I got a taxi to the airport this morning. The taxi driver was particularly interested in art nouveau and art deco. He has been all over the world with his wife photographing things (Napier is too far though). He told me that after the foundation of the Irish State, the Office of Public Works got a group of young architects together and told them to hop off to Europe and get some ideas. He says that there is an art deco block of flats on Townsend street that is nicked from a model he saw in a book of Dutch art deco drawings. He was absolutely fascinating and extremely knowledgeable. I am feeling a warm glow towards taxi drivers and that’s not something that happens very often.