Cork embodies all the beauty and eccentricity of a
coastal town. Gourmet food is a staple here, one of the features which makes it unique from the rest of the country.
As the sun graces the harbor, outlines of sailboats create a nostalgic picture, and I take a mental snapshot to go along with the images captured by my phone. The great thing about a mental snapshot, though, is that is isn't just about the pictures your eyes see. It's about the warmth the sun leaves on the skin and the swirls of cool air that mix with the heat as it washes against the skin. It's about smelling the salt in the air, hearing the seagulls overhead and feeling the sand tickle your toes. Pictures are great, but mental snapshots capture the experience in time.
The small shops that dot the towns in Cork are beautifully painted with vibrant colors. Looking down the streets is similar to peering inside a bag of skittles, and the whole scene makes me smile. A painter would be hard pressed to capture the hues radiating from the town center. Hanging baskets full of flowers grace ever door, and wonderful savory smells fill the air as restaurants and pubs prepare lunch service. The sun kisses the water in the bay and explodes into a thousand
shimmering stars sparking from beneath the surface. A surreal scene I couldn't soak in enough of.
My very good friend from work, Caroline, invited me to Cork for the weekend getaway she and her husband Fred had planned. I was delighted to tag along, and baked a tray of lemon bars to bring for the road trip in show of my enthusiastic appreciation. The two of them are a lovely pair of people, very happy, very mellow, and very French. Yes, it was the American tourist vacationing with the French residents in the Irish County Cork. Global diversity at its best.
The scenic three-hour drive through the Irish countryside was spent in chatter. We stopped for coffee along the way, sampled the lemon bars, and stretched our legs. The drive went quickly, and before long we were in downtown Cork. The streets were bustling with activity as the weather was sunny and warm...my luck continues... and it seems the Dublin population fled the city in search of a weekend getaway at Cork. It wasn't hard to understand why. With amazing food and wonderful shopping, not to mention breathtaking scenery, Cork was the place to be. This was also one of the last weekends before the kids were back in school, and everyone was taking advantage.
We stopped in an alleyway restaurant for lunch, and were graced with delicious pizzas and salads. I hadn't had pizza since leaving California, because pizza just isn't something Ireland does well. This fabulous Italian mecca, however, did a superb job. After lunch we did a bit of sightseeing, taking in one of the town's historic walks and viewing it's towering cathedrals. A wedding was being held in one of the main churches, and we peeked in for a look at the bride and groom. The happy occasion made me smile, remembering my own wedding and the wonderful celebration of life, love, family and friends. 
Our next stop was the shopping district, and there Fred left Caroline and I to peruse the stores, as he had no desire for such things. He went to a nearby art gallery to pass the time. We were very good, actually, and only bought a couple small items. It was late in the afternoon by the time we checked into the hotel, at which point we freshened up and dressed for a night on the town. We dilly-dallied at a local pub while waiting for our late-night dinner reservation. We sat out on the street under an awning, drinking wine and eating olives while discussing an array of topics. The rain came and went, and we watched it from our warm, dry spot very content with our place in life at the moment. The wine was good and the company even better.
For dinner, we went to a fabulous gourmet restaurant Caroline had visited in the past. I had the baked Hake (a whitefish) with a side of truffle mac n cheese. Years ago I made a promise to myself that whenever I was at a restaurant that served truffle mac and cheese, I would order it. I've never been disappointed with that life-decision. Caroline had a beautiful plate of muscles and Fred had a gorgeous steak. We finished the meal with a cheese platter and were all very satisfied. It was now around 11:30 in the evening, and we wanted a nice club to dance the night away in. Down another alleyway, we followed our ears and ended at a great pub with a huge dance floor. The DJ was just starting to warm up and it promised to be a great spot. Within an hour, the dance floor was full and we were having a blast. Funny thing, people take as many liberties on Irish dance floors as they do back in California. Irish propriety disappears when met with alcohol and music, but as I was very familiar with the scene, it didn't bother me at all. I actually laughed my way through the groping and grinding, so amused that it was SO much the same. San Francisco, Vegas, Cork....nightlife is nightlife.
The following morning we met at a quarter to 9 in the lobby, checked out, and went in search of coffee. Downtown Cork was completely quiet, the polar opposite of the day before. We found a small coffee shop at the end of the main street, and enjoyed a wonderful espresso and bagel breakfast. The sun was shining and it would be a fabulous day for weather. We drove to a coastal town outside of Cork and did the harbor walk to a fort on the hillside. The green farms were a striking contrast to the blue sea. In the downtown area we took in the colorful shops before making our way out to the beach. Literally at the end of the Irish world, we found a fantastic spot with a beautiful hotel and white sand beaches. We grabbed a shot of espresso in the hotel bar before taking off for the waves. The beach here very much reminded me of Santa Cruz back home, and as we watched families playing in the sand and children splashing around in the water, I missed our yearly family trips to the beach. Still, wandering the coast and picking up seashells, I was happy for the natural beauty around me, the fresh sea air, and the gift of blissful daydreaming, my thoughts in their own wonderland as I enjoyed the wrapup to another fantastic Irish weekend. 
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