Showing posts with label review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label review. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Leonardo Da Vinci,Harry Potter, and rashers with pancakes



More reviews

I had a very packed weekend, i really did, but i couldn’t get around to finishing off the whole thing yday so here goes.

Sunday morning, was up early ish, and headed to town. Went to a lovely little spot on parliament street called The Larder. My friend Charlie had informed me that he was going to Greece, but as usual i hadn’t really fully understood the concept. But over a fab breakfast of pancakes, mmmaple syrup, grilled bananas, a slice of orange and (AND) rashers he told me he was just going on a working holiday type thing!

The breakfast was really amazing! Two black coffees later, and i was swinging out of the rafters. Well almost, went to McCullough Piggots, to fetch some music books, adn met with a very unfriendly and kinda rude staff member who made me feel stupid when all i wanted to do was ask about ukeleles.

Ggrrrr.

The big thing on Sunday was visiting the Leonardo Da Vinci Codex Leicester, Reflections on Water and The Moon. We had booked tickets weeks in advance and it was well worth it.

The room is laid out with a timeline of Da Vinci’s life and a collection of works that would have been a part of his personal library. There were books on everything from medicine, religion, physics, and art.

The Codex Leicester, an autograph manuscript by Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) containing his observations on the nature and properties of water as well as other aspects of science and technology, is one of the most famous and important of Leonardo’s scientific notebooks. Composed circa 1508-1510 and consisting of eighteen loose double sheets in which Leonardo illustrated and wrote down ideas and observations in his distinctive mirror script, the manuscript is a lively record of the thoughts of the great Italian Renaissance artist and scientist.


The rest of the exhibition focuses on Leonardo’s own manuscripts, which are displayed with a small summary of their contents. Leonardo came up with all these realisations about water, such as that it ran like veins in the earth similar to the human body.

I love museums and I love things like this. On of my favourite places ever is the Haus Der Musik in Vienna (which I will undoubtedly talk about another day). I have to say though; it was really amazing to see pages written in Leonardo Da Vinci’s own hand, and quite humbling. If you get a chance you should definitely check it out.

I feel all-proper now after my museum trip. We had decided to go visit the new Harry Potter flick, it’s been a while since my last cinema visit. On the way nipped into Waterstone’s in the Jervis street centre, with the friendliest staff ever! They gave me sweets with my books, and gave some to my friends who didn’t even buy anything!

Got to the flicks and had a confusing interlude with a man who thought i was trying to steal his book, but I wasn’t!

I really enjoyed the film. I think they are getting better overall. Obviously i’ve read the books, and i’m not sure why anyone who hasn’t would go. The overall effect though is good, casting was mighty, it stayed as true as it could to the books, and all around good family fun.

I think i was more excited about the Stardust trailer beforehand. Now that is something to get excited about!

Daniel Radcliffe who plays Harry, I think is very good. Hermione relies on her very talented acting eyebrows, and poor ron has two faces – happy and sad! Imelda Staunton is excellent, as are the rest of the fine supporting cast, Emma Thompson, and Ralph Fiennes (shudder) are great. In fact Ralph Fiennes scared the Bejaysus out of me. I'm not sure if they can be called supporting cast though, it is more of an ensemble picture IMO.

All in all enjoyable film, and a nice lead in to starting into the newest book when i got home...now if people would just stop putting spoilers everywhere....

Monday, July 23, 2007

Lovebox

Lovebox – a review!

I feel very proper the way i’ve titled this post. Well have had a very busy fun filled weekend, which i’m going to bore you with now.

Friday night, my friends arrived and we headed for my local. Where i managed to get a Creative Zen Pebble, it’s not even on the market here yet...and cost me 20 euros! So woop for that, my friend got that zen v5 or whatever it’s called for 55 euros...another great deal there,

it’s very weird that we scored cheap technology down in the pub on a Friday night, but you know o/

Saturday, up early (ish) to head for Lovebox at Malahide Castle, North County Dublin (probably!)

Anyway arrived in with our gentle stash of drink after a lovely Dublin bus trip, we passed a wedding on the way, giving our encouragement of course!

Arrived about half way through Toots and the Maytals, who are LEGENDARY. I had seen them before, but the crowd absolutely adored them. Damn right too! Don’t ask me to name songs because I didn’t have my journo hat on, but they did not disappoint.

After Toots had a quick sconce around the stalls, the site was tiny but mighty, well laid out with straw laid to cope with the thunderous and ridiculous rain from all day Friday.

My friend ended up buying a nice blue wig which was pretty damn cool!

Kinda skipped out on Just Jack, wouldn’t be his biggest fan there now. Had a very enjoyable sit down on my 5 euro tesco poncho/floor covering/umbrella/drink hider/all around cool thing.

After each act finished the crowd dispersed fairly fast, so i trundled up the front with my gang for the Super Furry Animals who i LOVE. They are really one of my favourite bands. They weren’t on the bestest form, well i didn’t think so but they were still great, even if there was a weird incident with a packet of crisps!

Anyway i really loved them, i would whatever they were like. They played some of the great well known hits as well, which my friends were fond of.

Saw the Rapture too who rocked my world! They were really really good, and my friend Luara is now a huge mega fan of them, i dont blame her. The energy they had really got the crowd going, and nothing is better than dancing in a nice green field to the rapture in the middle of the day in July.

The night finished off with Groove Armada, who i’m not too gone on, but they turned out to be really good. I had seen them a few years ago, i think when the pixies were in the phoenix park, but can’t be sure, and they weren’t that great. But i guess since they organised it they were gonna put on a great show. I thought they were really good, and not even the completely wasted weirdo from waterford could distract me from teh dancing and great tunes!

They really packed in a great show on the day. The organisation was great with a really short walk between the bus and venue. They were prepared for the weather, the toilets, were about the best ive seen at an event like this,

i also saw the rapture dj set, and sasha, who were great, even if everyone in that tent were pretty much grinding their jaws to a fine powder.

I know i’ve said great a lot, but it was really enjoyable day. Im not sure if i woulda paid the 80 quid – a – roonies in (i got my ticket for 40) but ill def go next year. Especially if Sly and the family stone who played London will be back!

All in all i’d like to give it a nice round 4 out of 5.

***if you've made it here,o/
****Hopefully will grab some pics from somewhere soon!