Lunch at Avoca in town

I'm a social person, but I'm also autistic. I need to manage my energy levels around being with lots of people and social conversations. I don't do chit chat. I am task-focused. Maybe people find me intense? I don't know. And also, I need my lunch at noon, not 1pm. So I never stay for lunch with the Dublin Sketchers gang if we sketch in the mornings. 

On this occasion, I went to the Avoca café on Suffolk Street, just off the bottom of Grafton Street, and ordered soup. I felt the need to sketch some more. It's a nice quirky environment. But I got spotted by the staff, who told their manager that I was sketching her! She came over to have a peep. And then she sent a pastel de nata as a thank you. I was chuffed. I think it's the first time I was given free food for my art! I added some colour at home, plus drew a glass three times (yes it's the same glass!) to balance the page!

As One

I'm not normally a café sketcher. I do prefer to be outdoors, even when the weather isn't great. But my foot is still in a healing phase (I'm writing this on 24 November). Everyone tells me it will take 6 months. But my physio is happy with my progress. And so am I. I am moving better, but still not great at standing for a long period of time. And I don't think I'd be able to get up from my tiny sketching stool!

So I'm sketching in cafés at the moment. On this occasion, we were in As One, a really nice café on the quays. I started sketching at the front of the café, where lots of customers were queuing for their mid-morning break. But as more and more sketchers arrived, we moved to the back. Different colour scheme, different vibe. There was a table behind us - they were in very intense conversation. Well, I couldn't hear a word, but their body language seemed tense. One of them got up quite suddenly at some stage. I don't know if he just tripped on something or was making a dramatic exit. But I don't think he came back!