American Invasion

Last night at The Rock was so much fun! It gave us the opportunity to start to get to know some of the other study abroad students, as well as mix with the Irish students.  The pub had a great vibe and in addition to the American invasion that took over the bar there were also a good number of locals ranging from ages 20-75 (yes we talked to one of the older men and he told us his age!) 

From left to right: Julia, Caitlin, Jane, Chelsea and Nicole

There was nothing on the schedule for today which was a huge sigh of relief and it was wonderful to finally sleep in and relax a little bit.  Watching netflix on my bed here definitely made me start to feel like this is what home is going to be like…and for the record netflix has a different selection over here; more movies less tv shows.  I will keep you updated on how I am making out with this big change in my life.  

But after some good R&R Caitlin and I went into the city to begin exploring.  We stopped by the English Market and were overwhelmed with their selection.  They had everything you could possibly imagine from meats to cheeses to coffee to fruits and vegetables and everything in between.   It was so large I would categorize it as a mall, but better because it's all food! 

From there we went to "Dealz" (yes I spelled that correctly!) and did some bargain shopping for some more things around the apartment. Pictures to come when the room is fully done and neat which I am hoping will be soon.   

We had no plan we just wanted to get to know Cork a little bit better and so we just went walking the streets and at every intersection picked either left or right.  While we noticed that there are an inordinate amount of hair places, we mostly got a great vibe from the city and were excited about all it has to offer.   

My favorite part was when we came upon St. Fin Barre's chapel.  It is absolutely massive in size but more beautiful than any other chapel I have seen (including Notre Dame) because it was so unassuming.  It stood there off of a small road and besides its size and beauty, it did not shout its importance because there were no long lines of tourists or ticket booths ruining the view.   

The view from the back

View from the front…it was so tall and the street was so close behind me it was nearly impossible to get the whole face in the photo! 

Here are a couple more pictures from the city