or even cares after a few Santa boots of the hot stuff!
Then there is the ribbon-like affair stretching up Wensaclas Square (town halls being replaced by the national museum in this case)…
Until we speak again, raise a cup to the festive time of year. MerryChristmas to my loyal reader, wherever you are!
From wherever you’re arriving, air, rail, tram, and bus services will deliver you very efficiently to the centre of this UNESCOWorld Heritage Site. But, once you get there, only one form of transport will do, and that’s… walking! It’s the only way to take in what this well-preserved city offers the discerning traveller.
Riga is definitely a feast for the senses, but don’t feel too concerned for the man with the world’s most enormous haemorrhoids… he’s still providing every passer-by nothing less than a jolly welcome…
Feeling lost? If at any time you’re feeling like you’re away with the birds… well, Riga has a neatly organised solution. Check out the colourful tree in one of the central parks, as here you’ll find one of the biggest collections of bird boxes……..
Then, when you’re lost for somewhere to park your spare zeppelins, check out the amazing Riga CentralMarket. Yes, back in the day, the 5 pavilions that now provide a home to Europe’s largest indoor market once provided the ideal hangars for WW1 military airships.
Meanwhile, strolling by the Dome Cathedral, if you suddenly feel peckish, they have a unique menu presentation (aka TheTown Musicians of Bremen)… a strange sculpture based on a Brothers Grimm tale… apparently, rubbing the animals’ noses brings good luck!
Walking the city can be thirsty work, but no fear, if you need a reminder of essential Latvian culture, they will be happy to offer you a hint…
A Houseof Blackheads doesn’t sound like a healthy attraction. But this historic site dates back to the 14th century. However, what you see is the 1990s replica, the original having succumbed to some Nazi/Soviet target practice and demolition games through the 1940s. With several uses across time, it is now mainly a museum, but the basement is apparently an original part of underground Riga (see also a previous post on dining in MedievalRiga).
Then again, if you’re into collecting stuff, they’ve already got you covered… well, they’ve got a wall covered, at least. Regional badges from across the country. And to add to any local rivalry, the neighbouring PowderTower provides an explosive mix… a place that the Swedish occupants of bygone years literally blew up through a combination of design & storage ineptitude…
For historic architecture, Riga spans numerous centuries… just ask TheThreeBrothers… well, only if talking to buildings is your thing…….
However, if ArtNouveau architecture is your thing, Riga has a delightful district of the stuff…
But, not everywhere is as stunning. No photographs provided, but one of the most boring buildings just happens to house the highly fascinating Museum of theOccupationofLatvia. If you’re of a Russian or Nazi persuasion, lookaway now… for this is a detailed exploration of Latvian courage and determination in the face of occupation and oppression across the majority of the 20th century. It’s an emotional story of human resistance against invaders attempting to completely obliterate Latvian culture and identity.
Riga offers an interesting take on this beautyintension, being the home to the FreedomMonument…
While in close proximity, there is the Russian Orthodox Church… photograph it from the outside, because inside is a clear message to look but don’t snap! Ever wondered where your lost gold ended up?
Then again, sometimes it just pays to walk. Turn any corner, tilt your head back, and look up… Riga provides more than its fair share of well-preserved historic beauty…
Until we speak again, Riga also reminds you to spare a thought for the precarious nature of being a cat!
On a recent trip to Riga, I have to admit the write-ups about Latvian cuisine may have been on the up… but still not gripping my taste buds and demanding my undivided attention. Though the local darkbreads are dense but tasty enough to definitely be leaders in their particular league.
So, my very own personal guide to the city stepped in with a vote for Georgia. The name Alaverdi might be giving off an Italian vibe to the casual observer, but look a little closer and give yourself up to that ‘TasteofGeorgia‘ hint at what could be. We’re early, so plenty of choice of tables…
In my limited experience, Georgian red wines are hidden gems overshadowed by the European heavyweights bordering the Mediterranean. A glance at the wine menu here (see in the previous ‘Taste of Georgia’ link) lets you know you’re encountering a country with a serious approach to its falling over water!
So, where to start when it comes to the food? Khinkhali is the Georgian way of doing dumplings; and when they come filled with veal and lamb who could possibly refuse? The visual and textural presentation may be something you wipe your hands on after a particularly messy encounter with a seafood dish, but don’t be put off by first impressions. However, the Dolma with Duck with rice, greens and spices, supplemented by pomegranate seeds in a light spicy sauce… this was a dish that does wonderfully messy things with your mind, not with your hands! Suffice to say, when Donald met Dolma (that’s Donald Duck, not the orange fart in America version) the world became an altogether better place.
A main event to savour would be a difficult challenge for any chef after that dolma sensation of a starter. But, the idea of Beef Tenderloin Medallions with potato gratin and demi-glace sauce; well, that certainly provided the pomegranate bridge from the first course to the main, with a further wow factor baked in. The Pork Neck Shashlik on lavash with vegetable caviar, red onion and satsebeli sauce gave the whole event further depth and breadth befitting a new country’s cuisine to add to my taste bud travels.
This had already developed into a meal you don’t want to see ending. My trusty guide was in the mood for dessert… a cheesecake with a difference of stewed in red wine cherries, spices and caramelised pistachio with a few raspberries on the side as a nod to healthier times.
Me, I’m not habitually inclined towards the dessert section of any menu, so it was time to add a Riga essential to my local experience… a glass of Riga Black Balsam… not for the faint-hearted. No, that isn’t an extra glass of wine as dessert this time… It’s the national drink of Latvia, more of a 45% proof affair, purely imbibed for medicinal purposes, of course… a herbaceous floral thing, with a liquorice, lime, ginger, mix and no doubt a hefty kick. Like Coca Cola very few people know its exact recipe. Unlike Coca Cola it’s best used for an after meal digestif, rather than a toilet bowl cleaner!
Until we speak again, Georgia is definitely still on my mind. With this taste of some of what the country has to offer, it might well be under my feet sometime soon!
A restaurant 822 years in the making just has to be a special event. Step up Rozengrals (The Rose Grail), in a building circa 1201, but can it produce a meal fit for a very discerning Russianprincess?
Authenticity counts for something when claiming such heritage. So, traditional dress helps to put the welcome into context.
The wine list is fortunately quite spare and unappealing. This is just as well because this setting seems to call out for a honeybeer… even for a princess, it seems! By the way, the cloth comes as a vessel for presenting mini bread roles… as is the custom in times gone by, no doubt. Fortunately, the eating irons are already present in a pot, or else I was going to start flexing my fingers.
The menu is rather simply stated… more focused on describing historical stories than culinary information. As if we’re not concerned with what we’re eating as long as it was enjoyed by some noble gent a few hundred years ago! However, it’s suitably presented in a format that implies you’re partaking of a little bit of history.
Salad starters don’t ring true in my recollection of medieval banquets, but I don’t fancy leaving here having to be winched back up the stairs. The honeybakedbeetandgoatcheesesalad was a delicate balance of tart and sweet flavours that tempted more quaffing of the beer. The poultryliverwithbaconandalmondsalad hinted more of times gone by… further back than yesterday, that is…
It’s quite possible that the cost of food here includes a candle tax, as there is no discernable electricity generated light. This creates a great atmosphere, and fear not, it’s not so you can’t see what you’re eating so well! Our choice of main dishes spread our interests across surf and turf. Ovenbakedseabass and a rabbitstewwithprunes and cedarnuts.
I can certainly vouch for the bunny having lived a satisfied and fulfilling life by the greater quantity of meat falling off bone than my previous pursuit of these animals/pets/cartoon favourites. As for the fish, it was ably dissected and devoured by my partner in these historic crime recreations we happened to be enjoying.
Until we speak again, a candlelit washroom visit brought back other historic nightmares… particularly of power blackouts as a kid in the 1970s.
JUNO's VIEW 