Here it is you guys! Part TWO of Christmas Unfolding. Because it’s the season of giving and all that, I thought it would be nice to make it a two parter where I continue on my quest to awaken my Christmas spirit.
Last Sunday morning I awoke to the sound of Christmas songs on the radio. This wasn’t the greatest of awakenings as it was SLADE. Ugh! Worst Christmas song ever in my opinion. Anyway, I went downstairs to have my morning coffee and noticed another typical symbol of the season right outside the window. It wasn’t an apparition of Christmas past, present or indeed future. It was a fat little robin, eating from a bowl of cat food outside, laid out earlier that morning for one of my furbabies. Pecking at cat chow probably isn’t the standard behaviour of a robin, but I guess that explains why he was so plump; pilfering the breakfast of domesticated pets will do that to you.
“Gee whizz! If there’s a robin outside, there must be more Christmassy stuff out there just waiting to be discovered!” I thought to myself, enthusiastically. So I headed out into the garden with a cup of coffee in one hand to act as a cozy glove while the other hand manned the camera with frozen fingers. I was hoping to photograph the robin eating Whiskas for you all to see, but the fatty flew away.
So here we are in the garden.
There was frost, everywhere! I must admit it did make me excited, and my Christmas spirit increased a little. I even got up close and personal and photographed a bunch of crunchy frosted leaves (which naturally I jumped on afterward) to keep with my Christmassy themed imagery. It was then, among the frosty air and destroyed mulch of leaves that I decided to embrace Christmas. With all my shopping done and no other real plans, I knew just where to go to while away the afternoon – Dublin city; where there’s scads of festive stuff on every corner.
We (my little sister and I) started our Sunday with brunch, which is how all good Sundays should start really. We both had eggs benedict courtesy of The Larder on Parliament Street. We had prosecco too of course, otherwise ‘twould just have been breakfast, and plain old breakfast is reserved for weekdays exclusively.
The guys at The Larder had the window seat waiting for us, so we had a nice bright view of the world outside. We did some people watching, all the while accompanied by a vase heaving with fresh lilies. What a civilised way to ease into the day, don’t you think?
A little starry-eyed and giddy in a way that only sisters can achieve on a sisterly date, we strolled along the quays in not so nice weather conditions. There was wind and rain long before we ventured out of the house so we knew what we were in for. I didn’t mind; I took it as the perfect opportunity to whip out my new Jack Wolfskin jacket, a very generous gift sent to me by Cotswold Outdoor. I wanted to give the jacket a proper test run, so waited for a particularly rotten climate to put it through its paces.
We went to Arnotts, then down to Forever 21 and back across the Ha’penny Bridge to Forbidden Planet. Despite being outdoors for a lot of the time, I was kept very warm. My jacket is the Jack Wolfskin Connemara in night blue. Although it’s incredibly lightweight, the fabric is durable, waterproof and the windcheater lining kept the chill out. I rarely wear a hooded coat/jacket and have to tote around a mini umbrella, extra weight I’m always conscious of in my handbag (you’d think mini umbrellas would be light!) so it was nice to have a hood attached and therefore a lighter load for ambling about town.
There I am now, modelling my jacket at the Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre, among their Christmas setup. It always looks great at this time of the year; it wouldn’t be Christmas without enormous decorations hanging from the glass roof.
Festive cheering it up to the MAX.
A stroll down Grafton street and a look in the Brown Thomas windows are essential at this time of year. We admired the glittery stuff on display and dodged more shopping bags than you could shake a candy cane at; all while slipping through the crowds that had gathered to watch street performers.
At the very end of Grafton Street you’ll find Trinity College Dublin. My sister is currently a student there and adores every minute of her time there, so naturally we had to stop by for a little visit. I always love walking through Trinity. It’s amazing how we were just on a busy street, with loads of people and loads of noise. Fifteen seconds later and we’re out of the madness, chillin’ within the totally tranquil grounds of Ireland’s most famous college.
Here’s a clearer shot of my jacket! My sister is the best person to bring when I need some photos taken. She knows all too well that when I pose for photos I look like a gremlin, so we have conversations to try make me feel a little less awkward and look a lot more candid.
She also has no problem telling me when I look like a butt..she’s truthful like that. So while I look like I hate everything in this picture, I was actually having a great time, and by the looks of things smiling on the inside!
Walking around Trinity and seeing the Christmas tree at College Green seemed to be just what I needed to feel the Christmas spirit. Nothing beats the city’s landmarks, its size or its people. I don’t think I’ll ever really want to be anywhere else at Christmas time.
Only three days to go! I don’t know if I’ll be posting again this week, so Merry Christmas to you and yours. Enjoy drinking, eating, wearing adorable paper hats and falling asleep on the couch.
Emma xxx
For more festive fun, here is a collection of 2013 Christmas Posts:
Festive Party Prep
Winter in Dublin City
Winter in Dublin City Part 2
Christmas Scenes
Christmas Day
St. Stephen’s Day
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