Hello, Cork!

After kicking back our feet and snoozing on the three-hour train ride to Cork, we were eager to explore with the rest of the evening ahead of us.

Still tired and functioning at about 50 percent, we grabbed our luggage and hopped off the train to start our 10- (more like 20-) minute hike to our hotel. Dragging our suitcases through grass and cobblestone and pebbled streets, we sure built up our appetite.

We found our hotel easily; it sat smooshed in between two restaurants in the heart of the city center. Welcoming us with twinkling fairy lights and a trickling waterfall, it was a cozy touch for guests.

After checking into our room at Hotel Isaacs, we quickly freshened up and wandered the streets of Cork until a restaurant’s menu caught our eye. Oddly enough, many of the town’s businesses were closed despite it being early in the evening, around 6:30 p.m.

We oohed and aahed over the dish choices at a restaurant named Market Lane, a mix of Irish cuisine with a touch of European flavors. We added our name to the 1.5-hour-long wait list (ugh) and stumbled over to the closest pub to indulge in some well-deserved Guinness.

Quickly making friends with the bartender, he challenged us to a game where he poured us three different types of beer, and it was up to us to guess which was which. The twist? He agreed to pay our tab if we guessed the order correctly.

With our options ranging between Guinness, Murphy’s and Beamish, our expertise was not up to par, as each beer looked and tasted the exact same (at least to me). Turning to our favorite beer connoisseur of the trip, my dad took the lead on this challenge and put his skills to the test.

Confident in his lineup, we called the bartender back over to judge his final choices. Only off by one, we were quickly humbled and handed the check. (Agree to disagree, my dad still thinks his order was right … but that is a story for another day.)

Eager for our feast, our table at Market Lane was ready right on time. We indulged in a plate of calamari to start, which paired extremely well with the bottle of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc poured for the table.

My order was calling my name all the way from the sidewalk (where we originally glanced over the menu prior), so I already knew what I was in the mood for. Roast marinated chicken, mixed with thyme-buttered root vegetables, braised cabbage and creamy mashed potatoes with gravy — an Irish dream!

After dinner, we enjoyed the long way home, romanticizing the crisp air and sea of streetlights ahead of us. It felt nice to just be after the fastness of life recently.

The next morning started simple. This was our only day without a tour or excursion planned, so we let the day take us wherever it wanted.

We started with coffee and pastries at a local café and wandered toward anything that called our name — boutiques, shops, street performers and even the most beautiful churches.

One of the best finds of the day, however, was English Market. Similar to Reading Terminal in Philadelphia, this market was home to different types of culturized food dishes, produce stands, homemade pottery, etc.

We took our time eyeing up each stand and taste-testing the different cultural cuisines. We had about five different pottery pieces picked out to take home with us, then soon remembered the little suitcase space we had left.

Refusing to let the adventure die, the three of us were off on our next journey. This time, we headed to Blarney Castle. With about a 30-minute ride ahead of us, this gave us plenty of time to enjoy our lunch and plan our next side quest of the day.

Exploring Blarney Castle and getting a little too close to the cows for comfort, we learned all about the history, traditions and current remains to this day. We even met a fellow Philadelphian and got a “Go Birds” out of him!

In Irish country, it is a legend that if you kiss The Blarney Stone at the top of the castle, you will be granted the gift of gab. As tempting as that was, the 1.5-hour queue deterred me from wanting to do it (and let’s face it, I’m already a natural-born yapper).

Still feeling spontaneous and full of good ideas, we wrapped up our time at Blarney Castle and continued our adventure-packed day by heading to the island coast for some much-needed peace and serenity.

A 40-minute train ride later, we were cruising in right on the water, admiring the views of the glistening waves from every angle as we got to Cobh.

Known to be the last port call for the Titanic, we hiked up to the memorial, and I even got my parents to recreate the famous Jack and Rose pose. Iconic.

My favorite part about Cobh, though? The picture-perfect “Deck of Cards” houses that lined the steep hills of the streets. Each house as bright as the next, they lit up the entire town and acted as a great photo opportunity!

No day of exploring was complete without a celebratory beer in Ireland, so we did just that. Kicking back our feet and raising our pinkies, I don’t think a first sip of Guinness has ever tasted so good.

Back in our home base of Cork for the night, we capped off the night with some bedtime brews at a pub my dad has been eyeing up since before we left for our trip. It definitely lived up to his expectations.

Look how cute!

Bright and early the next morning, it was a rough wake-up for some more than others.

Nonetheless, we had a new town to discover and nonrefundable bus tickets. Kinsale, here we come!

Similar to Cobh, Kinsale is surrounded by water and home to some of the best dishes. Lucky for us, we caught the weekly farmers market, where we had an even better taste of the true authentic cooking style in Ireland.

Continuing our cruise of the streets, we munched on our treats from the farmer’s market and popped into any local business that sparked our interest. My favorite of the day? The handmade hat store owned and operated by the sweetest elderly couple.

How do I look?

One thing to note about the Irish … they love color! Every twist and turn throughout the town was as picturesque as the next, almost looking as if it was a fantasyland from a movie.

Continuing the day with more exploring (and temptations to join the kayakers in the river), we each agreed we admired the simplicity of life in Kinsale. We never wanted to say goodbye!

Wrapping up the series for now, we will pick back up at my favorite part of the trip — Galway and the Cliffs of Moher! ‘Til next time.

— Emily Gladu, administrative & events coordinator