Bloom, Dublin

My cousin Fidelma and my common-law cousin-in-law, Declan took me to Dublin today to Phoenix Park to go to Bloom, the Chelsea Flower Show of Ireland. 

Unlike the wedding day, today was a dreich, miserable kind of day, but we had a great time.  The grounds were beautiful and the highlight for me was seeing the walled Victorian kitchen garden that Declan oversaw the creation of.   Lovely flowers and rows of veg that are grown organically and sustainably to be used in the restaurant right next door.

Declan is the youngest foreperson in Phoenix Park's history and he and his colleagues did an amazing job with this garden.  Declan had his photo taken with the President of Ireland, Mary McAleese AND he was interviewed on an RTE's programme, Nationwide about the President and the park. 

I met a couple in the park sitting under a tree. The woman was holding an umbrella and they were having a picnic in the pouring rain. I thought it looked like such a classic "Irish picnic" I asked to take their photo and we got to talking.  Sean gave me a radish he grew himself and Laura offered me some capers.  We saw them later in the park and Sean said "Hello, Pat" and I said hi back to Sean and Laura as if we were old friends to the amazement of my local cousins.