"Macroom-The town that never reared a fool."

Though I've barely had the chance to appreciate the many charms of Cork City, I've been wanting to see the Irish countryside.  So, this morning I took an hour long bus ride on narrow, old, classic, country roads to the small town of Macroom.  At one point on the journey I was absolutely certain we were going to collide head-on with a truck. I should mention that I was the only passenger on the whole bus, so when I gasped the driver must have known it was me. Somehow we made it.  One of the things I am realizing I am really interested in is how in Ireland  many of the man-made structures are equally as beautiful as the natural beauty of the landscape.  Usually, people worry about buildings and structures taking away from the natural beauty of the space, so it's amazing to me that even out in the rolling green hills of the Irish countryside the farmhouses, barns, even the walls in front of residential homes, are some of the most beautiful things I have ever seen.

Anyway, I had never heard of Macroom--that's why I chose to go there.  It's halfway between Cork and Killarney (a popular tourist area) that often gets overlooked.  The castle was also a draw.

After finishing up my tea and scone in a little cafe, I headed over to the castle, or, what remains of it.  Macroom was actually the birthplace of William Penn's father, so Penn spent much time in his life on the castle grounds.

As I'm sure you can imagine the castle was beautiful.  But, there really wasn't much of it left.  Only a main tower, the entrance archways, and some of the walls remained.  I am still amazed at how a) any structure could have been built, and b) how much it has taken to weather something like that to what it is today. 

After climbing the ruins, I walked the grounds of the castle which extend parallel to the River Sullane.  At one point I thought to myself "I feel like Alice in Wonderland" and I swear, I looked over and saw a little bunny hopping into the bushes.  It was a beautiful walk...so beautiful that I actually kept walking right onto the tenth hole of a golf course without noticing! Thank goodness for a little old man and his dog Lou because they got me back on track. 

The River Sullane.

Lou.

Enchanted tree in Wonderland.

Cork City: Places you can't miss! The English Market

I've decided to do some posts periodically about some of the greatest places to go while in Cork.  I've  been here for less than a week, but this list is already getting long.

I'll start with my favorite place so far: The English Market.

Cork's English Market is a covered market that has existed since 1786.  The market hosts over 100 stands ranging from meat, fish, dairy, bread, pastries, fruits and veggies, and almost anything else you can think of.  My roommates and I make a daily trip to the market to buy dinner to cook for the night.  Also, the market has its own cafe! It's always bustling but it has an amazing old-time feel to it.  I could stay in there all day just watching the intriguing characters it draws each day!

My roommates and I have already become friends with the sweet old man in the labcoat in the picture below. I can barely understand him but his Irish brogue always makes me smile when I'm buying my fruits and vegetables!

-Mollie

Day one in my new city!

I arrived in Cork on Wednesday afternoon but considering jetlag and all the settling in business, Thursday was my real first day in the city!  Cork is busy by day, and even busier by night.  The city is home to the most pubs of all the cities in the country.  But that's a different story.

My roommates and I (a Bowdoin student from NYC and a fellow Connectican who studies at Boston College) ventured to the University.  We are living in an apartment in the heart of the city, so the campus is about a 25 minute walk.  The campus is breathtaking.  It reeks of pure history and tradition.  I don't think I will have any problem with spending my days working in the beautiful old buildings or out on the perfectly edged quad (if we're lucky enough for the sun to shine)! The picture above is of the famous three-sided quadrangle.

After touring campus we headed back to our apartment and found ourselves pleasantly lost.  I use the word lost loosely because I've yet to feel truly lost, between oddly positioned street signs, all the maps I've gathered, and the friendly Irish people, there's always a way to get to where you are going.  We ended up exploring an amazing part of the city situated on top of a hill with gated homes on one side of the street, and row houses on the other.  The variation in homes was surprising and interesting.  My favorite building so far is this abandoned house on the side of the hill.

The Irish people are wonderful so far.  Everyone is so much nicer and friendly than in America. I can already tell that the country as a whole is much more laid back.  Maybe it's because everything is so beautiful.

-Mollie