The Swan Whisperer

Another lunch appointment to day -- that's three days in succession now, which is very, very unusual. As yesterday, today I was meeting an ex-colleague from my Irish Life days. We share an interest in music, I've done some work for him designing booklets for tape and Cd productions he's done, and we've visited one another's homes for music-listening sessions on several occasions. We had a good old natter, about music and life and old-days reminiscing (had lunch in Hugo's in Merrion Row: not bad).

I was running a bit early, so spent a little while in Stephen's Green to pass some time. That's where I came across this guy who's obviously struck up a pretty good relationship with the swans there. Okay, I'm sure the swans are well used to human interaction and do quite nicely in terms of being fed and so on, but this guy had something really special going for him. The swan was quite content to have him reach and give the odd stroke now and again, and certainly displayed none of the aggressive behaviour I've heard swans are liable to.

I wasn't the only one pointing a camera at the situation.