BikeCon

Highlight of the day was a chamber recital in St Anne's Church in Dawson Street. It's a long time since I've been there, and a long time since I've gone to anything like this, but the performers and the programme enticed me out. Pianist Peter Donohoe was guest with the RTÉ Vanbrugh Quartet in a lovely programme which concluded with the rarely-performed but utterly marvellous Piano Quintet by Taneyev, a recent discovery of mine. As it happened, the first half was actually better, since the piano was far too loud in the Quintet, lacked clarity, and spoiled the whole experience. I hope to hear it live again some time under better circumstances.

I combined the concert visit with my daily walk, trekking down to the DART station and bussing back home afterwards. I headed out much earlier than strictly necessary in order to fit in a bit of blipping before the music and while the sun was still shining. It was as I walked along South Anne Street approaching Dawson Street that I came across what looked like the tail end of a bikers' convention. There was a lot of expensive, shiny, colourful machines on show. I didn't care much for the rather tacky fairy lights on some of them, but they were pretty much irresistible as blip fodder.

I'd spent quite a while wandering around and shutter-clicking, and it was only by when I came across the bikes that I realised how cold I was. My toes were presumably still there inside my shoes, but I couldn't actually feel them, and the tips of my fingers were also without feeling. It took a long time to get things back to normal inside the church, and I really wasn't looking forward to the walk across town to catch the bus home. Somehow, I survived. It was good to open the door at home and snuggle down in comfort. I think perhaps some music is called for to bring the evening to a close.