Back amongst people

Friday was a sad and exciting day.  Sad because it was time to leave Westport, a place I had grown to like and feel comfortable in, and exciting because it was time to experience something new!  New = Cork.  Cork is the second biggest city in the republic of Ireland which means that I'm back in the land of department stores, tons of ethnic food choices and lots of people!  It also means I'm back in a hostel which has been an adjustment.  I got pretty spoiled in Westport by having my own space and my own routine, much like regular life.  Now I'm sharing a 4 bed room and having to locate my clothes in the dark (because when you're the first person up, that's just the considerate thing to do).   On the up side, I've met some nice people and even done some exploring with them.  Nice to be back among people again but challenging in the fact that I've gotten used to just being on my own and making all my own decisions.  Pros and cons....hmmm. 

Yesterday, I got out and saw the city centre, an art gallery and some historical sites.  It was a great day and I spent most of it with Sara from Italy.  She's super nice and even though she thinks her English isn't good, she does really well!  I introduced her to Subway…not quite Italian cuisine but she seemed to enjoy it. 

Today I headed out to Cobh (pronounced Cove) which is a small town about 30 minutes from Cork by train.  At one point in its history, it was called Queenstown.  Cobh is historically significant because it was the last port of call for Titanic before she took her fateful voyage.  And it’s also the site where a German u-boat torpedoed the Lusitania and a lot of people died.  The tragic thing about that story is the ship was only about 35 miles from shore and filled with civilians.  Sad.  There is a great museum detailing the history of the town which I enjoyed.  And there are a ton of historical sites throughout the town that you can see via a few different walking tours.  On my way home, I hopped off the train at Fota where there is a wildlife park and botanical gardens.  You can explore the gardens for free and even though it is November, they were still beautiful.  I had made plans with Sara to go to a pub for dinner so when I got back to the hostel we connected and decided what time to head out.  I wanted to go at 6 (being Canadian) and she wanted to go at 8 (being Italian), so we compromised and decided to go at 7.  We ended up heading out with Susan (from Australia) and Stefan (from London) and enjoyed some delicious fish and chips at a local pub.  And Susan was kind enough to let us try her locally made beer, Murphy’s.  Not as bad as I thought it would be…maybe Ireland is changing me more than I think.  After eating, we headed to another pub for some local traditional music (fiddle, Irish harp and Irish flute) and we met up with a Canadian and Australian guy who we had previously met at our hostel.  It was fun, with lots of discussion about our various countries.  Sean (from Edmonton) had some Canadian money with him and I think I got a little teary at the sight.  It was so nice to be able to chat with someone from home.  I never realize how good it is to be from Canada until I’m away.   So, all in all, a great day and my first time at an Irish pub...I'm definitely a local now.