Maritime Festival

Nodody tells me anything! Well, nobody told me there's a Maritime Festival on in Dublin Docks over this holiday weekend. There I was, on my way to the bank around 12.15 when I spotted activity along the river near the Sean O'Casey Bridge. There were a few tall ships in evidence, and the south dock was lined with stalls. So I parked the car and went to investigate. It looks promising, and hopefully I'll get back again before the weekend is out. Office workers were beginning to perambulate on their lunch break, so there was a bit of a buzz around. One of the boats ('ship'?) wasn't due to led people on board until 2.00 pm, but another one further along (the Artemis, from The Netherlands) was all set and had an 'open ship' policy. I was early enough to get a look round without too many people being around. I was struck by how neat and tidy -- ship-shape, I suppose -- everything was. It looked like refreshments were available in the galley, but I needed to get to the bank and didn't stay too long. The weather got better and better as I strolled around, and the forecast is good for the holiday weekend too (well, for tomorrow and Sunday anyway). I'd say it'll be a lot busier than it was when I saw it.

I transferred photos to my iMac when I got back, and sorted out and did some processing work for the past three days while I was at it, then I had to go out again to meet one of the guys from the Music group for a coffee and a chat. It's now 6.30 pm, and I'm up to date with Blip again. I've back-blipped for Tuesday (A little colour on a dull day), Wednesday ( Dereliction) and Thursday (Irish Shopper). I've mentioned on each of those days that I've been 'reading, reading, reading' this week. The last time I bought a hard-cover book was when Lynn Truss brought out Eats, Shoots and Leaves -- that is, until last Monday when I took the plunge and paid out my 25.40 euro for Alex Ross's The Rest is Noise. Its 600-odd pages live up to its tag-line 'Listening to the Twentieth Century'. It's no less than a 'history of the twentieth century as heard through its music, from The Rite of Spring to the Velvet Underground'. I've found it fascinating and totally engrossing. I bought it on Monday afternoon, and I've now almost finished it (I'm on page 492, and from 545 on it's just notes, acknowledgements and index). I wish it wasn't so good, because it's eaten up the entire week and has left me terribly behind with other things I should have been doing. Still, I don't regret a minute or a single page of it. I'd recommend it without hesitation to anyone who's interested in music. It's opened my ears about many of the composers and compositions I thought i knew intimately, it's already made me dig out long-unplayed recordings and listen again, and I know its influence will linger on for a long time to come. Well done Mr Ross! A magnificent achievement!