Bec & Dave's Blog: Ireland

We have just returned from a very pleasant long weekend in Cork. Although it drizzled a bit on and off, and on Saturday night we experienced ridiculous gale force winds, there were some really nice patches of blue sky and sunshine. Saturday we spent exploring Cork, ducking into a fair few pubs to take shelter from the rain, wind and cold, as it was the worst day weather-wise. We also visited the English Market, a big hall that is like a farmers market with all the fresh food you could ever want. We spent a good hour drooling over all the cuts of meat and poultry, fresh fish, sushi, cheeses, fruit, fresh breads, salad rolls, pastries and chocolates, and grabbed a quick bite to eat at the cafe (our first taste of black pudding). Sunday we took a bus out to a place called Kinsale, a very pretty port town. We took a very nice 45 minute walk out to Charles Fort, a defense fortification used in the 17th and 18th centuries, and visited a couple of bookshops and lovely pubs. (Dave's shining moment was mistaking a post office for a pub...seems to be a bit of a recurring theme lately!) Monday we returned like magnets to the Farmers Market for brunch, before flying back to London. Some photos below.
Our next trip is a while away – 20th April, after I finish up at work. It will be a longer one, though, as we will be gone for about 5 weeks. We will spend that time travelling through Eastern Europe and Norway! Very excited. More on that later.
Meanwhile we are frantically trying to see a little more of England before we leave for good. We have a day trip booked to the Cotswolds in March, and may attempt to squeeze in a day in Brighton, depending on costs. We are also planning a few days in Yorkshire in June just before leaving. In London news we have scored some Premier League tickets (yay!) We will be attending Fulham v Portsmouth on the 31st January at Craven Cottage. We are also leaving Earl's Court and returning to Angel!!! We move out on 1st February and in with Jo, Daisy and Laura in rooms above the York, which is great for us as we will save on rent and travel to work. (And we get to return to an area we both love). Dave is also excited as (apparently) it is his dream come true to live above a pub and I am excited to be living with people again!
We are both well and, although we are looking forward to coming home, are still enjoying London very much, especially now the temperature has begun to creep up (sloooowly). We no longer need the heater on at home and some days the mercury reaches double figures!
So that’s about it for now. No doubt we will be doing something for Australia Day, with celebrations at the Aussie bars here planned for the Sunday and the Monday, so will update again soon. Much love to all.

At Charles Fort outside of Kinsale

Kinsale

Charles Fort

Looking across to James Fort opposite

On our walk, looking back towards Kinsale

Views on the walk

Fresh fish at the English Market

On arrival in Cork, about 8am Saturday morning

G'day all from sunny London! Yes, you heard right, we are in the midst of spring and the sun is shining, which makes being stuck inside all working day just that much harder.
We have a couple of trips to update you on. As you all know, we spent St Patrick's Day in Dublin, Ireland, where good times were had by all! We arrived in pouring rain on the Saturday, checked in, and headed in the direction of Temple Bar, which was absolutely chockers. We ended up at a pub near where we were staying, accompanied by Bec and J's mates Corey and Lee, before moving on to a few other venues. The following day, fuelled by a typical Irish breakfast, we ventured out to explore Dublin. We visited Kilmainham Gaol, did a 1916 guided tour of the city, and went to the Guinness factory. All very interesting, and learning about some Irish history was good too. After a few drinks at the rooftop bar in the Guinness factory, the 4 of us went out for an Irish meal.
The Monday was St Patrick's Day and the day of the annual parade. With the sun shining down on Dublin, we left our rooms at 10 to secure a good spot, all dressed in hats and various other green paraphernalia. The parade was very colourful - lots of floats and marching bands. Afterwards we headed back to a pub, where we drank Guinness and danced to Irish music! Dave proved a popular man with the *cough* older females on the dance floor - spinning them around in an Irish jig and high fiving all round. You stud.
Tuesday there was time for some more sightseeing before we hopped on a plane back home. We visited Trinity College and the Book of Kells, had a quick look at Dublin Castle, went to St Stephen's Green, and back to pick up our bags via the Molly Malone statue. Below are some photos from the trip.