It’s one of those ‘housekeeping days’…the laundrette beckons, and I need to pick up the car from the airport for my next adventure starting tomorrow! Had a nervous-nelly moment when I re-read booking.com’s blurb on what I needed to bring with me to get the car (another ‘neo bank cards will not be accepted’ para)….rang Europcar and was reassured that so long as I had a physical Mastercard, all would be well. Phew.

My first walk this morning was to the 1816 cast-iron Ha’penny Bridge, an iconic landmark and famous pedestrian crossing over the River Liffey. An arty farty capture of the bridge….

The Merchant’s Arch walkway is close by – a historic passage that connects the River liffey quays to the heart of the temple Bar area. The area is famous for its vibrant nightlife, cobblestone streets and traditional pubs. The Arch is one of the last remaining in Dublin, dating back to the 19thC.

Created by artist Jackie McKenna in 1988, loved this image of two women sitting on a bench chatting with shopping bags at their feet…titled ‘The Meeting Place’. Locals affectionately refer to the artwork as ‘ the hags with the bags’.

A tram ride to see another sculpture, the ‘Anna Livia’ monument (a bronze personification of the River Liffey, a character from James Joyce’s ‘Finnegans Wake’). It’s known locally as the “Floozie in the Jacuzzi’.

A bus ride to a different neighbourhood…Merrion Square Park, with Oscar Wilde’s house and memorial sculpture – the latter was commissioned in 1997 to commemorate the famous Irish poet and playwright. The sculpture uses various semi-precious stones, including green nephrite jade for his jacket and white jade for his head and hands (although in this particular photo light, Oscar looks a bit bilious…apologies).

Artists display their artworks for sale on the fence outlining the park, and I really like A.D. Hurley’s image of cottages in County Donegal, impressionistic in style with definite brushwork.

Yummy cheese selection tonight for dinner – Cork Durrus is my new fave, will have to sample more down south!