I loved Cork! I think that I could really spend a good chunk of my life there. The people I've met and the experiences I have been wonderful. I am having a much grander time then I even optimistically had assumed I would. The hostel I am staying at is also a pub. Feeling a bit jet leg I went down for some drinks with a kid Adam I had met in the lounge. He seemed lonely, so depite him being a bit obnoxious, I invited him for a drink. He was a bit of company and we ended up getting into a really good conversation with the bartender at the brew, Jeff. We stayed up far past the bar hours exchanging music and play pool, not to mention conveniently coming across some good Irish herb.
Anyways, when we had been exchanging music I noticed Jeff's taste in music and suggested the band my good friend Eric is in. He immediately was astonished. Coincidentally he is a drummer in a band that has been talking with Eric's manager and had met with him two days before. When Eric was on tour in Europe he had met up with these same guys. When I decided to head up to the hostel room I got an invite to a big night on the town with Jeff. He had a lot of his friends coming into Cork the next night and his friends from his band were all getting together.
I woke up in a haze bright and early Wednesday to the knock of my charming American friend Adam. I remembered right then and there why I was traveling alone haha. He meant well and it was actually helpful having someone have all the sites plotted out and in a clearer state of mind than myself. I just feel as though he hadn't talked to anyone friendly in a very long time. I went to St. Annes cathedral, which had once been Saint Marys. They had a huge bell tower and the clock on the outside was actually the largest in the world until big Ben. In wandering up to the belle tower you could see the pendulum swinging. From the balcony off the top you could get a full view of the city as well. Cork is small and somewhat easy to get around, in the sense that you can recognize generally where you are. The river Lee splits and you can find your way back to the river to get your bar rings whenever too far off. It on the other hand is extremely difficult to find your way somewhere specific, because the streets are unmarked, with exception of maybe a few old buildings having the street names engraved on the corner for a few. You kind of just have to look at a map and hope you don't get turned around counting the streets. Everyone that I had encountered was more than eager to help. I havnt had a map out for more than maybe two minutes at the longest without somone approaching me, to go out of their way to direct me in the right directiom. Even the night I was walking to meet out some new friends I looked both ways down a street and a guy in the pub vame out to the balcony to ask if he could point me the right way. The stereotype of the Irish being extremely friendly and hospitable is very true from my experience. It is not even awkward, it is just the nature and mentality of the people I've come across.
After I got on my own again Wednesday afternoon I set out to find a charge adapter, because mine blew. I was informed of this by the Dutchman that kind of resembled dracula. He was extremely intelligent and friendly but my run ins with him set off a strange vibe. Fortunately for me I spend hardly four hours at the hostel in all my three nights of staying there. My two foo ages from Spain and Germany, staying there to find a flat, had a bit of a stalker issue. When I ran into the German girl, Lina, when I went back the other morning to check out and pack she told me that she got stuck in a new room with him. He gladly greeted her wearing nothing but whitey tighties. I also set out to find some groceries.
I was advised to check out the English market if I wS looking for a farmers market, by a friendly fellow. It was amazing. The whole market was set up in this indoor court yard. They had vegetable and fruit stands, fresh cheese, a butcher, fresh bread and chocolate stands. All of the food was farm raised and free range organic. I must say even for me when I first made some sandwiched and eggs I was a bit overwhelmed by the flavor. It tastes too healthy. It is insane how many chemical are put in all the food at the grocery store we shop out. The milk tastes different even. I was told by someone in the states before that free range milk has a different flavor because it doesn't have the flavor from the puss, caused by over milking the cows in factory farms. It's funny because everything really looks hand picked. The eggs in the carton are all different sizes as well because they are not genetically altered. Even in the grocery stores here you can't really find much processed food even if you want to.
That night I met up at the Bru with Jeff and his friends. They were all terrific. All of which by this point I can suprisingly remember by name. Many of them share a house and work at the hostel apart from their other side gigs. I met up with the two girls from Spain and Germany, and dragged them next door after a long chat. There was a huge group of them all jamming together, and the girl had an amazing voice. It was an astounding performance. After that I set off on what would be one of the funnest nights out I have had in a very long time. The crew of maybe, twenty people, wandered together from bar to bar. We all ended up at this bar that was like a little colosseum. It was grand with beer gardens, and lots of dancing. I became fast friends with Jeff's close girlfriend Louis right away. From that night on we've stayed up until 5 or 6 each night listening to music and goofing around after the last bar closes. His friend Adam, the singer of his band as well, is also quite entertaining and perhaps the most hyper animated person I've ever met. After causing a ruckus in the back room of the hostel, I got in trouble with the boss man as well, and decided to ditch for the night until i wouldnt be recognized the next day. When we finally all parted ways Thursday late afternoon I got a ride back to the hostel. From there I familiarized myself more with the city. After some fish and chips, that I couldn't hold out on anymore, despite my efforts to not eat out at all, I had just enough time to clean up before meeting out again. It is kind of cool being buddies with the people at the hostel. I just go sit at the bar, which is slammed with people from Thursday to the end of the weekend, for the live music. The bartenders Aron and their one friends girl friend, Sabrina keep me company. Then someone who is out will call the hostel lanolin and they'll call me back to chat with whoever I'm meeting up with and show me the way there.
Friday night, which I originally hadn't planned on still being in Cork by, I met up on the other side of town to see a really good band, Toy Soldier. They have just released a little music video too. The people I am with are all in the local music scene and they are all good friends. It makes for large groups everywhere we go. In waiting for them to be done cleaning up the small group of us went to this really cool pub. It's got a courtyard in the middle with an awning for the rain. I wish I could remember the name because it w a very neat beer garden and quit enough that if you stayed closer to that side of town you could go to comfortable alone. The last stop had to of been the busiest place in all of Cork besides nights when there are shows at the Fricken Crane, as there had been the first night. It was called the Brog. I believe that is how it is spelt. A lot of the places are in Irish and even in some cities, especially West Ireland everything is written in bothe English and then Irish. And yes, lesson for you all Irish is a language and every student learn it, as well as English, all twelve years of school. Most places it is not applied so besides the fundamentals is not commonly used. Some remote places in the West however, they know both, but speak primarily Irish. Yet again another all nighter.
Upon mentioning my plan of going to Killarney to see the country, iwas offered a ride with Jeff and his brother on their way to visit their mom's cottage on the other side close to the ocean. By this point we had become friends enough, and as they like to say, " they love showing the Irish love" that I was invited to stay with them and their mother. How incredible. I didn't even imagine it to be like it was. I scrabbled to the hostel to pack ten minutes before checkout and ran back to my ride. Jeff and his brother Anthony are both extremely nice. They brought me along more for their mother's company I think. They described her as a bit of a hippy and said we would get along grand. She was also inviting over a prospect. The drive there was really neat. All thru the country side down rocky roads and past little bay with moored boats. The major town outside where there mom lived is tiny. There are no ATMs and only one bar. It's adorable and quant. I am proud to say I had a bowl of chicken soup, although lacking any chicken pieces. It wa delicious and more like a stew served with fresh brown bread.
The rest of the drive to the cottage was spectacular. We drove over small mountains with vast files of bright yellow and purple wild flowers absolutely e erywhwre. Heather and something else that I can't remember. I dried some though so maybe I can identify later. There was also this gorgeous lake that laid nestled on the side of the hill, like a bowl of water. It was crazy. I think it was made by a glacier or something like that. Their mother cottage looked out to the mountains and the ocean laid just on the other side. There were spectacular trails and walks everywhere. The live stock there was hardly contained, which explained the different painted backs of the sheep. The farmers paint their sheep different colors to tell them apart. Every road you would walk up there border another farmers land and you stumble across huge work horses to pet even. It was a sunny day the whole first day. Extremely rare. We spent the whole rest of the afternoon sitting out back of the cottage looking off at the views with her new puppy, and surprise, drinking beer. They roll tabacco cigarettes in chains. The house is surrounded by wild Fushas, which is the local flower. There mother was an incredible woman, warm and welcoming. She took me in and said on occasion, when I mentioned some daring things to try, deAr no, I'm your mother while your in Ireland, do as I tell you. Indeed she was an old hippy if I've ever seen one. Music was always on. I've never seen people so consumed by it. The cottage was time but not short of instruments and she lives in a flat in a city part time to teach lessons. Incredible woman. I admired her a great deal by the end of my visit. when her friend Steve arrived, who was also an old hippy, from Liverpool, it'll only livened up more.
I've never been so entertained by an older woman. She told us about the story when she went next door to her new neighbors party. They were from Poland , and had a seventy person party way out in the middle of no where. She said in every room there was a different drug. She had drank a little before, not expecting that and no one here goes short on drink, and upon arrival the woman hosting offered her a syrup. She took it. We all immediately stared laughing. She didn't live that down the rest of the night. Even living just down the road, that would make a walk seem like you had just gone to another di ensign and back. She was in tears about her own recklessness. Her friend Steve grew up traveling in his van and camping at festivals. Also traveling southeast Asia. He had only gone to school until fifteen, but was brilliantly cultured. They both had amazing perspectives on life. He had only just settle down four years ago at fifty when his uncle left him a plot of land in West ireland, and he came into having a dog, sky was her name, cute shaggy thing. I haunt cried laughing so hard in a long time. After a reluctant dinner made by his mother, her famous chicken curry, sans chicken for my bit, because the sun was still out until eight we continued to carry on. We lit a wish lateen and sent it off into the, incredible starry night. It was so clear you could see the the milky way brightly. Six bottles of wine and two case of beer later we called it a night at about four. All strewn throughout the tiny cottage.
It was sad saying goodbye. I left with some great words of advice from Noel Hayes, the wonderful woman that took me in. First in regards to her trying to meet a new chap, and she looked me square in the eyes and said, "when you get older falling in love over night doesn't occur so often, so indulge in it while you can." and " in all life situations take the good memories and let go of the bad, so you can always walk away with nothing but the grand". She sent me off with a hug and a keen look in her eye, that " maybe we will cross paths again someday. ". I was a charming American girl shed say.
That brings me to today. I woke up and went for a little stroll. It is neat here how everyone sits and spends time visiting and talking. There was no Internet or television, and even placed there has been, we all just talk for hours instead. My kind of living. Breakfast was great and I even drank some tea. It's funny because I never quite know when everyone is going to be done visiting. I got a ride back into Cork with them after they helped me figure out my best route to Galway, which definitely was not catching connections way out in the country. I got dropped off just as the last bus was pulling around the corner. I already have my first return ticket. I promised to be back Thursday for their first big show. Also the
last night in cork I met up with one their friends James, who was a great kid. He has lived in Maui the last two summers and picked up surfing. The surfing in cork can be quite good, so. Friday we planned a surf day. Even Jeff and Louis are going to come out and give it a try. They have a friend with loads of boards and loads of wetsuits as they'd say. I really got the " crack" in cork. Which is the local expression for having a good time with Irish people, when I asked what they meant by the term.
The bus ride to Galway was beautiful as well. The city is tiny, and a bit chillier. After circumnavigating the entire perimeter, thinking that the map made it look much larger than it was, I stumbled across a hostel. There are only a couple and it's right near the main center, which I don't know how anything could be. Im staying in an eight person mixed room, and everyone is very sweet. They are Spanish and German as well but try there best to include me in the conversation. I decided to stay in tonight. I was given a list off all the places to go by Louis, who had lived here prior to Cork, which is all of five things so I'll save them for tomorrow night. I am waking up to go to the Arron islands tomorrow. They where a piece of the inis mohr at one point. They are islands of sea cliffs and you can get a bike and ride to all the ruins and to the old Celtic sites. I've gotten a lot better with the settings on my camera, and have been trying to work my hand at some good photography. After tomorrow night I will see if I want to stay longer and go back to cork Wednesday or I will leave for Dublin for the day and night, and take the bus back to cork thrusday morning so I can stay in cork longer and fly straight up to Belfast. I've given up on seeing much of England at all, and it is very expensive I've heard. The from Belfast to the coastal road to Derry, and then off to Scotland. I love it here. It is late, so please excuse any misspellings. Tell grandma I love her and she's in my prayers. Hi Hannah and zoie. Terri and Megan. Mom and Tony and pops. Love you all. Dear friends as well. Off to bed...goodnight
After losing my tag along the first day
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