Cork

After nine months in Ireland I am tempted to conclude that the blissful weather I’ve got to enjoy thus far is one of Dublin’s prerogatives rather than a nationwide inconsistency with the ominous muttering that can generally be heard when a native here is asked about the climate. Beyond the azure blue heavens of the capital the “Land of Fog and Gloom” features grey skies and continuous showers without imminent relief. Well, perhaps this is all a slight exaggeration, but the ceaseless lashing we had to endure this weekend in Cork was something I have rarely witnessed here. That was not to say that we did not enjoy our break away, on the contrary, it was another trip that was greatly valued!

Cork has a cosy vibe to it that makes it all snug and cute. The small coloured houses, the winding streets, the hills in the north of the city and the medieval spires of various churches make it a pleasant place to roam around. The centre is stocked with class restaurants and inviting pubs, whereas the suburbs feature brick stone chimneys and grey factories that make it very clear that Cork is more than an oversized village. Accommodation isn’t cheap and the value-for-money in our cramped two by three metre room was not overly impressive yet the central location of Sheila’s Hostel made up for everything. During an entertaining afternoon we chimed the bells of St Anne’s Church, visited the butter museum in which we saw a video from 1995 about how butter used to be made, had a great lunch at the English market, and did some brief yet efficient shopping. Exhausted from all this activity what was left of the daylight ceased with our siesta back in the cupboard that was our bed for the night and we were all energetic for an evening out and about.

Insider tips rather than the Lonely Planet, which for once seemed to have missed out on all the hotspots, we enjoyed a tremendous good wine in an old pharmacy turned wine bar, complemented by cheese, ham, sausage, fresh bread and numerous dips. Fully satisfied we followed up the Mediterranean bliss with rather more Irish delicatessen as pints of beer and glasses of whiskey and baileys only to drift away in a lovely satisfied sleep hours later. The morning featured the usually cosmic Irish breakfast in a Godfather-style restaurant tucked away in between to larger buildings yet fully packed despite the miserable weather, and a proper desert at one of the venues where we had already enjoyed treats the day before. Even the train ride back home was enjoyable; while the rain unsuccessfully yet incessantly tried to break through the window shielding us from the elements of nature just a foot away we enjoyed the pleasures of a good book and decent music while sipping from our imaginary coffee (the ATM at the train station as well as the coffee machine as well as the card reader from the coffee cart on the train were broken). Before going home and lighting up the fire we rounded off the weekend in style by enjoying a sizable burger and really the last pint of the weekend at a snug newly discovered pub just off Heuston Station. Cork, despite all the wet misery you’ve thrown at us, you have been wonderful!