Put a Cork in it

Today was much better - Sun was shinning (just) and the temperature a balmy 17'. So today was spent discovering Cork. It is an interesting city with possibly the most number of pubs I have ever seen. Some interesting highlights included "The Butter Museum" which tells the fascinating story of the Irish butter trade. There is even a wooden barrel of thousand year old bog butter (the museums prized possession). Just near the butter museum is St Anne's Church - known as the Four-Faced Liar, as each of the four clocks on its tower tell a different time! On top of the tower is a gold salmon weather vane. Another interesting spot was Elizabeth Fort - a 400 year old barracks which at one stage was the convict prison for the transport of female prisoners to Australia. Caroline Chisholm (who until recently was on the Australian $5 note) was responsible for the way the female prisoners were treated in the fort before the ships departed. In the heart of the city is the "English Market" which has been trading since 1788 which makes it one of the oldest municipal markets in the world. The quality of the produce was amazing - One pork producer I was chatting to sells his sausages and bacon in New York. Cork at first seems a grey old city but as the day progressed I started to really enjoy it. And yes the Irish people are super friendly. It seems that every one I spoke to (including a street sweeper who pulled up for a chat while I was having a beer!) have spent some time at Bondi Beach.