Sunday, 13 April 2025

Top o’ the mornin’ to ya, from Cork on ye ole Emerald Isle. 

So, I didn’t tell you about this trip before…even though it’s been planned for a long time.

It’s a bit of a story. 

It started last summer when I hosted my friend Medi from Paris as a couch surfer. You may remember that I met Medi on the beach. When he returned to Valencia later in the summer, he stayed with me. 

Medi and his friends are hosting a group of friends for an Easter weekend of food, sights and laughter. I planned to take advantage of my proximity and join the fun. That’s coming up NEXT weekend in Paris. And it was planned last Fall. 

Then I met Vicente. That friendship continues to grow. I am joining Vicente for this week in Ireland.  Then, he’ll return home on Friday and I’ll fly to Paris for the weekend with Medi and friends. 

So, Vicente and I arrived yesterday (Saturday). We’re spending three nights in Cork, one night in Limerick, and two nights in Dublin. You’ll read about our adventures here next week. 

And, it was a full, wonderful week in Valencia, including time with friends and family!

My cousin Sarah was in town as part of the “Dansa Valencia” festival.  

It was a lovely Spring week in Valencia. 

The park next to my house is bright and green. Every day I walk through here and smile. The dogs play. Neighbors gather. And the world’s problems are solved. (One week, I’ll introduce you to the “Parroquianos.”  That’s what Vicente calls them. A group of men who gather each day to drink and talk together, as faithfully as the best church-goers. That’s for another day.)

So, as I say, it was a lovely week. I met my friends Cindy for lunch, Ana for coffee, as well as good Spanish classes, time with Dima, my English student and more. 

The highlight was the arrival of Sarah and her husband Daniel. Sarah is actually the daughter of my cousin, Roxanne, making her my “second cousin.”  Sarah is a professional dancer. She and Daniel live in Stockholm, where he is from. They work with an internationally acclaimed choreographer from Berlin, where they lived before moving to Sweden. 

They arrived in Valencia on Wednesday and I met them at their hotel and then we walked to a restaurant that came highly recommended. We had a great dinner and shared laughs and philosophy. It was a special treat for me to have family in my city that I could connect with. 

Friday night was their performance at the beautiful Teatro Principal. I went with Vicente and my friend Rafael. The theater was full and the performance was mesmerizing. 

Five dancers were on a revolving stage, when they started to sing! Dancers, who sing!!  It was haunting, mesmerizing, beautiful, tragic and heart wrenching. 

As with most contemporary dance pieces, it’s up to the viewer to draw their own story. But I saw slaves working, escaping, swimming, drowning and dying. It was tragic and unforgettable. 

Afterwards, we joined the cast and local arts patrons for a reception in the lobby. Sarah works with delightful people. The other dancers and support team are fun, lovely and  joyful. Everyone should have the chance to enjoy a glass of wine with these talented artists. 

On Saturday, Vicente and I caught our plane to Cork. We landed, caught a bus to our hostel. Hostel!?  Jim, you stayed in a hostel!? Yep. When we booked our trip, there’s a new hotel we really wanted to try. But the Saturday night rate was as much as the Sunday and Monday rate combined. So, we booked the hostel for one night. It was fine. It was clean, basic, and not terribly uncomfortable. I actually slept great. 

After checking in, we went out for fish and chips, with a pint of Murphy’s Ale. “When in Rome….”

We found an authentic Irish pub with live music and Guinness Ale.  But it was packed and hot. We left after an hour. 

Then we found a gay bar and got there just before a drag show started. As drag shows go, it was pretty good. Fun energy, lots of laughter, and impressive dresses and costumes. 

Today (Sunday), we got up, ate breakfast and started walking. Because it is Sunday, a lot of places were closed. Despite the forecast, it was a clear beautiful morning. Through the campus of University College Cork, to Fitzgerald Park, and then back to town. We stopped for lunch at an American style burger bar. Often people ask what foods I miss, being out of the US, and I usually can’t think of anything in particular. But then there are moments like today. The burgers were delicious. And they served Blue Moon beer, originally crafted in Colorado! So, it was a lovely taste of home.  

Afterwards, we checked into our hotel. The Dean is a modern, beautiful space. We relaxed, went swimming, and then headed out for drinks, dinner and live jazz. 

After jazz, we found a pub with live covers of soft rock.

I had one more Guinness.

Did you know that it’s a mark of pride to drink your first sip, not stopping until you “split the G” in Guinness? I didn’t even try! To “split the G,” took me about 15 minutes! I’m such a light weight!

That was our first full day in Cork.

Next week, I’ll greet you from Paris, with the rest of the Irish adventure.

Have a great Easter and Passover.