Lucie Azconaga is a French-born fiddle player and a member of trad duo Varo, along with her Italian bandmate Consuelo Nerea Breschi.
She tells us here about her favourite pubs in Dublin 7 and the joy of going to see her friends' band Lankum at Vicar Street.
Home is...
I live in Stoneybatter, I've been here for about 10 years.
When I arrived, I think the change had already started. There were still quite a few proper local people who had been there for a very long time. I met a lot of people whose parents were still living in the neighbourhood.
And now, 10 years later, it is a bit different, but everybody knows that this neighbourhood became gentrified. It's still very nice, it's just quite different.
Everybody says the same thing, that it feels like a bit of a village, but it's actually very true. We're close to the city centre, we're really close to the park and the canal, and there's a big sense of community here - especially for musicians. It's a great part of town.
How I get around the city:
I am quite lazy to walk into town and I have a bike, which has been getting rustier and rustier over the last couple of years, so I take the bus. It's cheap, it's handy and I like not to do anything when I'm travelling.
Usually when we go to play gigs, I am the driver, so I never get to actually sit down and enjoy the ride. I just like to sit on the bus, look at the window, look at people, listen to my music and that's it.
The best place in the city for a date:
I don't really go on dates, because it's a very 'not-French' concept, but I would say probably a cosy place with no TV and no crazy loud music. And probably on a weekday, so I'd say maybe The Long Hall.
It's a beautiful place and at the weekend, it's too crowded. But during the week, it's actually very nice.
My favourite pub in the city:
I'm really into the local stuff, so there would be Walsh's and The Glimmerman, and of course The Cobblestone and Delaney's. All these pubs are in my neighbourhood, and they're all fantastic.
In the last 10 years, I've spent pretty much all my life in The Cobblestone, which is the place where I used to play every week. I had my session there with Consuelo and that's where I learned to play Irish music on the fiddle.
So The Cobblestone would be a spot that has been very important.
My go-to café or coffee shop:
I'm a decaf coffee person, which is weird for a Frenchie! I would say maybe Lilliput because it's two seconds away from where I live and their coffee - even decaf - is absolutely amazing.
There is a real sense of community there. People say it's hipster, but to be honest this place 100 years ago would have been exactly the same. It's not pretentious, it's just a small shop with loads of good products.
They do organic things and they sell coffee, and you can sit at the table at the back and it's just lovely.
Where I get my exercise:
I don't do a lot of exercise, but during the lockdown especially, the Phoenix Park was the place that I would go to.
It's beautiful, it's next door, it's huge and you have nature there so you can breathe and you can do your sport or whatever in there.
My favourite shops:
For clothes, it would be second-hand shops anywhere - in Phibsborough and George's Street there are a few of them. Then Freebird Records beside Cornucopia [on Wicklow Street]. And I like the place that sells books beside Trinity, Books Upstairs [on D'Olier Street].
My favourite place for a haircut:
I cut and dye my own hair, so I'd say my favourite place is my bathroom. I went maybe twice to some place on Grafton Street, but I think it was 90 euro to get something very basic. That's not for me at all, so now I can just do it myself.
My favourite place in Dublin to get away from it all:
I have two places - I like the Botanic Gardens, and I like to go the sea in Portmarnock.
The beach there reminds me of my home in the southwest of France. It's a very big beach that you can actually walk on - there is sand, no rocks, it's very long and you have waves. It reminds me of the Atlantic Ocean. And it's beautiful. I really love this place.
My favourite place to let my hair down:
The Globe, because it's open late, it's a beautiful place - I love the whole setup - the music is really good most of the time and it's just a great place to have fun.
We would go there sometimes after the session because our sessions would finish at 12 or half 12. And when you are in a good mood, The Globe is the perfect place to go.
The last live event I went to before lockdown:
Lankum in Vicar Street in January 2020. Well, it was brilliant. I decided to go at the last minute - they are friends of ours so I was lucky enough to get on the guestlist, and I just loved the show.
All my friends were there, and it's special when this band is playing, because it's a massive reunion of loads of people I know. Their music is fantastic, the crowd was completely up for it and Vicar Street is such a great venue. And then we had a mad afterparty, so it was brilliant.
Actually, I'm really glad that I went there before the whole shebang with the lockdown.
Dublin's best kept secret:
The best secret is probably the best lock-in, and I'm not going to tell you!
