Ireland day 6

We started the day by hopping a bus into Cork City, knows for it’s eclectic shopping and culture. Stopped in a Victorian style coffee shop to start the day with a rich, dreamy hot chocolate beside a fire and accompanied by Mozart. We started walking and shopping and spent the next few hours just marveling at the bustle of the city. I was absolutely captivated by street music by a talented musician playing Vivaldi and Polish mazurkas on an electric violin. The fast-moving people swirled around him and us. We lunched at Bocelli, a divine Italian/Mediterranean restaurant where I had seared ahi tuna topped with lime garlic aioli and a rocket salad, accompanied by roasted cherry tomatoes. The delicious entree was followed by my favorite, Iris affogato (vanilla ice cream with hot espresso and Bailey’s Irish cream poured over the top). Dreamy!

On our feet again to walk to the magnificent Fin-Barre cathedral where the organist was practicing, through the beautiful University College Cork and Fitzgerald Park, and then to the not-so-pleasant memories of the Cork City Gaol, the women’s prison from the 1800’s. Beautiful architecture but such a dark time for the city.

Rush for the bus, hour ride back to Kinsale, and a dinner of grilled cheese sandwiches at the cottage. We actually walked 9 miles so were both happy to put our feet up!