Ireland -- Day 6

Today I slept in until about 8:15, relaxed and did a bit of reading for another half-hour, had a scone for breakfast, and headed into Cork for the day.  We toured the English Market, operating since 1788, with Regina (our co-lecturer with Colin).  She did a fantastic job of sharing the market's rich history and showing us several noteworthy shops.  If anyone is familiar with the Soulard Market in St. Louis, this is similar in size.  The English Market has a variety of vendors, from small chocolate stalls and organic/health food stores to meat markets, but there tend to be a greater number of meat/seafood stalls than anything else.  The mingling smells were quite pleasant, and what an array of sights to behold!  We were given some time both before and after lunch to explore at leisure, perusing and carefully selecting some fun items.  The Farmgate Restaurant & Cafe, in the upstairs of the Market, is where we had lunch; they source all their menu items from their neighbors just downstairs.  How's that for convenience and freshness?!  I had lamb stew, so flavorful, delicious, and fleshed out with roasted carrots and lentils.  The afternoon's activities included crossing the River Lee and trekking up a bit of a hill to get to the northern section of Cork, where a quick visit to historic Linehan Sweet Shop was in order before a (relatively brief) tour of the Cork Butter Museum.  We didn't have much time to walk around after watching a butter making demonstration, video, and going on a half-hour guided tour.  Because butter was (and is) so vital to Ireland's economy, there is a lot of history, items, and facts, which were contained in this museum.

Because we had lunch out and have had quite a few meals out recently, my apartment mate and I decided to make dinner in our shared kitchen and stay in this evening...besides, we didn't get back from our adventures today until almost 7:00.  Broiled salmon, roasted peas in the pod, fresh bread and Irish butter, local in-season strawberries, and a "Whirlie" (whirled ice cream with desired add-in...I got sprinkles), plus water, milk, and raspberry tea, made for a wonderful meal.  Even if the stove didn't work and it took a bit of teamwork to figure out how to manipulate the oven -- improvisation at its best!

The English Market entrance

Lamb stew at Farmgate Restaurant

Views from Cork

Dinner made in our apartment, so much fun to cook!

~Anna