A Day in Cobh

Today I went on another adventure as my friends and a large group of international students went to Cobh, Ireland. I honestly didn't know what I was walking into for this trip. It was inexpensive and hosted by the international welcoming people so I thought what the heck? But it turns out, Cobh is really cool!

Cobh is most famous for its association with the Titanic. Queenstown (now Cobh) was the final stopping point before the ship headed to New York. 123 passengers boarded the ship at Queenstown and 7 lucky passengers ended their voyage there - avoiding the pending doom. To educate visitors about the Titanic, the town has opened a Titanic Experience museum. As we went into the museum and purchased our ticket, each person was assigned the identity of one passenger who boarded the Titanic in Cobh. I was Bridget Driscoll, age 27, and was a 3rd class passenger. I was actually rather impressed with the sample 3rd class room we saw and feel I could have made the small but fancy dorm room work for the 6-day voyage.

After the tour finished, I learned that I survived the sinking! Bridget was saved by making it to collapsible lifeboat D with her two fellow roommates. She eventually settled in New Jersey marrying Dominic Carney and had four children.

Behind the tour building is a dock that was used by the Titanic passengers. The harbor at Cobh was too shallow for the Titanic to come close to shore. This dock was used so the passengers could board a smaller boat that would then transport them to the Titanic anchored a bit farther away.

Though the museum was small, I was very impressed with their presentation of the information and their technological innovation with projections guiding the visitors throughout the tour.

After getting some lunch, we trekked through the steep hill-of-a-town to see the beautiful cathedral, St. Colman's. Now this adventure has a bit of a back-story. When I got official confirmation that I would be coming to Cork this semester, I began a countdown on my phone - at that point I was about 150 days away. Every day up to my departure I would stare at this picture of Cork from Google as part of the countdown. It was very recently that I realized that picture was not taken in Cork but in Cobh. Dishonesty on the internet, shocking. So now that I was finally in Cobh I was determined to find the same view I had seen for the last 5 months. 

While the aspect is not perfect, I am pleasantly satisfied.

More pictures of the cathedral:

 

To finish the trip we went to a park and saw a pavilion from the early 1900s along with a cannon and some beautiful flowers. 

Pretty Flowers!

An adorable green car!

And our last stop was B.M.C. Food Market which is apparently notorious for illegally selling items they buy in bulk (which is against the law here). I didn't really believe this until I saw the diet coke they were selling and I took a picture of. It clearly said not for individual sale but guess what!.. they were being sold individually...

All in all I very glad that I went on this visit. I am still amazed that such a quaint and beautiful town is only 30 minutes from Cork! It felt more Italian or French or something and I really got a good feeling being by the water and so many colorful buildings! 

Until next time,
The Opinionated LAssie

I Whistle a Happy Tune

Another successful day for the Emilys (and our new pal, Valerie) as we took on the Cliffs of Moher (possibly the most famous and visited site here in the Emerald Isle). A Paddywagon tour bus was our mode of transportation and, even though it was rainy and dreary for most of the day, we had an awesome time.

Check-in was at 8 o'clock and we were running (like actually running) a little late. Of course our tardiness was no big deal because in Ireland, being fashionably late is expected and being on time is almost always early, so being a little late still made us a little early...

Once we left we learned that our driver's name was Michael and he was from Tipperary. He was funny and nice throughout the day and provided a bit of interesting information throughout the tour (along with several karaoke tunes and the occasional inappropriate comment/joke). 

The bus had wifi so I played on my phone until the coffee break in Limerick. I then slept from Limerick to Doolin where I treated myself to my first souvenir (a necklace) and after a quick lunch we headed to the "Baby Cliffs of Moher" which were really exciting until we got to the real thing.

This is also where I should explain the whole tin whistle joke. As me, Emily, and Valerie are all doing the Early Start in Music class, we thought it would be fun to bring our tin whistles to the Cliffs and show the world our talents by playing the one tune we know over and over and over again. Many people laughed thinking we were hysterical and others stopped to listen to our song. Soon the whistles became our favorite photo prop and they are featured in many pictures that we took. I foresee this trend continuing...

After a short stop at the "mini Cliffs" we continued to the real thing. As we pulled into the parking lot there was a very heavy fog. I was a bit down because I thought of course we ride 3 hours to see fog and we went into the visitor center in hopes that it would lift. 

As a side-note let me just say that I love informational videos. I am not a big read-the-paragraphs-on-the-wall-in-exhibits kind of girl so was excited when I saw a theater and thought we could sit down and watch a brief history of the Cliffs. Instead the video was this hilarious day-through-a-sea-gull's-eyes video and it was super trippy because there were three screens trying to create a 180 degree view. It made me dizzy and when we left we couldn't help but laugh because everyone looked stunned and confused from the short film.

When we walked out of the visitor center the fog was even heavier! We walked over to the Cliffs and, while we were all impressed, we were disappointed by the weather (although, as our bus driver said, we were really getting the "authentic Irish experience"). But then it happened, after we had Valerie take a video of us attempting to play our whistles we turned around and the fog had lifted! The view was beautiful and the walk all the way around the Cliffs was breath-taking and surreal...

...and windy. Like super windy. Like I am from Kansas and have never been in a tornado but now know what it feels like windy. My hair became a weapon as it violently whipped me in the face and while everyone else was just covering their heads shocked we three were cracking up/freaking out. Michael had told us to be careful because if you got too close to the edge the wind could blow you off and man he was right! It was insane!

After the wind died down we finally made it to the end of the path and the weather was sunny and perfect. We recorded a satisfying take of our song on the tin whistles and got all of the happy student pics a traveler could ever want. 

 I have been to the Cliffs of Moher before when I was young and, as similar to the downtown Dublin memory mentioned in a previous blog, I remembered the whole landmark and experience incorrectly. While, again, sad, I remembered one specific thing from that previous visit.

On that trip our whole family had a bus driver take us all around the country (I think her name was Susan but as I have said all my memories are wrong). When we visited the Cliffs before I remember her giving all of the cousins a penny and telling us to throw them over the side. So, as before, I made everyone throw a penny over the edge of the cliffs today so I could validate that previous special experience. And, reader, as before, when we threw the pennies out over the edge of the Cliffs the wind blew them back our direction and majestically over our heads. It was magical and amazing and is the first thing on this second pilgrimage that I remember exactly as it was - perfect.

The rest of the day I was exhausted and ready for the short nap I got on the long ride home. Today was, at least as much or maybe even more than the amazing days that have preceded it, gratifying. (Though an arduous journey) I am so grateful for this experience and am in awe of the awesome events and attractions that I have stumbled upon and thoroughly enjoyed. Look for more blogs and tin whistles pics in the future because, reader, I think many (many) more good days are ahead!

Yours,
The Opinionated Lassie

Tons of Fun at Jameson

Me and my roommate, Emily, keep accidentally organizing wildy successful events. I mean, we don't know why it keeps working out or how so many people we have been friends with for less than 2 weeks keep showing up but seriously, we are accidentally excellent at it. The first successful event I am discussing was a day trip to Blarney Castle and night trip to the town. In 24 hours we scrounged together ten people, all trekked over to Blarney, and had one of my favorite experiences thus far.

Today, nearly the same thing happened. 

We decided yesterday afternoon to go to the Jameson Distillery located about 20 minutes outside of Cork in Midleton, Ireland. After discussing this tour and location for a while, we finally decided to put our free afternoon to use and learn about whiskey. What started as two people quickly grew as we messaged our various friends and built hype. Today, 10 minutes before the bus for Midleton left, only four of us had arrived, but everyone miraculously showed up right as the bus pulled out and we had 14 people in tow.

The crazy bus ride!

Excited for Jameson!

We have arrived!

The tour was fun and educational. I learned a lot about the whiskey-making process and, when the tour guide mentioned a sampling at the end of the tour for 8 volunteers, I willingly raised my hand. We got to sample (watered down) Jameson whiskey, Jack Daniel's from the US, and a Scottish whiskey. The Jamo is distilled three times and actually was the clear favorite during the tasting. I was then awarded a certificate saying I was a certified Jameson whiskey taster!

 

Before/After

It's official!

When the tour was finished and we all filed back to the bus, everyone couldn't help but remark how fun this spontaneous adventure had been. Though the tour was exciting in itself, I am so glad that we were able to get a big and fun group to enrich the experience, and I hope that these "educational" trips continue to pop-up often in this city over the next 4 months. 

More adventures to come,
The Opinionated Lassie

It has arrived!

After an unusually beautiful week of sunshine and warm weather, the stereotypical Irish climate has finally moved in: RAIN... and lots of it. And it is weird rain too. Back home we have thunderstorms and random showers where it will pour down for 30 minutes and move on. Here it is just gray and misty all day long. I don't even need a rain coat sometimes because it is not a "shower" but instead like walking through a Worlds of Fun mister for extended periods of time. The one benefit of this is I am totally stylin' and prepared for this change. I planned for this searching long and hard for my teal rain jacket and am using my graduation-present umbrella with a Monet painting on it. And, while I am sure I will soon be sick of it, it is a welcome change from the normal Kansas summer weather. I don't need sunscreen, I am not dripping in sweat, and if, like I did today, I stop and get a hot cafe mocha, the stroll home is actually quite pleasant. 

Which brings me to my other exciting news! I am now finally attending a school that has a Starbucks ON CAMPUS. I almost fainted from my overwhelming happiness when I heard the great news! If you know me, you know of my coffee obsession. In Ireland they just sell instant coffee which has led me to being quite the tea drinker. But man, it is so nice to be able to get a delicious cup of joe and relax in my newly discovered hang out. When I am stressed or want some work time I always go to Starbucks back home. It is wonderful and comforting that I can do that here and go to such a convenient and welcoming place for me. Plus, extra bonus, their whipped cream is different and even more delicious here! It is creamier, like I know that it is cream so that may not be the most helpful description but seriously, this whipped cream is in a whole different league... probably from those happy Irish cows. 

Yours,
The Opinionated Lassie

A Park and a Trench

This week is heritage week in Cork and the city uses this time to open many sites and exhibits to the public for free. Yesterday, on the biggest day of the event, I went for an official tour of St. Fin Barre's Cathedral and I saw a ringing demonstration in the church's bell tower. Today, I visited the Cork Public Museum and Fitzgerald Park.

First, St. Fin Barre's:

I accidentally got in the bell tower tour line and, not learning my mistake until 30 minutes of waiting, decided to go on that tour. I climbed 54 very narrow and winding stairs to a small room where bell players come every Sunday to serenade the city with their tunes. Church bells are far more complicated than I anticipated and they teach beginners how to play on Wednesdays if my interest increases in the near future. Apparently bell ringers are a bit hard to come by so sometimes churches with bells will retire the set for a period of time because they have no one to play them. That is where the Wednesday night offer comes into play.

 

Next I went into the church for a walking tour which I was very impressed with and intrigued by. The church, an Anglican cathedral (now I know), has been involved in many aspects of the city's history and preserves that history throughout the building. 

Hanging beside the altar area is a cannon ball from the Seige of Cork in 1690. It was fired from the nearby Elizabeth Fort and was found during a construction project lodged in the spire. 

The back side of the church features a gold angel with two horns coming from its mouth. Local Cork legend claims that when the end of the world comes the angel will sound the horns. However they will sound an hour early giving Cork residents time to do whatever they want before the end. A few years ago, UCC students got on the roof of the church and stole the angel. The rod holding the angel was severely rotted when officials went to investigate. Had they not stolen it, the statue would have tumbled to the ground within two years. I am sure that this fact helped the students when it came to punishment. Because I wasn't able to get good pictures of these two interesting things, I found the following pictures of the diocese's website. 

 

The following pictures are the ones that I took.

This beautiful painting is above the altar. Right behind the intersecting beams is a mural of Jesus. The mural was painted in that location so that no one can see all of Jesus from any location in the church - one can only see bits and parts. The only place you can see all of Jesus is from where the other painted people surrounding Jesus are - a.k.a. in Heaven - it's a metaphor.

 

Today I walked to the Cork Public Museum, which I thought was free just today, but it turns out it is free always, so, I may have to go back. I went to the museum for two things. There was a replica WWI trench exhibit that you can walk through and get the feel for that life style. It was very dark and the mannequin in the corner really freaked me out. I then rounded the corner and saw another female mannequin casually reading something on the wall of the trench. I sort of jumped when I saw her too, stared a bit just to make sure, wondered why a female in modern clothes would be in a WWI trench, realized she was not a mannequin, wondered if she noticed my awkward and inquisitive looking at her, am still amazed at how still she can be, and awkwardly crept away. I then went through the trench again because I thought it would be bigger and thought I should have taken a more thorough look at the display. However there was this older man following me and when I turned to go back through I heard him say "oh, there must be more" just to follow me through the same room again and I bet he was thinking what a weird American the entire time. Sometimes the simple things are just SO HARD.

I thought there was a short film showing how women in 2005 set out to built a barrel-top wagon. I never found the short film but did find the wagon upstairs way in the back. I also went by this quickly because I was really looking for the film and later when I went back to the stairs to see it again there was a sign saying that upstairs was closed because they were building an exhibit up there - basically I think I illegally went to the second floor. I hate it when I involuntarily break the rules.

The only video I did find was footage from an Irish Exhibition held in the early 1900's. Apparently this was the relatively prosperous and happy Edwardian part of Irish history and Cork held many of the festivities. There was a blossoming film maker hired to record some events and they showed this silent, black and white footage, as part of a display. 

Random museum pics:

My coffee and raspberry treat at the museum cafe.

And finally, I wandered around the beautiful park in which the museum is situated. It is called Fitzgerald Park, and even though today was cold and rainy, I found this place very quaint and artsy.

Wow, this post ended up a LOT longer than anticipated, but as I always say (or maybe as I should say more), learning has no limit!