Doubling down

It is a double down.  When you cruise for 3-4 weeks, or a b2b Cruise, there is a good possibility that you will arrive in one or more ports with a been here done that attitude.  As we are in our last few days of our time at sea, we have done just that.  We have come back to Cobh/Cork.  Cobh is pronounced “Cove”...as the Admiral has been corrected...more than once on our return trip.  Cork County is a happening place....it is located in the southwest corner of Ireland and is known as “rebel country”...historically and ale wise.  One assumes that this is all Guinness country, no, those Cork folks only drink Murphy’s, as it is local.  (Btw Murphy’s did not pass Michael “rings of cream” test for those beer snobs). The county is more the size of Harris, Montgomery, Walker, Grime, Fort Bend all together, but only has about 1/2 million folks...so there lots of quaint towns, villages, with Cork as the largest city.  As I said before Pfizer is here as are 7 or the 10 major drug companies.  Dell and Apple are here, too.  So, according to our very Irish driver/guide traffic is bad.  Seriously, with 500,000 people, huge county area, great roads built by the EU, and staggered shift times—-come to Houston, we will teach you about traffic...did we mention blinding Texas rainstorms with a chance of flooding?  When I booked this driver/guide company, I asked not to do Blarney Castle, City of Cork or Cobh, Ring of Kerry (Kerry County is next door), Tipperary (as in it is a long way to Tipperary), Waterford, or anything that was more than a 35-40 minute drive out from the ship port....Yeah, with the various trips, we have seen most everything and were more interested in a slower pace...and possible seafood —-mussels and oysters are big here.  So, we opted for a trip into the countryside and working along the coastline (the beginning of what is called the Atlantic Wild Way). As we had seen the Northern reaches of the Ireland coast and the end of the Atlantic Wild Way, we felt that it would be good way to use our repeat day in Cobh.  Our very Irish driver, Jim O’Shea, was quite the chatter and used our car times to discuss British, Irish and US politics.  Let’s just say we know how he feel as about a whole range of issues from immigrants, Brexit, Trump, social welfare, and just about anything else...after our time in Ireland with various of the guides, i don’t think they are a lot of diplomats born in Ireland...a touch of the Blarney blabbermouth bite me, for sure.  

The highlight of our day was a stop at the Old Head Golf Course.  Old Head is the point at with the German U boat sank the Lusitania after it left Cobh.  (FYI for you WWI history folk The Lusitania wreck was owned for many decades by a US gentleman/salvager/historian-a week ago he signed the rights,and ownership back over to the Irish—-in a Bar called the Spectacle Door—-in case it comes up in conversation, or something)  As it is a private club with a gated and guarded (read century old stone keep) area, Jim went full Irish/Gaelic to explain that Eddie was a renown golfer from River Oaks in Houston that was wanted to visit the clubhouse and pay his respects...Have you got your Wellies on as the blarney was getting pretty deep?  The links course is so different from St Andrews in Scotland....at St. A’s hitting a tourists with a tee shot is a distinct possibility even for my renown golfer.  With its unique location on the Head (as in head of the coastline ridge) you could see all eighteen holes... My resident renown golfer said that the stiff wind could present some issues.  Don’t think the pro shop had enough golf balls in stock for that.  Water hazard and Atlantic Ocean...same diff.  

Down the hill to the charming coast town of Kinsdale for a bite to eat.  A narrow street charming town with fishing boats and plenty of shops and restaurants, it is where the professionals from Cork, get away for the weekend.  Seriously, it is a 45 minute drive and Cork is pretty picturesque.  We selected a popular place, with a temperamental chef/owner FishyFishy.  How can one pretend Gordon Ramsey with a name like FishyFishy?  Jim said we would only stay if the owner was not in a foul mood....there is that blarney, again.  Well, the owner/chef met us at the door and seemed to be receptive to Americans eating their lunch there...so we had a pint, oysters and fish and chips.  Oysters were up to the Admiral’s standards, so life was good.  

As it was close to 4:00 in the afternoon, it was time to return to our ship...45 minutes away, with plenty of time for traffic issues and delays before sail away.  Like Michael, Jim’s company has had the unfortunate luck to not return passengers before the ship sailed 7 times in the last 12 years.  If it is private, it is out of the driver’s pocket, so we always make the all aboard.  

Speaking of double down, we are dding on man sick.  The renown golfer has a head cold...with an ear infection.  Something tells me that our next excursion will be to the medical center on board.  Next stop England Lake District...there are ships, cars, planes, and trains involved on the final leg of our trip.  Stay tuned as we get our sea legs back.