In Cork, AirBnB makes a pretty good case against hotels

Today was a travel day. Though we did manage to squeeze in the Guinness Storehouse, we decided to save more time in Dublin for the end of our trip rather than the start. After a full night’s sleep, it was an early morning to catch a train south to Cork.

Thanks to Katy’s good planning, our AirBnB apartment in Dublin was just a short walk from the Heuston train station, so we didn’t have to worry about finding or arranging an early taxi. 

It was Ella’s first train ride so she was understandably pretty excited. Of course, this also meant that she was even more reluctant to look at the camera than usual. Choo! Choo!

It being such a momentous occasion, we thought it was very thoughtful of the train to label Ella’s seat. 

Always the quick study when it comes to travel, Ella was quick to establish armrest ownership. Just to make sure Katy didn’t get any ideas.

We might never stay in a hotel again.

We arrived in Cork around 10:30am and were again fortunate enough to have an apartment close to the train station. So, off we set with bags in tow. The only problem was, most of the short walk was up a steep hill. Despite this, we arrived at our apartment at 11:00am, sweaty and panting mildly. 

To say that we were pleasantly surprised when we arrived would be a big understatement. Though we knew we had paid a little more for this apartment, and that the pictures were nice, they really didn’t do it justice. The apartment is gorgeous, huge and really makes the case for travelling with AirBnB. The bedrooms and bathrooms are on the main floor while the second floor is a wide open kitchen and living room with floor to ceiling windows opening to a view over the city. Oh, and one third of the window opens out onto a big balcony that runs the width of the place. 

The host was midly disappointed that we arrived so soon after the previous guests left, but only because it meant that there wasn’t time to leave us some freshly baked bread from his restaurant. 

After we dropped our stuff off and settled in a bit, we decided to use the time before Ella’s nap to check out the English Market. This was listed as a must-see for Cork, but to be honest, we were a little disappointed. It’s not that it’s not a nice market, but it’s really no different from the St. Lawrence Market in Toronto. 

After Ella’s nap, we spent some more time walking around Cork. I don’t know why people always talk about the rain in Ireland. The weather has been nothing short of perfect. A mix of sun and clouds, warm but not uncomfortably hot or sticky. (No guarantee, your actual experience may differ.) In fact, our host in Dublin mentioned that the day we arrived was the warmest day in Ireland in 5 years. It has been great for walking. 

Fortunately, Cork is a nice city that’s easily walkable. Especially if you’re Ella and have a wide range of transportation options at your disposal. 

For dinner, we decided to try Issac’s, the restaurant owned by our host. The staff were super friendly and the food was very good. Despite this, Ella did eventually start to lose interest. Luckily for us, and the other restaurant patrons, we had a secret weapon, Playdough! Hat tip to Tara for not only thinking of the idea, but making the Playdough herself.

Tomorrow our adventures will take us outside of Cork. Though we’ve heard all about Fungie, Dingle’s friendly Dolphin. We’re more likely to head to Blarney and see what diseases we can pick-up by kissing the world’s easiest rock.