Ireland Day Six, Cork

This morning, we drove into Cork to visit the Cork School of Music. The head of the school, Geoff Spratt, took us around and showed us the facility and even let Bianca practice in one of their practice rooms to do some serious practicing (she's having a hard time focusing in our little flat). We wanted to donate to a music school while we were away and this seemed like the right choice. He was very nice, and it was a beautiful facility.

Portia liked these monkeys, walking the streets of Cork

We stopped off at the English Market to check it out. I tried some really thick and delicious cocoa (a shot for a Euro) and we ate some fresh raspberries while we walked around. The girls had some chocolate too.

Then we walked to the Shandon Tower to ring the bells.

Walking to Shandon Tower (you can see it in the distance)

It was a lovely old cathedral, and this sweet volunteer showed us around the cathedral (and even played us a song on the organ and sang). He joked that if they heard him singing, "How much is that doggie in the window?" then he'd get canned. He laughed and said, "They can't fire me. I'm a volunteer." And he kept on singing. He was simply adorable!

The volunteer pointing out something in the cathedral.

We then climbed to the area where they have songs you can play with the ropes of the bells. Bianca played "Amazing Grace" (but Eric had to help pull the heavy low bells).

Playing "Amazing Grace" on the Shandon Bells

Then we kept climbing and climbing up to the top. We had to wear these sound-blocking headphones so the ringing bells wouldn't hurt our ears. Bianca got a little freaked out and wouldn't go to the very top, but the rest of us did.

Portia climbing the tower

The view of all of Cork below was beautiful!

We went into some shops and were really hungry by then and settled for a pretty mediocre restaurant called "Deep South." I wish we had just eaten sandwiches at the English Market. (We do this sometimes because we wait too long and then just eat wherever we can find a place to feed us.)

Cork, Ireland

Doors of the Day

The quintessential Irish door