Blarney!

So the third leg of the trip is nearly done, as we jump onto another plane in about three hours. The bus ride from Dublin to Cork was relatively awesome (moreso than Cork itself, unfortunately). Ireland is an unbelievably beautiful country: it is so green it is ridiculous, and there is something about passing an occasional rundown castle that simply blows your mind, and not just because it looks like they filmed all the Highlander movies here.

Cork has been... relaxing, mainly because we couldn't really figure out what to do. This is the problem with doing no research before showing up somewhere, although it is probably good that we only decided to stay here for a day. As we were taking the bus to Blarney, it finally came to me that I maybe should have asked Sarah what she did during the year she lived here in college. But that would have made too much sense.

We made it to Blarney Castle today. The castle is about 8 kilometers outside of Cork. The walk from the village to the castle is awesome, as you pass over a creek or three and through some huge green fields, and then there's this thousand-year-old castle. A lot of history over here, you might say. I am awestruck when walking through New York or Philadelphia and looking at 300-ish-year-old buildings, and then I come over here and see castles and parapets and bridges and churches that were built right around when my great-grandparents-to-the-fifteenth-degree were my age.

The Irish like their quotes, probably because they have a ridiculous history of writers and poets, and somehow I have managed to give Cameron a literary tour of Ireland without him knowing it (or me planning it). We went on the literary pub crawl, then found ourselves on the top floor of the Guinness Storehouse surrounded by Joyce quotes, and then get to the top of Blarney Castle and there is a fantastic, humble quote from George Bernard Shaw, whose house was right down the block from where we stayed in Dublin: "....it is not necessary for me to seek eloquence at Blarney....my natural gifts in that direction being sufficient, if not somewhat excessive." I love Irish people.

After the castle, Cameron and I stopped at a quaint little coffee shop with a backyard garden enclosed by what was probably a 500-year-old stone wall (I base that on the unsupported fact that everything in Ireland is pretty much 500 years old.). It was overcast, finally (after two sunny, 75-degree days in Dublin, I was beginning to wonder if we were actually really in Ireland). The gray arrived today. It's about damn time.

Hanging out with some Corkers

Not sure what else to call the people from Cork. Cork is much smaller and more behaved than Dublin. Our bus ride was amazingly green and uneventful. We walked around Cork about 5 or 6 times before eating in a hotel and then going out for drinks after.

We somehow found a pub that had 2.90 pints until 9pm. They also played the entire Metallica album while we were there. We had a number of pints. I also tried to branch out and have something besides Guinness; shit. I tried some stupid Cider. This is why I don't try new things. So, after a number of pints (I think we bought them 2 at a time) we went back to our super posh hotel. This morning we saw Blarney Castle and the stone and then had some coffee in a super nice little shop.

Tonight we meet up with the Villas, and if we are lucky one more football match. I am sure that Villa has been checking for it. Also, my cord is packed away, so I will have to post pics later. I did draw one...