Anna's Awesome Adventures!!!: Ireland -- Day 12

Today I woke up at 8:15, had a nice breakfast (a scone, pear, raspberry yogurt, & milk), and walked down to the UCC Geography Library for a morning of lectures by Colin. He primarily focused on social food movements, initiatives, and policies (he serves on the Cork Food Policy Council). He also had his PhD student, Tara, come in for a discussion about school meals here in Ireland. We had a lot of dialogue going on, and I must say American school lunches sound like a three-star Michelin restaurant compared to Irish school breakfasts/lunches/snacks! There was so much to absorb, think about, and compare! I took loads of notes, so I'd love to go back through and talk them out with anyone who might be interested.

Our lunch was at Good Day Deli in the Nano Nagle complex, which is in the South Parish district of Cork (south of the main city center). Yet another restaurant that places a huge emphasis on sustainability and local sourcing, their mostly-vegetarian and vegan options were pleasing to both the palate and eye. I had the GDD Big Burger, a lentil burger topped with cheddar cheese, leafy greens, and scrumptiously sweet pickled cabbage. Served with literally the best hand-cut fries I've ever had the pleasure of eating -- as well as an herb aioli -- you can be sure I enjoyed every single morsel. We also had a bit of dessert sharing after lunch, splitting a few beautiful masterpieces several ways so everyone could enjoy a taste. I had a lemon-edible flower (not sure what they were, but they were pretty)-polenta cake, so very moist and served with freshly whipped cream.

Following lunch, we spent a few hours walking around the South Parish district with Colin. The Cork Food Policy Council is constantly seeking to utilize small bits of unused land (think of the space between a road and parking lot, for example) to "revitalize" with plants and flowers, many edible if possible. Their crowning achievement is converting a weedy, abandoned basketball court into the "Sustainable Food Lab," where pears, strawberries, raspberries, apples, tomatoes, squash, potatoes, onions, a variety of herbs (perfume to my nose!), pollinator-friendly plants, and more grow. It's a bright spot in an otherwise-impoverished neighborhood, and their main focus is not on the actual foods produced, but on getting as many people as possible involved/educated in gardening...especially in unconventional and small spaces (urban gardening, so to speak). Our final activity of the day was a brief stop at Elizabeth Fort, a 17th-century fort that has served a variety of roles over the years, including as an air raid shelter during WWII and police station most recently before being turned into a heritage/tourist site. Climbing a steep, large flight of stairs will yield impressive panoramic views of much of Cork, and yet another sunshine-filled day (I actually got a little sunburned today, not at all something I expected in Ireland) meant long-range viewing and nice photo opportunities.

A quick stop at a small store on the way back to our dorms was in order to settle myself over until we leave next Tuesday, then back to the dorms to chill a bit (and catch up on class readings). Then another student and I headed out for a lovely walk in Fitzgerald Park, just across the road and River Lee from our dwelling place. There were a lot of similarities to Laumeier Sculpture Park in St. Louis, with unique sculptures and art pieces; and of course lovely views of the River Lee. Our appetites stimulated, we came back for some dinner in the dorm (couscous and chickpea salads, bread, meringues topped with raspberry jelly, and a mini pear tart) and then just a nice amount of time to relax. It seems since we've gotten here, we've always been rushing around to get to our next scheduled event...and it also seems it's gotten crazier and crazier as time goes on! So it's nice just to have some time to breathe, no pressure to be anywhere at a certain time, and enjoy our quickly-diminishing time in Ireland.