I got up early to make sure that I didn’t mess up or get stuck in traffic. For the first time since arriving, I set my blackberry alarm clock and the one on the TV. I took a taxi to the bus station, where I caught my bus ride to the airport, again as part of my hop on, hop off pass. A young nurse from Calgary sat right beside me. She’s met an Irishman while working in Australia a year or so ago, and had returned to Ireland from Calgary to visit him. She was headed to the airport to hop on a flight to Spain to meet up with her sister for a couple of days of her three week trip here. She mentioned several things to do while I was in the west, and it made the time to the airport go by very quickly. Getting there and finding my way around was very simple. I had carefully packed my bags so that my knapsack was in my small carry-on suitcase with my laptop and lots of other heavy things, and my big suitcase was my one allowable checked bag. Much to my dismay, the checked bag was 9 kilos overweight. Do you know how much money it costs to be 9 kilos overwt on Ryanair? Too f-ing much, I’ll tell you that. 135 euro, that’ how much! I nearly popped my pants!!! What was I to do. By the time I headed over to the desk to pay, she’d sent my bag through. I was seething for the entire flight.
My arrival in Cork was uneventful. I took a cab to the Ashley Hotel, which was basic, but clean and the owner was friendly. I settled in and then walked over to City Hall to try to meet up with Mark for the first time. He wasn’t sure what his afternoon held. I didn’t find him there but we later spoke on the phone and I met up with him for a bit in the afternoon. We had a bite to eat and caught up. He had to be at an awards presentation for 5pm, so I went back to the hotel, and met him at 715pm as previously arranged, in time for the 730pm concert.
The weather throughout the day was cloudy but I don’t recall that it rained. Not very warm though. By far, the highlight of Cork was the final concert. Mark left part way through, having heard most of the choirs already, and having had his fill of choral music. I, on the other hand, could have listened til midnight. The quality of half the group was excellent and the other half was superb. There were choirs from all over the world: Italy, Russia, Finland, Slovenia, and many from all over Ireland. The choirs were all different, some men and women, some just one or the other, some teen choirs and one children’s choir. For all the music lovers who read this, you should try to fit this into a trip sometime; you won’t be sorry. I left feeling inspired and rejuvenate from my sleep-deprived state.
I have to tell you about my sleep in Cork. First of all, as usual, I had trouble feeling tired, then about 330am, I got a phone call from Canada on my cell; someone who shall remain nameless, that forgot about the time change. That call lasted about 15 mins, then the bar let out that was beside the hotel, so it took me quite a while to get back to sleep, and finally about 6am, I had a dream. Not just any dream, but one that I have on a recurring basis once or twice a year. (Where's that doctor when you need him?!) I awoke to the sight of a druggy, digging their nails into me, trying to fight me off! All I could think was, for god sakes, does it get any worse than this?! Only a baby had made me feel like that…not the digging of the nails, but the sleep deprivation.
My arrival in Cork was uneventful. I took a cab to the Ashley Hotel, which was basic, but clean and the owner was friendly. I settled in and then walked over to City Hall to try to meet up with Mark for the first time. He wasn’t sure what his afternoon held. I didn’t find him there but we later spoke on the phone and I met up with him for a bit in the afternoon. We had a bite to eat and caught up. He had to be at an awards presentation for 5pm, so I went back to the hotel, and met him at 715pm as previously arranged, in time for the 730pm concert.
The weather throughout the day was cloudy but I don’t recall that it rained. Not very warm though. By far, the highlight of Cork was the final concert. Mark left part way through, having heard most of the choirs already, and having had his fill of choral music. I, on the other hand, could have listened til midnight. The quality of half the group was excellent and the other half was superb. There were choirs from all over the world: Italy, Russia, Finland, Slovenia, and many from all over Ireland. The choirs were all different, some men and women, some just one or the other, some teen choirs and one children’s choir. For all the music lovers who read this, you should try to fit this into a trip sometime; you won’t be sorry. I left feeling inspired and rejuvenate from my sleep-deprived state.
I have to tell you about my sleep in Cork. First of all, as usual, I had trouble feeling tired, then about 330am, I got a phone call from Canada on my cell; someone who shall remain nameless, that forgot about the time change. That call lasted about 15 mins, then the bar let out that was beside the hotel, so it took me quite a while to get back to sleep, and finally about 6am, I had a dream. Not just any dream, but one that I have on a recurring basis once or twice a year. (Where's that doctor when you need him?!) I awoke to the sight of a druggy, digging their nails into me, trying to fight me off! All I could think was, for god sakes, does it get any worse than this?! Only a baby had made me feel like that…not the digging of the nails, but the sleep deprivation.
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