Emerald Isle - Part 2

The next day I put on my VittlesVamp hat and crossed the Liffey to check out the Moore Street outdoor food market. The pickings were colorful, but rather slim in comparison to the produce selection at my local bodega...

But, the butchers that lined the block where chock-a-block with selection...

And, the pork store was particularly impressive...

I also made some sightseeing stops, including the Hugh Lane Gallery of Modern Art, the Dublin Writers' Museum and the James Joyce Cultural Center.

I crossed the Liffey back to the "southside" and realized something of staggering importance - I was parched. What to do?

Inspired by the James Joyce Cultural Center, I decided to lunch at Davy Byrnes, a pub immortalized in Joyce's classic "Ulysses." Over my Irish Smoked Salmon Sandwich and Bulmer's I couldn't help but notice that the pub brought out the love of reading in all who passed through its doors. Several of my supping and sipping neighbors had books in hand. Perhaps Joyce had cast a spell over the place. The elderly priest sitting across the bar reading "Great Pubs of Ireland" seemed particularly devoted to great literature.

What can I say? Reading is fundamental.

So, I decided to get with the program. I rarely take time in the middle of my hurried New York life to just kick back and read a novel. I was due. Besides, the sitting room at my hotel was brimming with period bric-a-brac and comfy chairs. It was the perfect place to relax, read and wait for my partner in crime to appear.

Yes, my pal Maureen was on her way. After 10 days working non-stop at an industry event in Switzerland, I knew she'd be up for a wild Irish night. Best to give myself some down time in preparation...Hmm...I wonder if several pubs and several wild Irish men will be involved in the evening's festivities...