Ireland day 0037. Thursday 04 November 2021- Bond
Today’s summary | Walked via Yellow Walls to the cinema at Swords to see the new James Bond film | ||||
Today’s weather | Dry with sunny intervals all day. Light breeze. Appx 11C | ||||
Today’s overview location (the red cross in a circle shows where Val and I are at the moment) |
Close-up location (Click the button below to download a GPX of our seashore walk to the cinema and back today): Bond, James Bond |
Commentary
Having promised ourselves a day “off” yesterday, and then failing spectacularly to deliver it, today we decided to try a bit harder. And this time we succeeded!
All through the pandemic, there has been the promise of a new James Bond film to enjoy. Seemingly perpetually delayed, it was finally released just before we came here. So we told ourselves that as soon as we had got settled in, we would make time to go and watch it. It’s always good entertainment and I must admit I have really liked the Daniel Craig- era films. As things turned out, however, we seem to have been perpetually busy since we arrived, so today was the first opportunity we had actually to enjoy this much-postponed treat.
The nearest cinema to Malahide which was showing the film is in the Swords Pavilions shopping mall. It’s only 6km / 4 mi from here and there is a decent coast path so it was a bit of a no-brainer to walk there, rather than to get the car out. The path starts off from Yellow Walls Road, just round the corner from the flat. Yellow Walls is a suburb of Malahide and it’s not clear why it got its unusual name. It may be related to the flax industry which was thriving here in the 1700s. “Raw” linen woven from the processed flax had a yellowish colour, and it is said that the newly-woven cloth was draped over the factory walls to bleach in the daylight.
The path itself leaves Yellow Walls and heads off west towards Swords, along the south bank of the Broadmeadow river estuary. This is a huge brackish lagoon which is crossed near its eastern end by the railway embankment. It’s a bit of a haven for wildlife and it was looking lovely as we walked along the shore to the cinema.
Arriving at the cinema complex was a bit of a culture shock. It felt like we had been suddenly catapulted out of Ireland and into a synthetic fantasy land of brand outlets, luxury good stores and confected authentic dining experiences. We could have been in any one of a thousand identikit malls anywhere in the world, and its familiarity was at the same time both reassuring and jarring.
We thoroughly enjoyed the film itself, and the three hours passed without once looking at the time. Much as I would love to discuss the plot, I will of course have to restrain myself for a decade or two until everyone has had the opportunity to see it.
We left the cinema and released ourselves back into a more real world just as it was getting dark. The walk seemed to go quickly, as, of course, as we walked we had to analyse in depth all the hidden meanings contained in the plot (I’m not sure there are any, really – this is James Bond after all). Then there was the estuary to admire, soothing in the calm stillness of the evening. And a quick trip to the supermarket before heading home to start planning the next stage in our travels.
Today’s photos (click to enlarge)