Cork (continued)
Wednesday, October 4. 2006
I woke up the next morning at 8am... everybody else was scrambling at about 9, 9:30. I can't really blame them, an extra hour would have been nice, but I'm so used to getting up at 8 that it doesn't really bother me.
We ate our first real irish breakfast (don't feel bad if you never do), and headed down to the bus station. After much debate, we headed off for Kinsale. Mikey said it was the place to go (he heard via a friend in attending school in Cork). When we got to the sleepy fishing town, we asked the bus driver which way to go. He laughed at us. He told us that he should have let us off 10 minutes ago, and it was a walk from there. But being the nice guy he was, he let us stay on the bus as he turned it around and headed back for Cork. He dropped us off about 10 minutes out of town, approximately in the middle at the crossroads or a hill and another hill. Maybe a wall in there, too.
We started walking up the road he told us to trek, and within about a kilometer, it rained and stopped. Twice. Taking a right to follow a sign for the Charles Fort, we stopped to climb a wall in front of a house -- it overlooked a rolling lime green hill and the harbor in the background. Apparently, the little old lady that lived in the house behind the fence peeked out of from behind our curtains to wave at us. She knew exactly what was going on and loved it. It is so wonderful to know she welcomes people sharing her view like that.
We finally made it to the fort after helping some fellow (adult) tourists who were driving along the way. We didn't know where we were going, but convinced them that it HAD to be where we were going -- and we both arrived to the fort at the same time.
We walked around for a solid minute or two before it began to POUR. Joey and Brooke ran off in it while the rest of us (my camera safely in my bag), ran into the cafe where the most hospitible of ladies prepared drinks for us. We sat and dried, and finally brooke and joey came back completely soaked through. But with the rain subsiding, we were free to go out and explore. The castle was wonderful. Ancient, partially ruined, but in decent condition, and ripe for pictures. Most didn't turn out, but there were 1 or two.
The walk back was beautiful. After Amanda got a cider in a pub, we headed down a road no wider than a mini-cooper that ran beside the harbor. I could have stayed to take pictures all day, but figured it was best to keep up w/ the group. At the bottom, a group of Indian tourist ended up asking me for directions to the fort. That was like the 3rd time... why do people keep asking me for directions? Does the camera not scream, "I am a tourist, too!"?
Anyway, a plate of fish & chips later (so good) and a bus ride later, and we were back on the bus, ready to head out for the night...
We ate our first real irish breakfast (don't feel bad if you never do), and headed down to the bus station. After much debate, we headed off for Kinsale. Mikey said it was the place to go (he heard via a friend in attending school in Cork). When we got to the sleepy fishing town, we asked the bus driver which way to go. He laughed at us. He told us that he should have let us off 10 minutes ago, and it was a walk from there. But being the nice guy he was, he let us stay on the bus as he turned it around and headed back for Cork. He dropped us off about 10 minutes out of town, approximately in the middle at the crossroads or a hill and another hill. Maybe a wall in there, too.
It was a little more impressive in person.
We finally made it to the fort after helping some fellow (adult) tourists who were driving along the way. We didn't know where we were going, but convinced them that it HAD to be where we were going -- and we both arrived to the fort at the same time.
Some of the old buildings with grass growing all around.
The harbor & Kinsale.
Anyway, a plate of fish & chips later (so good) and a bus ride later, and we were back on the bus, ready to head out for the night...
