Back on the bus and headed to Cork around 8:30am.
An hour and a half in we made a stop at Blarney Castle. As we saw it today, its the 3rd building to exist on those grounds, most recently built in 1446 by the King of Munster. The home to the famous Blarney Stone. When kissed (upside down), this stone bestows the gift of eloquence. We had 2 hours to explore the grounds - given that it was a 45 minute wait in line to kiss the stone, I opted to explore the various gardens instead, which proved to be a good decision because there was a LOT to navigate through! Its impossible to grow tired of the lush, green landscapes around here and this stop was no different.
Checked into our B&B and took a walk down into the city of Cork. Mike is from Cork, born and raised, so naturally he was excited to show us around. Smaller than Dublin, it still has a little bit of a big city feel - lots of pubs and restaurants, McDonalds and Starbucks on the corners. An interesting way to finish out the trip, as we have spent the last 4 days in utter paradise, but it serves as a good central point to what we will do tomorrow. Had a chance to go into the English Market - a classic local market with tons of fresh seafood, meats, fruits and veggies. How I would have loved to stock up and have a cookout! A few of us ended up at Arthur Maynes, an old pharmacy turned wine and tapas bar. Tapas at home are true small plates, tapas here are apparently full meals. We ended up with enough food to feed an army and lots of good stories over wine.
A good normal end to the day, for me. Kinsale for a day trip tomorrow. Meeting my first cousin, Ria, for coffee when I get off the bus - we've never met before and I'm looking forward to connecting and learning about her life here in Ireland!
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