Uncorked

In keeping with the spontaneity of Ireland, a couple of us took a little jaunt to Cork this weekend, catching a bus early Friday. Cork, in the south of the country, is Ireland's second-biggest city after Dublin, and its third most populated after Dublin and Belfast. Historically, it's known as "The Rebel City," due to the role it played in the War for Independence and Ireland's Civil War.

Colloquially, it's known as a bit of a letdown. Cork's a mix of Cumberland's dreariness, Baltimore's unease, and the shopping centers of Queens. While very well-dressed, the people there were far less likely to return smiles. This may not be a reflection on the Corkonians themselves --- we were asked for directions by three different groups of Americans, some Canadian visitors, and a posse of Israeli tourists. Nobody's quite sure of their bearings in Cork, and somehow the atmosphere takes on the feeling of an outdoor warehouse full of strangers.

But even a bleak destination is manageable when you're traveling with friends. And what companions I had! The girls and I had such fun exploring up and down the River Lee while waiting for the others to arrive. A wonderful dinner at an organic place called Nutmeg cheered us all up immensely, and we ended the night in hilarity --- all ten NYU kids in one hostel room, trying to sleep and failing catastrophically.