How is a person supposed to get anything done with all this bakery? I hadn’t even started the day yet and here is the spread! (The reason the apple tart photo is even worse than my usual unskillful photography is because I was excited that I got there early enough to get.)
These are all from The Creel Deli – like the basket of turf, only better. It’s right downstairs from me, and the coffee’s good. They also have wonderful soups and salads. The Red Pepper Soup is paired with a ham and cheese toastie. And the Egg and Mayo Sandwich got a side of honeydew melon salad with black olives and a tiny bit of EVOO, and mint. D-I-V-I-N-E.
Along with Tertulia, the bookstore downstairs from me – which also has good coffee – is The Helm, pronounced Hell-um. (Film is pronounced the same way – fill-um. Cillian Murphy says so. I can’t find an example quickly, so just trust me on this.)
The Helm is where I often pick up dinner. They’re the ones who coined the term, “Seafood with a Post Code.” And the Post Code is this one. I usually forget to take a pic. Here are a couple samples of dinners: Black sole on the bone and stuffed salmon florentine.
I’ll have to get you a picture of the mussels.
https://youtu.be/fGNofOhjGhc This somewhat long video is an excursion Patricia took me on to see the tidal islands, similar to the ones my grandparents grew up on. They are only accessible when the tide is low, unless you sail out to them. I bring this to you now because at the 4:46 mark, you can see the mussel farming. The processing center is toward the right. And then, I guess, someone brings them to the Helm for my take away.
The Helm itself is an entertaining place. It’s where I heard the rousing singing coming from the evening I arrived. It’s always very crowded. I had a place by a column to stand in to give my dinner order without being in the way, until I figured out how to make a phone call two days ago.
They also have a trap door in the floor of the bar where the lads go down to fetch I know not what.
I do know how the beer arrives. I’m assuming it’s beer because I don’t see a Guinness label, but I could be wrong. It takes two strong men many, many trips to get the full kegs in. The empties are much easier to bring out.
As a final treat, here is a quick scan of a folk concert at Tertulia this evening. There were free concerts, readings, art shows and dances all over the country celebrating every kind of art. https://youtube.com/shorts/Pe5gKl_fVII?feature=share