Anna's Awesome Adventures!!!: Ireland -- Day 7

Today was a jam-packed day of adventures to yet more new territory. I was up by 8:00, had a great breakfast (a nutmeg-raisin scone, yogurt, a pear, berry tea, & milk), and joined the whole group on a bus to Skibbereen (west of Cork by about 60 miles) by 9:15. Our first stop once we arrived was at the West Cork Arts Center for the exhibit "Coming Home: Art & the Great Hunger," commemorating the horrific Irish potato famine that started in 1845 and lasted for several years. One of the museum staffers gave us a tour, which predominately focused on the artistry and technicalities of the works, not so much the actual history of the famine. There was a very diverse range of pieces, but all focused on the famine in some way. Lunch followed at Glebe Gardens Cafe, a quaint little restaurant right next to the Arts Center. A mixed greens, local tomato, basil, cucumber, and mozzarella salad was perfect for me...that mozzarella was spot-on, and I got two of the biggest, freshest hunks I've ever seen! Following lunch, we ventured to Roaring Water Bay on the Celtic Sea (which eventually meets the North Atlantic) to learn about seaweed with John and Sally McKenna, well-known and renowned Irish food critics and authors of "100 Best" books about Irish sites and restaurants. Walking along the beautiful water, breathing in the pristine sea air, and admiring the surrounding green hills and castles was quite refreshing. We even saw a baby crab and jellyfish, plus collected lots of cool shells and rocks. John and Sally showed us different types of seaweed (including kelp, almost like my last name!), talked about the tides and collection of seaweed, and numerous health benefits continuing to be discovered about it. We even had the opportunity to try some boiled seaweed; not a ton of flavor at first, but there's a lovely comforting feeling that settles in your mouth for awhile afterwards. Not to mention how good the oil feels on your skin! The final stop of the day was at Brown Envelope Seeds, an organic heritage seeds farm, to tour with owner Madeline McKeever. She showed us her self-planted forest of ash/oak trees and blackberry bushes, as well as her expansive garden full of many vegetables and herbs. Her business is sought out all around the world and it was so much fun to look through her dozens of seeds available for purchase, from cucumbers and tomatoes to basil and celeriac.

As I said, today was definitely the longest/fullest of this trip. We didn't get back to the dorms until about 8:20! Although I wouldn't trade the drive for the world -- full of cattle, including many young ones; sheep; horses; and impossibly-green rolling hills and pastures. Plus the weather was perfect, with temperatures around 65-70 degrees Fahrenheit, warm sunshine, and a deep blue sky with fluffy white clouds. For dinner, a few students and I ran just up the hill from our rooms to an Asian Fusion ramen restaurant -- predominately because it would be quick, we were tired, and it's fun to see other takes on ramen. I had duck spring rolls and cashew chicken, with more than enough for another meal sometime later this weekend. Tomorrow should be another full day, so make sure to check back to continue following my adventures!