The Green Escape Part 2: Cork, Ireland

Cork, Ireland

After Dublin, the girls and I hoped on a quick train down to Cork, Ireland, where we stayed with Mac's friend from high school Jacqi, who is currently studying abroad down there. Cork was such a quaint Irish town. The people were equally as hospitable, as they were in Dublin, but definitely more town-folk than city folk. I didn't mind. Cork possessed a lot of qualities that reminded me of growing up in a small town. It was extremely easy to navigate, every food venue felt super cozy, and all of the businesses seemed locally owned and run. 

Jacqi and her roommate Katie were extremely welcoming, and such great hosts! These gals really know how to make people feel at home: showing us around their town to all of their favorite spots, and sharing long-stories about their study abroad experiences. Both of these gals go to USD (the private university in San Diego), so Mac and I will definitely be reuniting with them upon our return from abroad.

Puccino's Cafe: Earl Grey; Funny Sayings; Lunch Special

Upon our arrival, we asked Jacqi where the best local food was. She said that the majority of the food in Cork is similar to what we would receive in the States. We realized after walking a bit, that she was correct. All of the cafes were charming though, and definitely reminded me of California (you can tell, cultural differences were not that varied from what we are used to in America). We stopped and ate at Puccino's. I had their lunch special, which was actually called a "Florentino," which I had to laugh since it was just a sandwich with eggplant, cheese and some greens (so Italian, right?). Nevertheless, it was still freshly made, and I definitely enjoyed the large pot of tea Kate and I shared on the side (accompanied by some amusing sugar packets).

Walking to the University: Jacqui and Mac; Kate, Me, and Mac

The second day we were in Cork, Jacqi took us along the "pretty way," to her University. It definitely was a gorgeous walk. Such a great path to walk a dog, take a jog, or simply stroll with friends, like we did.

University College Cork, Ireland

Unlike our program, Jacqi is studying at an actual Irish college called: University College Cork or UCC. UCC was founded in 1845, and is now one of the most prominent universities in Ireland, and was the first 3rd level educational institution to win a "Green Flag," award. Apparently, they save over 300,000 Euros in waste management costs each year (who would have known?)

UCC was absolutely gorgeous. The three of us were extremely jealous of the campus and university. It's beauty was inspiring, and the campus definitely had a scholarly aura about it. We didn't have time to tour the entire thing, but the best description I have for UCC is a modernized Irish castle!

Credit: Kate Skow

Jameson Factory

After touring UCC with Jacqi, we hoped on a bus to our main activity of the day: touring the Jameson Factory! This was definitely our big destination point of our stay in Cork. Our tour started at 2 p.m. and we ended up staying for almost four hours! Unlike the Guinness "factory," the Jameson Distillery was a true learning experience. We were provided a lovely tour guide, who took us through the original factory, which has now been converted in a museum. We learned about the process of making the whiskey, aging, and the difference between single, double and tripple distilled. When our tour guide asked for volunteers to do a whiskey tasting we all three eagerly raised our hands. We compared a British, American and of course Jameson whiskey. Of course, we all agreed Jameson is the best, and after our tasting we all decided to have our Jameson neat (an attempt to have it the traditional way). After our experience at the factory, I definitely can say I will always be open minded when offered whiskey.

Kate is a die-hard whiskey lover. Jameson, is her drink of choice, and she is definitely the person who turned Mac and I onto certain drinks like whiskey sours and mint-juleps! She was in heaven at the factory, and easily the highlight of our trip was her splurge on a customized Jameson bottle with her name on it. Mac and I were pretty emotional watching her reaction, and I personally am so happy she gets to go home with such a great souvenir and memory!

Photo Credit: Mac Witmer

"Halloween:" Me, Mac, Kate, Katie and Jacqi

Our last night in Cork, Jacqi and Katie took us to an early Halloween party. Unfortunately, none of us had costumes, so we improvised and were Charlie's Angels for the evening. The majority of our wardrobes consisted of only black, so Mac had the brilliant idea for our "costumes." With a blonde, a ginger and an Asian, all we did was make the pose to justify our costume (thanks Katie for letting me wear your dress!). 

We did not stay out too late, since we had an early flight to London the next morning. Regardless, these girls were two of the best hosts. Both are super sweet, and such easy people to get along with. So many thanks to them for letting us stay in their student apartment!

Cork was lovely. Although we didn't do much, it was a great place to make a pit-stop in between Dublin and London. It was also interesting to see another student's study abroad experience in a different country. Stay tuned for London post!