A Sunny Day on the Coast--Cobh, Ireland

Cobh (pronounced "cove") is a small coastal village south of Cork, about a 30 minute train ride through the swampy low-tide coastal plains. Not knowing much about the town other than what my guide book briefly mentioned, Sabrina and I (for our third Wednesday exploration) exited the train realizing we had no map, no itinerary, or sense of direction. We followed the crowd of visitors and walked along the main road which wound us along the harbor--the second largest natural harbor in the world. The scenery displayed views of a remote island jail, toy-like sailboats, and a hillside spotted with a Gothic Church and a colorful combination of houses and seaside shops. As we strolled through the charming city center on our way to the Titanic Memorial Gardens (Cobh was the last port of call for the Titanic), we acquired a shaggy follower and despite our many attempts to lose him (ducking into shops, running down the beach, and comically trying to tiptoe away) he followed us to the edge of town into the gardens. Much to our embarrassment, he defaced the memorial bushes. We finally lost him as we climbed higher and higher up the hill into a residential area where we were able to see across the harbor to the ocean. What a picturesque scene! We briefly toured St. Colman's Cathedral before catching our return train, on which I slept the whole way home.