Afterwards, we hurried to the Cork Bus Station to grab a 10:30am bus to Kinsale, only to find out that there was no 10:30am bus. Oops! This was our only hiccup with using public transportation on this trip. So we meandered around Cork until the 11:45am bus that would take us to Kinsale.
But we finally made it to Kinsale, a beautiful little coastal town. We immediately went to the Fishy Fishy Cafe for lunch, as it came highly recommended. And boy, this place did not disappoint! It was a glass of prosecco for me, amazingly fresh oysters to start, and then a warm seafood salad. By far, the absolute best meal I had on the entire trip.
After lunch, Janet and I walked around this adorable town. There were so many colorful buildings, beautiful flowers, and small doorways. Really, Kinsale is just the cutest coastal town I've ever seen.
We found another souvenir shop and I bought my lifesavers - knee high Guinness socks. (Just wait for next St. Patrick's Day!!) This was my best purchase of the trip, as those socks kept me warm the rest of the day and the rest of the trip.Janet and I found our way to the International Museum of Wine, and while it's nothing to write home about, we had some fun with the wax statues.
The museum is in Desmond Castle, which is of course, rich with history. Including the fact that during the Revolutionary War, American prisoners were chained to the outside of the castle to make examples of them. This was my interpretation of being locked up.
With another recommendation, we stopped into Jim Edwards (a pub). We had our customary Bulmer's Cider and I perused their dinner menu and vowed that we would be back so I could try their lobster risotto.
After walking around the town a bit more, Janet and I decided to walk out towards Charles Fort and stop into Bulman's for a pint. It downpoured during most of our walk, but we were prepared with our poncho and umbrella. And there were no sidewalks, so we were on car alert while walking. But we saw the most amazing views of the harbor and took many photos of the scenery.
So, take a look at Bulman's - orange and blue building (Auburn colors), and the women's bathroom door had the name 'Janet' on it. A sign? Yes, I think it was meant to be for us to spend some time here.
We had a pint and some chips and watched the Ireland-Russia soccer match. Meanwhile, the wind picked up by the time we made our way outside, and it made for an interesting walk back into Kinsale.
Of course, we had to stop at The Spainerd (CUTE pub) for a glass (aka half a pint), and while it was a great looking pub, the people were just not as friendly as we had met in other pubs.Janet and I decided to head back to Jim Edwards for dinner. Janet had another pint of Guinness (yes, she became a Guinness drinker in Ireland), the soup of the day, and mussels stuffed with garlic breadcrumbs. Yum. Meanwhile, my wish was granted, and I had the lobster risotto with a glass of wine. O.M.G.
We both passed out on the bus ride back to Cork, and once we were back there, we stopped at Amicus for another glass of wine, and said hello to our friendly hotel bartenders for a nightcap. What a day!
Click here for more photos from Day Five in Ireland.
PS - Should I get back to Ireland again, I would spend 2 days in Kinsale. This was my #1 stop on our trip, primarily because it was the best food we had during the entire trip. I cannot say enough great things about this cute coastal town!
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