After a day of being cooped up inside, I’m excited to explore the neighborhood with a Friday walk. Heading down to the canal, I pass by the church of Mary Immaculate and turn right to follow the road opposite the water.
Breathing in the cool air and admiring the colorful trees, I scope out the area for a coffee. The sky is brightly opaque and the buildings are a little more worn in this part of the neighborhood. I like the aged feel and find myself wondering about a particular pink building with a circular logo painted on front wall.
The thought lingers as I continue down the road– watching the locals with their prams and walk pups. Out of worry I’ll become lost if I make too many turns, I decide to swing back around and see what that pink cafe is all about. Intrigued by the purple turf on the patio, I step inside.
Immense warmth immediately overwhelms me and fogs up my glasses. I laugh as I take them off and approach the counter. A friendly young man banters with me about the glasses dilemma and I order a latte. The café is quaint and dimly lit. It’s definitely cozy and the wooden tables sprawled about are more than inviting. A group of friends carrying on at one of the tables makes me smile. The heat is too much though; I decide to sit outside. The patio area is encased with stacks of rocks and vines of greenery. There’s three large grey-painted coffee tables to sit around. A group of young college-age students are discussing gaming at one of them so I take the table closest to the entryway.
I stir some sugar in my latte and enjoy the cold air as I people-watch those on the sidewalk and listen in on the laughter at the table beside me. Being alone amidst the world is such a peaceful experience. And the bright sky and crisp weather only adds to the positive feelings.
After coffee, I head back towards the house. The “Welcome to Ranelagh” sign on the way catches my eye so I snap a picture of it for nostalgia purposes. Still delighted by all the brick housing, I slow my pace to stop and gaze– hoping most people are at work and don’t see me staring at their homes.
When I’m almost back to the main shopping center, I notice a sign for a small park off to the left side of the street. The road leads through a brick arch into a different section of the neighborhood.
All around are small apartments and in the center sits a playground. The path narrows and encircles a small pond just past the play equipment. I stop to read a sign about the ducks and swans before becoming surrounded by pigeons.
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Past the pond sits a statue of Richard Crosbie (the first Irishman to make a manned hydrogen air balloon flight and went from Ranelagh to Clontarf). And up on a little hill is a cross representing the Carmelite Nun monastery that was once where the park is.
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The other entrance to the park leads out to more brick homes decorated for Halloween. I walk through the narrow streets and eventually turn up back in the shopping area by The Natural Bakery.
Having passed by it a few times over the past few days, I decide to pop in and buy some macarons. They’re having a ten for €10 deal I can’t pass up. I get some pistachio, raspberry, and chocolate ones and head to another park where I munch and watch dogs run around before heading back to the house to see Claire.
For dinner, Claire insists I must try Lebanese food. After a worthwhile journey maneuvering through the rainy city, Claire and I step into the Cedar Tree to meet up with Joe. The restaurant has a warm glow about it and we’re instantly greeted by a friendly waiter who seats us and gets us drinks. The chairs have tall wooden backs and the walls are decorated with mosaic art. We’re seated closer to the front but I take a walk to the back to find the bathroom; come to find it’s at the top of a massive wooden flight of stairs. Such an interesting building!
Claire orders a vegetarian mezze and I order a spiced chicken dish. Trying bits of this and that, we don’t wait for Joe to get there to dive in but Claire sets some aside. When he arrives he finishes off the rest of the food. When our tummies are full and happy we head out into the chilly night amidst a discussion with Joe about starting a fire upon returning home.
-CRCH
In Light of Colleen 