After a leisurely breakfast obtained from the local Spar, we checked out of the hotel and walked over to the central bus station, where we hopped on a nice bus that took us directly to Cork in a little over 4 hours. Not 3.5 hours as it says on the schedule. Jus' sayin'.
We arrived in Cork, and our B&B host, Cyril, picked us up near the bus station. We're staying in an old neighborhood overlooking the River Lee. It rained on and off for the rest of the day and evening, but we managed--after a long nap--to take a nice walk to dinner at Issaac's for dinner. The food was delicious and filling, and we walked for a couple of more hours after that.
We saw a few churches lit up beautifully, including Saint Fin Barre's, a French cathedral-style church, where I managed to take a few photos using my old iPhone. I'd heard that the local university held a sessiun (traditional Irish music jam session) at a local pub, but after sitting with a pint (Guinness for Paul, Murphy's for me) for 45 minutes and no music, we decided that that internet is not the best source for this kind of information, and best to check with the locals next time.
A quick walk back to the B&B, some email and news catch-up, and we were off to bed.
Today the weather report called for rain most of the day, but as I write this I actually see sun, so it's anybody's guess. It's Ireland, after all. Our host has offered to drive us to a couple of spots to visit, so we're getting ready to head out in a few. I'll bring my real camera this time.
Let me take a moment to speak about a certain kind of human being known derogatorily as a "chav." Those who know me know that I accept people as they are, and treat as I wish to be treated. At least I aspire to those things. It's important to me. That said, our encounter with a "chav" on the bus mid-way through the trip was something I wasn't prepared for. He got on with his girlfriend and proceeded to hijack the bus with a sensory overload the likes of which I've never experienced. Reeking of cigarette smoke, they carried on with the longest stream of the most foul language, screaming conversations into their mobile phones, blasting music through same and singing along at the top of their lungs for more than 2 hours. After about 40 minutes of this, I moved, and Paul soon joined me towards the front of the bus. I'm certain there are reasons economic, geographic, and psychologic that contribute to this anti-social behavior, and I won't discount them. I'm even willing to concede that I'm getting old and out of touch with today's youth. But this was an encounter I would like never again to have.ANYway...
We arrived in Cork, and our B&B host, Cyril, picked us up near the bus station. We're staying in an old neighborhood overlooking the River Lee. It rained on and off for the rest of the day and evening, but we managed--after a long nap--to take a nice walk to dinner at Issaac's for dinner. The food was delicious and filling, and we walked for a couple of more hours after that.
We saw a few churches lit up beautifully, including Saint Fin Barre's, a French cathedral-style church, where I managed to take a few photos using my old iPhone. I'd heard that the local university held a sessiun (traditional Irish music jam session) at a local pub, but after sitting with a pint (Guinness for Paul, Murphy's for me) for 45 minutes and no music, we decided that that internet is not the best source for this kind of information, and best to check with the locals next time.
A quick walk back to the B&B, some email and news catch-up, and we were off to bed.
Today the weather report called for rain most of the day, but as I write this I actually see sun, so it's anybody's guess. It's Ireland, after all. Our host has offered to drive us to a couple of spots to visit, so we're getting ready to head out in a few. I'll bring my real camera this time.
 |
| Saint Fin Barre's |
Comments
Post a Comment