My cold was in full swing today, my throat constricted so I could barely swallow, I was unable to eat more than a few bites of anything (all I ate today was a bit of fish from last night’s dinner for breakfast and half a bowl of soup), and felt weak and hot and cold in turns. The morning started with travelling to Gatwick to catch our flight. It was on RyanAir, an airline we have studiously avoided since the one time I flew it. It really does deserve its reputation for being the most awful there is; on that trip, one of the stewards spilled a glass of Coca Cola onto me and did not even give me a napkin to clean it up. This time was slightly better, but it was still rude and uncomfortable and evoked that special feeling of being gouged at every turn, but in any event, we arrived in Cork without sticky sweet drinks poured over me.
Cork is not the prettiest town, but there is something attractive about. It’s clearly a place on the rise. The taxi drivers (who are uniformly talkative) told us about the industries and people flooding in, there is a university, and lively arts and culture. It will be interesting to see it in ten years. There has been some movement here thanks to Brexit as well.
I was shattered by the time we arrived, but the Gentleman Friend persuaded me to join him on a walk into town, so we visited the English Market (very nice but in my feeble state the smells of fresh produce, especially the meat, made me gag), and St Finnbar’s cathedral. This is Anglican, so I was surprised that the vicar conducted his service at a side chapel in rather beautiful song. Perhaps that’s what the Church of Ireland does. The church itself was lovely, built recently as these things go, but in high Gothic style, with vaulted ceilings and gargoyles, and a really beautful door. Lovely place. I did wonder to what extent it must have symbolised the grip of the English. Quite heavily so, I imagine. In the church yard was a labyrinth, one of those flat ones marked on the ground, and the idea was to meditate as you walked it. Not being a meditative sort, I only got halfway through I’m afraid.