Animals & Eloquence: Cork

September 13, Monday

The Bru Bar & Hostel had live music the night I got to Cork. I met a local playing in the band and, as Hannah decided to spontaneously hop in a car with two wild and hilariously entertaining/obnoxious Israeli boys to Killarney, I no longer had anyone in town. I told him he should show me around and he said he’d meet me at 3 o’clock. So Monday morning I headed out with plans to go to Blarney and actually ran into him on his way to breakfast. Plans changed and he took me to an adorable little place with amazing food. I told Paul I now had my first Irish breakfast before he laughed and assured me that avocado and tomatoes on toast did not constitute as an Irish breakfast, which apparently includes meat, with meat, and then more meat. I don’t think I’ll fancy having a real Irish breakfast here.
Afterwards we went to a couple parks and I told him how badly I wanted to see this wildlife park I’d read about. For those of you who know me, know that I absolutely love wild animals and zoos. I get there, start nonchalantly taking pictures of crows at the entrance while Paul grabs a drink, and I look up to see kangaroos just out there, eating grass right next to some picnic tables. I wish you could have seen me. I ditched those crows in half a second and, like a five-year-old kid, ran over to see them. This park was the coolest thing I’ve ever seen, animal-wise. Kangaroos, lemurs, flamingos, monkeys, giraffes, cheetahs, penguins, and more were everywhere—most in their own areas and a few obviously caged, but it was unreal. I loved it.

The little kangaroos I first saw.

We never could figure out what these things were called...half rabbit
half deer sort of creatures. But they were everywhere in the park, so we
called them fillers.

Paul did not want me to pet this one.

Apparently these guys become suddenly alert and Paul thought they'd dash after him,
so I kept my distance...for his sake.

These little lemurs were running everywhere like crazy

Paul was hosting some German girls and had to meet up with them, but I headed to his flat later where he gave me some “Active Man” tea (surprisingly amazing) and watched some of an Irish film that I wish I could have finished. But it was getting late and I wanted to be up early for Blarney the next day. I’m so glad I met him, though. Not often does one get to see a foreign city from a local’s perspective :)

September 14, Tuesday

I got all packed up and stored my luggage at the hostel before I hopped a bus to Blarney. My little cousin told me I had to kiss the Blarney stone, so I wasn’t about to move on from Cork without doing so. I’m glad I didn’t miss it. The grounds were completely gorgeous and the castle itself was fascinating. It started raining, but I did not pay ten euro to kiss the Blarney Stone and leave, so I walked around the Rock Close for a while and took a million and ten pictures.

This appears to be awkward, but it's my Blarney Stone kiss. The picture is awful but I was not about to pay another ten euro for the professional one. I don't need the gift of eloquence that bad.