There are a few things you may have missed this past week. For starters, this little blog of mine turned three! How amazing is that? I also broke my foot AND sprained my ankle while in Austin. Not so amazing. Since I am temporarily glued to the couch until my foot heals I thought it was time to share with you my amazing hour in Cork City a few weeks back.
After spending an afternoon at Blarney Castle, our tour made one last stop before heading back to Dublin. We only had an hour to explore Cork City so I guide dropped us off on what he described as the the "most interesting street in all of Cork". I was slightly under impressed. While St. Patrick's Street was busy, to us it was just another shopping district. We hadn't come to Ireland to shop at M&S or Debenhams! We decided to wander a bit, peeking down each side street as we passed. Our time limit restricted us from venturing too far, but we quickly stumbled across a quaint Irish market that we fell in love with. Ironically, it was called the English Market.
The English Market traces its beginnings to 1788. It was named English in order to distinguish itself from the Irish Market just down the road. Over the years it was largely a market for the wealthy before eventually transforming into a working class market in the early 20th century. In 1980, the market was all but destroyed in a fire. It was rebuilt and transformed into the market we now see today. Stalls are lease in 21 year contracts, and offer a variety of produce from olives to cheese and even cake. It is considered one of the oldest government run markets in the world and is now a popular tourist destination for Cork.
I pick out my birthday pie. Can you tell I love my food?
I would love to return to Cork and visit for more than 60 minutes. From what I could tell, the city is full of hidden treasures that are waiting to be explored!
xoxo
