We're all Mexican on Cinco de Mayo!

Feliz Cinco de Mayo!!!

Wow! Can you believe it's May already? I can't. We're nearly half way into the 'new year'. But what a great way to spend it today.

What is Cinco de Mayo?

Many would say it's the day of Mexican independence, but that's untrue. The official date of Mexican Independence Day is actually 16 September and known as Grito de Dolores, the Cry of Dolores?

Why Dolores?

On 16 Sept 1810, it was in the Mexican town of Dolores that the battle cry for Mexican independence was shouted. The ensuing battle marks Mexico's break from Spain and the beginning of Mexican independence as it's own nation.

The Battle of Puebla, May 5, 1862

This goes back to what, exactly, is Cinco de Mayo? Why is 5 May so important?

Today marks another battle in Mexican history. This battle was between Mexico and France! 5 May is observed to commemorate the Mexican Army's unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862...nearly 50 years *after* Mexican independence. The French troops were in greater number, better quipped, and better trained, than the Mexican forces. Yet, it was Mexico who prevailed in this battle.

Why is Cinco de Mayo more widely celebrated than Grito de Dolores?

Well, you can thank the American drinks industry for this. Seriously. While Mexicans in Dolores do host an annual feast to commemorate winning the Battle of Puebla, the event is much larger in the US. Immigrant Mexican's are often surprised how big the feast day is in the US compared to their home country...because of the American drinks industry, who took the Mexican holiday to start promoting Mexican alcohol on this day, such as Corona, Dos XX, Modelo, Sol, Tecate, and other beers, as well as tequila.

Once the drinks companies started promoting alcohol on this Mexican holiday, the holiday grew exponentially to the massive event we have today...a day when everyone is Mexican! It's grown to the proportion of the Irish St Patrick's Day...again, thanks to the American drinks industry.

How do we celebrate?

Putting up traditional decorations, preparing many Mexican and Mexican style dishes, and playing games. And of course, Mariachi's and dancing!

One of the most popular games is the piñata (pronounced pin-ya-ta), which is a cardboard figure covered in crepe paper and filled with sweets. The most popular design is of the donkey or burro, but today you can even get them in the shape of popular, and not so popular, political figures ;-)

How does one play?

This is a fun children's game where each child gets three whacks before handing the stick over to the next child. Players are blindfolded, given a stick, spun around to disorient them, then they try whacking the piñata with a stick until the treats fall out. The one who breaks open the piñata wins.

What kind of decorations?

All kinds of bunting, streamers, lanterns, etc. Decorating tables with little piñatas, tables covered with the traditional Mexican blankets and sombreros, little potted flowering cactus, etc. Really, anything colorful and bright. Some even fly a Mexican flag.



What are Mariachi's?

The origin of the word mariachi stems from many translations, but essentially, this is a type of regional music that has come to symbolize all of Mexican traditional Music. The band can have anywhere from five to fifteen members, several playing violins and guitars, horns, and the guitarrón, which is a bass guitar...seen here above in the center of the picture.

Mariachis are expected to know hundreds of songs, as one of the primary functions at events is taking requests.

Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán is recognized as the oldest and most famous mariachi ensemble, founded by Gaspar Vargas in the late 1890s.



And Mexican dancing?

Mexican Folk Dancing is performed by well-trained dancers wearing colorful dresses with huge skirts that are spun and swirled through many dances. Mexico’s modern folk dance tradition is a blending of elements from its Indigenous, African and European heritage. But was recognize today is known as Jarabe dancing which has its roots in Jalisco, and became a political tool to evoke feelings of patriotism and “liberty.” And today symbolizes freedom and joy during many Mexican events. These folk dances also include fandangos, huapangos, jotas, boleros, zambras and zapateados, and are performed by men as well.



And what about the food?

I know you've been waiting for this section :-)

Mexican foods are as diverse and exciting as the Mexican culture and heritage. With such a large country, every region has it's own influences, ingredients, spices, and versions of so many traditional dishes we know and love...enchiladas, tacos, burritos, flautas, menudo, frijoles, quesadillas, mole pablano, tamales, tostadas, and so much more. {drool}

For a full list of traditional Mexican dishes, check out this list on Wikipedia.



One of my favorite ways to start my Cinco de Mayo day is with Huevos Rancheros, which literally translated to ranchers eggs...aka Mexicanos. The basic dish is composed of fried eggs served on lightly fried/softened corn tortillas which are topped with a type tomato-chili sauce, or enchilada sauce or salsa. Common additions include frijoles, Mexican rice, and either slices of avocado or guacamole.

When I was growing up, we feasted on what we just knew as egg and tortilla. The corn tortillas was dipped in hot oil for just a moment on both sides to soften, then patted dry and a fried egg was put on top. It depended on taste whether the eater wanted their eggs sunny side up, mashed yolk, or scrambled egg, but traditionally, this dish is served sunny side up. The egg was then rolled into the tortilla and gobbled down. Having these as an adult reminds me of my childhood, and kind of helps alleviate some homesickness now that I live so far away.

For the bigger Cinco de Mayo meal, I normally serve either tacos, enchiladas, tamale pie, or even a Mexican lasagna. Tonight, it's looking like tacos, or nachos. But those huevo rancheros are looking mighty good too!

Recently, another California expat, Lisa, joined me for a great Mexican meal in our home.

What was on our menu?

Here are a few easy recipes you can try at home:

Vegetarian Enchiladas

Please note: Easy means using some premade ingredients. If you want to be a traditional Mexican mama, you can make your own individual ingredients before assembling ;-) :

Ingredients

Filling:

1 tin of black beans
1 tin of spicy frijoles
Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (optional mozzarella if you can't get Jack)
Mexican rice
Black olives, pitted, sliced
Green onions, aka scallions or salad onions, sliced

Also:

Note: I use Blanco Niño authentic Mexican style corn tortillas here in Ireland. They're based in Clonmel, Co Tipperary and deliver to your door, fresh frozen! These tortillas are made with lime treated fresh corn masa, a little salt and water...no flour or other ingredients. Look for this type of tortilla wherever you are for the most authentic taste. If they have flour in them, send them back!

6-8 authentic corn tortillas
Monterey Jack, or mozzarella
Black Olives, pitted and sliced
Green onions
Enchilada sauce

Method

Preheat the oven to around 375F/190C

Start by putting a thin layer of sauce in the bottom of a rectangle baking dish to prevent the enchiladas from sticking during cooking.

Then, fill each tortilla by hand. For me, the easiest way is by cupping the tortilla in the palm of one hand, and using a spoon to add ingredients to the tortilla. Add the beans, rice, olives, onions, and cheese to the tortilla, then gently roll it together. Place in the baking dish, seam side down.

Fill all of your tortillas until the dish is full (you can usually squeeze in one more if you think it's full but don't sardine them.

Pour over the enchiladas your sauce of choice. Be generous. You want the tortillas to really soften when you bake them. Cover the tortillas well, and be sure you get some down the edges of the dish to prevent sticking.

Top with a generous amount of cheese, then add the olives and onions before covering with foil and putting into the oven.

Bake for about half an hour then remove the foil and cook until the cheese is browning and the sauce is bubbling.

Let the enchiladas rest on the sideboard for a short time (or open the oven door and turn off the heat, to let the cheese set up a little. Then serve with the following side dishes which you can prepare while the enchiladas are cooking.

Note: Start by putting the rice onto cook first, about the time you remove the foil from the enchladas. You can then prepare the salsa while it's cooking, which you will use in the Mexican rice and the guacamole.


Mexican Rice

Ingredients

1 cup of rice - long grain or basmati
2 cups of water
Salsa Fresca
Tomato sauce

Method

Bring two cups of water to the boil, then add your rice. Bring back to the boil, then cover and turn off the heat. Leave it on the burner while you prepare the guacamole, recipe below.

Just before the rice is done, use a fork to loosen the rice in the pot. Then spoon in some salsa until you have the desired rice to salsa ratio. Add a little at a time but start with about 1/2 cup. Then spoon in a little tomato sauce and let it soak into the rice. Turn on the heat to low, cover the pot and continue cooking until the rice is tender.


Salsa Fresca

My friend Lisa brought this to our meal, as she did the Mexican rice. Her recipe is an old family recipe which she's not sharing ;-) But I have a great recipe of my own.

Ingredients

2 medium ripe tomatoes, deseeded, skinned and chopped
1 small red onion, finely diced
1 medium garlic clove, finely diced
1/2 small jalapeno pepper, deseeded and finely diced (can use Ortega roasted chilies if you can get them, about 1 tbsp or to taste)
cilantro, a small bunch, finely chop the leafy parts, discard the stems
splash lime juice
salt and pepper to taste

Method

Put all of the ingredients into a bowl and mix with a spoon. Easy!

Note: Double this recipe if you will be using it to make your rice and guacamole.


Chunky (or smooth) Guacamole

An important note on avocados: Do not use salad avocados, aka Fuerte avocados, as they're too watery. Look for a thick, dark green, pebbly skins which will tell you the fruit is suitable for mashing.

Hass avocados are usually best for guacamole...Hass and the larger Lamb Hass.

Ingredients

2 large Hass Avocados, skinned, pitted, and roughly chopped
Salsa Fresca
Pinch of sea salt (optional)

Method

Lightly fork mash the avocados. When you have the texture you want, chunky or smooth, spoon in the salsa to your desired taste. Also add salt to taste, if you think it's needed.

How easy is that?!




To Serve

Be sure everything is hot, of course, but put out bowls for each of the side dishes...Mexican rice, frijoles, guacamole, salsa, and even some sour cream or creme fresh.

And don't forget the chips!!

A Different Kettle of Fish Altogether

It wasn't too bad. Actually, it was pretty OK.

My birthday was Saturday the 10th. And for a couple weeks before, my DH (dear husband) Peter kept asking me what I wanted. I kept saying, "A cake and Taco Taco." You'll understand the latter in a minute. To be honest, I didn't expect a cake. I just like winding him up! But he rose to the challenge and brought home a cake Friday evening. Not only did he get a cake, he got a chocolate one! Well, of course we couldn't let it sit until the next day, so on went the candles, out came the extinguisher, and soon there were slices on the plate. And to be fair, that cake was full of cocoa goodness all the way through.

The next day we got up relatively early and took the LUAS light rail into Dublin City for a few hours. The journey is about half an hour, part of which is spent along a section of the Grand Canal, which is really lovely. The Grand Canal and the Royal Canal were built in the mid 18th century as a way to connect Dublin to the west and transport goods.

We disembarked the train on the Jervis Street stop and spent the day between O'Connell Street and Smithfield, which is an area just north of the River Liffey, most of which is locals territory, ie: very few tourists. Our first port of call, Taco Taco!

In all the years I've lived in Ireland and the time I've lived around Dublin, I'd never heard of the Epicurean Food Hall. It was mentioned in discussion on Ravelry when some American expats living here groused about things we missed from America. The main thing was masa harina--lime treated corn meal, effectively, which is used to make corn tortillas, chili rellenos, and other delicious Mexican dishes. One gal said, "Oh, you can get masa in Taco Taco in the food hall." My eyes snapped open. "Say what?" I got the low down on the food hall and put that on my list of first places to visit when we were in the city next. And my birthday was the day!

The food hall appears to be a covered courtyard of sorts, the roof of which is glass. Around the perimeter are ethnic food counters...Greek, Italian (pizza and pasta, and one for coffee and desserts), Pan Asian, German, Turkish (kababs), Irish (Burdock's Fish and Chips), as well as a NY bagel bar, a sandwhich counter, cupcake counter and Mexican. The center of the hall is all seating under the glass roof. As I understand it, Tuesday and Thursday evenings, there's live Irish music and dancing.

So, we come to Taco Taco. This food counter sells all kinds of traditional Mexican yummies...borritos, enchiladas, quesadillas, nachos, and yes, tacos. And the prices are really affordable, especially compared to a sit down restaurant. My order of beef tacos was just €4.25. The guacamole was something like 50 cent extra, but well worth the cost. The avocado was fresh, as were the tomatoes, onions and spices in it. The salsa was just as fresh. Peter got a burrito the size of a rocket ship! It was full of beans, rice and roasted chicken. We washed our lunches down with Dr Pepper and contemplated our next plan of action.

Taco Taco also sells a few items for customers to take home, including salsa, mole sauce, tins of tomatillos, frejoles (refried beans...negro and traditional), green sauce, etc. and sacks of Maseca masa harina. They also sell premade corn tortillas in two styles. Didn't know there were two styles! One is a traditional thin yellow tortilla I'm familiar with from home. They're usually fried for tacos and tostadas, or rolled for flautas, or cut for chips. The others were smaller, thicker, and creamy colored. The woman at Taco Taco told me the bigger ones are used for tacos dorados, basically, traditional tacos. The others are for steaming. I made notes of what I wanted so I could return on the way home and buy a few things. Didn't need to carry around a 5 pound sack of corn flour!

Edited to add that the Epicurean Food Hall closed March 2016 :-(

From the food hall, we ventured a block down to the River Liffey. Typical of Ireland, the street name changes at just about every junction. When we reached the river, the road to the left (east) is Bachelor's Walk, and to the right (west) is Lower Ormond Street, named for the Earls of Ormond from the 13th century...incidentally, the title passed to Thomas Boleyn, father of Anne Boleyn, and who was given land in the lower midlands. Part of Anne's dowery was a tower near Holycross, Co Tipperary which is now part of the larger Farney Castle. But I digress.

Over the river is the famous Ha'penny Bridge, so named because it used to cost a half penny, or ha'penny, to cross it. It's free today, and just as lovely as it was on opening day. The big archway in the building across the river leads into Temple Bar, famous for traditional Irish food and music. The ugly building in the background is the Central Bank, controversial when it was constructed because it's just so damn ugly.

Directly to the east of the bridge, parallel to Bachelor's Walk, the city built an great boardwalk suspended over part of the river. It's a popular spot for city workers to sit and take their lunches on a fine day, or just stroll without being hampered by street traffic.

On the corner of Lower Ormond and overlooking the bridge is the Dublin Woollen Mills. Don't let the name fool you. It's basically a fabric store with a very small yarn/wool department, but it's been around for years. With so few yarn shops around Ireland, even in Dublin, every little bit helps those with a knitty addiction.

Here's one of Dublin's monuments, a pair of old dears enjoying a good auld chinwag in the sun! Sponsored by Arnott's Dept Store, as you can see by yer wan's bag.

Speaking of Arnott's Dept Store, it's seen here to the extreme right with the red brick architecture. I've said to Peter for years that someone should open and Artoo's beside Arnott's! ;-) It should be noted that Arnott's is Ireland's oldest and largest department store, having been opened in 1843 by Sir John Arnott. The store has three floors and takes up most of the 'block' behind the GPO, which is the General Post Office, on O'Connell Street. Bloody big!


In the distance is the Monument of Light, aka the Millennium Spire, the Spire of Dublin, the Dublin Spire, the Spike, the Spike in the Dyke, the Stiletto in the Ghetto, and the Erection at the Intersection. I kind of like the last one! The spire is 398 feet tall and capped with a light that's supposed to be seen from space. Along with the light at the Luxor in Las Vegas, maybe a few other countries should adopt this and spell out HELP across the planet. Hmm...

Anyway, this road is Henry Street and is just a couple streets up from the river going toward O'Connell Street, which is the main street of the city. Just before O'Connell Street is the famous Moore Street. What makes this side street famous? There's a daily street market here. Mainly produce sellers, but also florists. Market stalls line both sides of the street the full length of the street. And when it's busy, sellers move onto Henry Street. Both streets are mainly pedestrianized during the day.

Where do they get their produce, I hear you ask? There's a place a few blocks away called the Dublin Produce and Flower Market. It's a huge enclosed area where wholesalers sell their produce and flowers. They open at 6am and are usually done selling before 8am. This is where most of the restaurants, cafes, and pubs that serve meals get their produce. And the street vendors. Anyone can buy from the market, as long as you buy in bulk. Such as a 50 pound sack of onions, 50 and hundreds of peppers, cauliflower, carrots, younameit. Flowers are the same. You can't just buy one bunch. You buy a bucket of bunches. I didn't get a picture, but late in the morning elderly women go into the market with old prams...you know the ones from the movies with the huge wheels...and buy bananas and grapes. They load up the prams and set up on street corners selling them. They're everywhere in this part of the city, but mainly down around Capel Street.

Prices per item are very reasonable, as produce and flowers are sold wholesale, but since you have to buy so much, you'd almost want to take an order from the neighborhood and rent a van before shopping there. But it's fun to see. Unfortunately, we were way too late on Saturday so we returned on the 19th...when we returned to the city for Peter's birthday. We got there before 9am and the place was ghost town. Still too late. Must try the 6am thing some time!!

OK while I'm in that general direction, across from Smithfield Market is the Market Hacienda Bar. When I first saw it I was half expecting to see senorinas and muchachos wandering around. Reminded me a bit of an old bar from San Juan Bautista back home. Haven't seen it open yet, but I fear it's one of those places you go to at night. Might have to give it a miss, as the market area of the city is a ghost town after hours, and at night would be kinda scary if you're not a local! Still...would be interesting to see the inside of the place.

OK, where was I? Oh yeah, Moore Street Market. We walked up and back on Moore Street to see what was for sale. Loads of fruit and veg, but nothing remarkable. I always have my eyes open for artichokes whenever I see a farmer's market or produce market. Sadly, none of those there. Just lots of carrots, onions, potatoes, leeks, beets, etc.

From there, we went into Ilac Shopping Centre. This is a typical indoor shopping center with clothes shops everywhere. Down the center of the mall was a little kiddy go karts and a place for kids to do a sort of bungie swinging. For €4 you can put your under ten on the cables and watch them bounce up and down. One boy who got on thought he was starring in the Olympics, as he was doing backflip after backflip after backflip. He tried to do front flips but couldn't quite get it. He persevered though and eventually figured out that if he put his arms on the front of the cables his center of balance shifted and he'd be able to make it over frontways. He was very proud of himself with the accomplishment.

We sat at a little kiosk selling cupcakes and coffee while we watched the kids. Johnnie Cupcakes is a funny name, but the cupcakes were really good. They have all kinds of flavors and colors, and they specialize in making birthday cakes in the shape of giant cupcakes.

From there we wandered down Mary Street, going toward Smithfield Market...though we didn't realize the market was so close at the time. Mary Street is going into the locals area of the city. Shops cater to local needs. Just as we crossed into locals territory, we spotted the Church Restaurant. Mary's Church was converted not too long ago into a restaurant, and the area surrounding the church is alfresco dining. Behind the church the old gravestones were pulled off the ground and stacked at the back of what they eventually turned into a plaza. Benches surround the center plaza and on one side are all rental bicycles, courtesy of the bike sharing scheme through Dublin Bikes. It's a really cool idea and a great way to get around the city quickly while not having to use a car, bus or train.


There's some great Georgian and Victorian architecture spread around the city, including this part of the city. Such as this Georgian building which now houses AXA Insurance. It's amazing that the decor on these buildings have remained intact for so long, especially in an inner city location. The plaster and stone work on this building in particular is impressive. And during restoration, the building was painted in one of the traditional Georgian colors. Really pretty. But, what do I see? Are those cannabis stems near the window arches? Hmm...

From this point on, the area became a very 'locals only' place. Hubba hubba!! OK, I'll try to keep this clean. At the corner of Mary Street and Upper Jervis Lane(?) was Erotic Glam World, which doubled as a head shop. EGW's store front showed off erotic glamor wear...teddies, bra and panty sets, that sort of thing. But there was a 'rear entrance' down the alley. The walk of shame includes this interesting mural. The front door was half open through which was very dark standing outside in the bright light. But there was something golden glowing which caught my attention. I tried not to be obvious, but I tried to focus on the guy standing in the doorway. He wore a black leather get-up...mask over his head, silver studded straps crisscrossing his chest, chaps on his legs, and a thong looking thing. Poking out of his thong was a rampant...for the lack of a cleaner word...fake ding dong! This was a mannequin stood near the door to grab attention. Well, the leather get-up at the door was an attention-getter alright, but the shocker was how the golden ding dong shone in the sunlight. I don't shock easily, but this was shocking. "Peter, Peter, look at this. Look. Look, damn it!!" He'd already seen it and was hightailing it down Mary Street away from the shop. Smart man. I was going to take out my camera for a picture. "Peter, come back and stand by the door!! Where you going??" ;-)

Needless to say, no pictures of Ding Dong Man, but I did get this picture. The Sinn Fein office on Parnell Street. The banner has been up a while, as it's celebrating 100 years of unbroken continuity, 1905-2005. I guess that makes 105 years, lads! Time to change the banner. Ironically, next door is their local, affectionately called Mischief! Another pub that would be interesting to see the insides of, but it looks like another night time pub.

We walked up and down Capel Street, which is known for shops full of furniture and antique stores. I only saw one antique store though, but it was big. I had to go in just to look. They had some incredible Tiffany style lamps, loads of antique mirrors, fireplace surrounds, hundreds of lead crystal chandeliers, some furniture, and other household items. I wanted to buy one of the old well buckets for my yarn, but was pulled away. Probably a good thing.

From here we walked the rest of the length of Mary Street and found Smithfield Market, as above. Once the market is closed, there's nothing, nada, zilch, zero to do in the area, so we walked back up Mary Street to the Church, cut across the plaza and went into Jervis Street Shopping Centre for wee. When we lived in Shankill and Bray, we often took the DART train into the city on the weekend and headed to Jervis. Being back after about ten years was kind of startling. Nothing changed. It was like we were there yesterday. It was so much "the same old thing" that we just used the toilet and left. The main entrance into Jervis is on the corner of Jervis Street and Middle Abbey Street, and across the road from the Jervis Street stop for the LUAS light rail.

We still had one more stop to make before getting back on the train. You got it, Taco Taco! I couldn't leave the city without a sack of Maseca and a pack of both types of corn tortillas. Of course, while there, we rehydrated. Me with water and Peter with a cup of mud from the Italian coffee counter. Really, I think it was a short Americano with a double shot, but what do I know about coffee?? And we shared a portion of chips from Leo Burdock's Fish and Chips, est 1913. Burdock's has a reputation for being the best fish and chips in Dublin. I can't speak for the fish, other than it looks really good, but the chips were just kind of same-old same-old to me. I'm just not a fan of greasy chips. But, they were pretty OK as far as greasy chips go.

While we relaxed before getting back on the train, we people-watched. As a writer, I refer to it as researching ;-) There are some interesting characters in Dublin, but by far the best was a man sitting near us. He was a very unassuming kind of guy dressed for the cool outdoors, ready for anything with a novel in his pocket and his satchel full of who knows what. It wasn't long before a little face appeared in his arms. A little dog! He sat there for the longest time just stroking the dog's head while it slept. Both seemed very content.

Overall, both Peter and I had a nice time in the city, which is saying a lot for me, as I normally hate cities. They're too crowded, too dirty, too noise, too many rude people. But we had a great time and the weather was really good. We just wandered, looked at architecture, watched the people, ate some good food, and did a little window shopping.

Other than Mexican corn products, I did come away with one other purchase. I live in Crocs when I'm home. They're better than slippers and I can be seen in public with them if I wear them shopping! Would you believe our local supermarket has a sign at the door telling people they'll be ushered out of the store if they come in wearing their PJs? Cool! Someone has to set some standards!! Anyway, Crocs has a new line out on the style of Vans called Crocbands. Already having a pare of orange and purple Crocs in the old style, I was drawn to the new style. In red no less! Cool or what? OK, yes, I also bought the little catapiller on the toe. Hey, I'm a big kid at heart! If the shop had better Jibbitz, I'da probably bought more of them. **I'm looking for the monarch butterfly, so if anyone sees one...

As I mentioned, we returned to Dublin on the 19th, as it was Peter's birthday. We stuck to the same area for the most part. Our main purpose of the trip was to get into Smithfield Market to see the early morning trading, but as I also mentioned, by 9am it was well-over! We wandered inside the market building though, which still had a few traders in it.

The name Smithfield comes from the Irish Margadh na Feirme, meaning Farm Market. The area was originally laid out in the mid 17th century as am open area surrounded by innercity farm yards for livestock. Under the HARP program (Historic Area Rejuvenation Plan), the area was remodeled, using plans won in an architectural competition in 1997! Part of the restoration included lifting over 400,000 cobblestones, most of then 100-120 years old, hand cleaning them, then relaying them to form a modern square, or plaza, which is now surrounded by buildings housing apartments and offices. The square was meant to host concerts and other outdoor entertainment, but locals complained so nix to that plan! However, the traditional Smithfield Horse Market is still ongoing. The horse market takes place every first Sunday of the month. This isn't a high quality horse market by any stretch of the imagination. More often than not, horse traders are of questionable repute and horses aren't always in the best condition. There are a lot of nags. It's not uncommon for young boys to be seen dressed as adults and haggling with the best of the grownups.

It's the Dublin City Fruit, Vegetable and Flower Market which is in the old Victorian warehouse that I referred to above, and is more commonly called Smithfield Market.

The area is coming to be known as the Museum District, as the National Museum of Ireland at Collins Barracks is also in line with Jervis, Smithfield and the Four Courts. We'll eventually wander this area too, so watch this space!

However, the one museum we did happen upon was on the corner of Jervis Street and Mary Street. I kid you not, there is a Leprechaun Museum in Ireland! An American woman and her young daughter were in the food hall when we were there the 19th (waiting for lunch time to come around so we could have tacos before getting back on the train for home). She'd asked a woman beside us where the Leprechaun Museum was. The woman told her she thought someone was playing a joke on her. She'd lived in Dublin her whole life and never heard of such a place. I remembered hearing something about the museum opening, but didn't know where it was. I kind of thought it was an April Fools prank so I didn't think anything of it. Before I could ask the woman if she knew which street it was on, she was gone. Well, walking back to the train I spotted it a block away. So YES, the Leprechaun Museum DOES exist. And I'm SO taking my family there when they're here in two weeks!

Observations...once you get out of the tourist areas...Temple Bar, O'Connell Street, St Stephen's Green, etc...and go into a locals community, it's a whole other world. Sure, there are tourists around, but not many. But the characters on the street are very memorable in their own way: from the produce and flower stall vendors to the banana ladies with their prams, from those with no fashion sense to those with their own style. They're all there. The area around The Church seemed to be like a joining of the waters where the posh and not-so-posh rubbed elbows.

And the areas where we walked, there seemed to be a huge number of eateries. A few take-away kind of places, but a startlingly large number of nice sit-down places open for lunch and dinner. No wonder, I discovered on Monday that the Four Courts (court house) is at the edge of where we wandered, therefore a lot of solicitors and other officials, as well as friends and family of those on trial, would be looking for meals and snacks.

There are three LUAS stops in this general area...at the Four Courts, Smithfield, and Jervis...and we wandered around just about all of it. There's a lot of dereliction, but there's a lot of urban renewal, too. I believe now that the LUAS is bringing more people into those parts of the city that people can't help but fix the place up. And with the more upscale areas around Jervis and the Four Courts, and with the Smithfield reconstruction not too long ago, any derelict buildings will soon be given new lives.

However one sees Dublin City, or just parts of it, there will always be something interesting to see and do. And failing that, just sit and watch, because it'll be an entirely different kettle of fish altogether from what you're used to, as we see here on a building along Ormond Quay.