We finished our tour where we started, in Dublin, after circumnavigating the Republic of Ireland. Our hotel for the last two nights was Stauntons on the Green, well located across from St. Stephen’s Green, a lovely public park. Again, remembering this is also a food lover’s tour, we dined at Pearl Brasserie, a French restaurant, staffed by French speakers. I felt as if I were back in France. Wonderful food and service. Best dessert of the trip. Tour organizer Kathy Brassill ordered sorbet. Look at the imaginative presentation. I broke my longstanding vow to never post food photos on Facebook. I could not resist.
Kathy’s Sorbet
On our last full day, we were supposed to have time to see the Book of Kells at Trinity College. But the line was so long I wasn’t interested. Turned out no one else was either. I headed to the National Gallery of Ireland excited to see there was a special Vermeer exhibit. However, all tickets were sold out not just that day but for the next nine. Happily there was also an exhibit of prints by Kathe Kollwitz. I did a paper on her for an art class I took in college. She was married to a doctor and the pair did a lot of work for the poor and disenfranchised. Kollwitz voiced her opposition to Hitler and paid for it by losing her university position and was unable to exhibit her work. Hitler called her work and any he didn’t like–decadent. She died in 1945 at the end of World War II. I admire her sculpture and wood cut prints. They are austere, haunting, and spare. I’m impressed by how she pulls these feelings from the viewer through line and shape with little clutter or color. We were not allowed to take photos. The poster below shows part of one of the prints on display.
Poster advertising Kathe Kollwitz prints exhibit
I took a break and sat down to admire this sculpture. Look at the soaring lines and shape they form.
Artist unknown
We had our last “gourmet” meal at an Italian restaurant that night. I wish I could recall the name. On my walk there I spotted the Celtic Whiskey Shop. The place was hopping. My partner Mike likes good sipping whiskey. I had promised I would buy him a bottle and planned to buy it at the Duty Free at the airport. But the shop had hard to find whiskeys not available at the airport. He has been very happy with his souvenir of my trip.
And that’s the end of my stories. Next–Seoul, Korea!
