Cobh 'n' Cork

Don't you know this feeling when you see a bargain? You just have to stick out your grubby little hands and make it yours forever. Cheap Ryanair fares is one of the things I cannot resist. Day trips is another. What better when both can be combined. In the past I've been to Florence, Rome, Dublin, Valencia and Venice for the day. This time I got hold of a return ticket to Cork in the Republic of Ireland for, wait for it, two pennies including taxes. The 10 Pounds credit card processing fee came as a bit of a shock. Getting to Stansted airport from North London is usually more expensive than the flight itself.

The sun isn't yet up when I'm on the airport bus into Cork. And eventually I realise that the sun rises in the east (okay, the sun doesn't rise, the Earth turns ... no need to be that picky) - I turn 180° and can now read the map perfectly well and manage to reach the rail station. So, basically, I go to Cork and the first thing I do is leave it straight away to go to Cobh. Cobh, pronounced "cove" is just a short ride away. It's a lovely little city - colourful houses, pubs, seafront, boats, harbour - that was made famous by the sinking of the Lusitania nearby and it was also the last stop of the Titanic before setting sail towards New York. St Coleman's cathedral towers over Cobh and I expect it to be closed. I'm in Ireland, stupid, it's not just open, a mass is being held. After a couple of hours I'm back in Cork.

I criss-cross the shopping area and follow the quays along the River Lee. It's busy, lots of shops are trying to lure money-laden Irishmen and women to their sales racks. I resist, not that I wouldn't want to but my backpack is already wearing me down. Enjoying a peaceful break by the River Lee, I'm abruptly awoken by an excited woman who had just spotted a seal swimming upstream. Or was it downstream? "So have I", I mutter back, "very nice." I just about manage to stretch my neck about an inch to get a glimpse but immediately slump back and hug the wooden bench I'm sitting on. I love benches. I wonder if there are any "bench aficionados" gathering in forums on the web. Surely not! Two more excited Irishmen share the seal news with me. Friendly people the Irish, but they do talk a lot. Now I only have one more wish, find a nice pub and sit down. If my feet manage to carry me that far. My shoulders are hurting like mad, only my credit card hurts more when I have to shell out €2.50 for half a pint of Guinness ...