Arriving into the port of Ringaskiddy we are again assigned to a dock in the industrial area. We pass by a Princess ship that is already docked at the main area. Apparently, because our ship is small we are allocated the smaller docks that are usually in the industrial area. It's not ideal as we enjoy getting off the ship and wandering around the port. Not going to happen here!
Anyway our trip today was a walking tour of Cork. It takes us around 45 minutes before our bus arrives at downtown Cork. We did a LOT of walking today that normally wouldn't bother me at all but from using the treadmill on the ship, I have somehow damaged my knee and am walking with a limp. I need to find a knee brace ASAP….
The first stop on the tour is at Elizabeth Fort established in 1626. It has a gruesome history. Our tour guide does not speak highly of the British and if you look at the history, the Irish have no reason whatsoever to trust the British. Indeed the Irish were treated as second class citizens and punished for the most ridiculous things. A lot were sent as convicts to Australia hence the large Irish presence in Australia. The British took a lot from the Irish, even their Celtic language. They were made to speak English. This photo is a gruesome reminder of how they were treated.
We have some great views over Cork from the top of the Fort.
Next stop is St. Finbars Anglican Church. A magnificent cathedral indeed. As we enter we are meet with the sound of a choir singing. The acoustics are incredible. There is so much stained glass within the cathedral that it dazzles the eyes.
We start walking back towards downtown Cork and stop along the way as our guide points out many things of interest.
Reaching the city centre our guide suggests we explore the English Food Market. It is Saturday so the market is packed with people purchasing their supplies of fruit, vegetables, cheeses, breads, meats of every description etc etc. You name it and you will find it at this food market.
It doesn't take us long to reach the end of the market. We are pushed and jostled around so we are relieved to be out of there! We have been walking for around four hours at this stage and once we are outside the building our guide promises us that the next place we stop is a local pub for an ale. Only thing was, that was another two kilometre walk! We walk down narrow lanes and along main roads and seem to be zigzagging. We are actually, as there is some sort of protest happening and our guide is trying to avoid the march. By the time we reach our destination, The Shellbourne Bar, we are ready to sit down and rest our weary feet. This place is busy but there are lots of staff serving so nobody has to wait long to get served. Our two friends have a Guinness but we stick to Heineken for Philip and Prosecco for me. It is a great atmosphere inside the pub.
After the pub, it is only a short walk back to our waiting bus and the return trip to the ship. The best was left to last on this tour - sitting down and having a bevvie in an Irish Pub!
I took this photo as we were leaving the port of Ringaskiddy.
Tomorrow is a sea day. Looking forward to that.
No comments:
Post a Comment