Prague

Despite the fact that compared to other countries in Europe, so little is known about the Czech Republic and its capital, Prague, it was by far the most incredible city we have experienced yet. The city offered staggering views of ornately decorated museums, squares, and churches, along with genuine old world charm. Despite the inability to understand any of the Czech language (for this beauty comes at a price – the price of a very confusing non-Latin based language), we wandered happily through the rose colored rooftops listening to the babbling of the River Elbe.

This time, we sat out to explore on foot, for the cobble stoned streets of Prague wouldn’t have been kind to our bicycles or our butts.

Our feet first led us to Prague Castle, one of Prague’s most amazing sights. It  is crowned by the twin spires of St. Vitus’s Cathedral which was started in 1344, and because of the Hussite Wars was only completed in 1929, over 500 years later!  The interior was remarkable and included an abundance of art work and sculptures.

 

 

One of the highlights of our time in Prague, was the ascent of St. Vitus Bell Tower.   The bell weighs in at an astounding 16.5 tons. We huffed our way up 287 spiral stairs to the top of the tower, which stands 316.6 ft. tall in the castle square. The views offered were well worth the leg workout.

In Prague’s Old Town Square, we saw many old governmental buildings and the famous Old Town Square Astronomical Clock. It not only tells the correct time, but relates the movement of the planets around the earth, sun, and moon through the signs of the zodiac.  We also saw the St. James Basilica, which is famous for having a mummified arm hanging above the door (which we did not see). Yet, we did thoroughly enjoy the Gothic and Baroque interior.

Although sad to leave Prague,  we were met with the equally beautiful countryside of Austria. We camped with the Austrian Alps on one side and the Salzach River on the other. We spent the night shivering and taking in the majestic fog tipped cliffs. The next morning, before our departure to Venice, we hiked to the to the entrance of a nearby castle and pondered its previous importance. It was located on a cliff, a clear tactical choice, which would cause it to be difficult to attack without being spotted. We were thankful to be one of its easily spotted visitors and welcomed the fresh air. We hope to return to this picturesque country with its fairy-tale castles and pastel painted buildings.

 

Berlin

As Germany’s capital, this city has has turbulent history that has touched and changed our most recent history; the fall of the Berlin Wall and the reunification of Germany. November 9, 1989 marks the day day that East Germans and West Germans were no longer separated by two million tons of concrete and 700,000 tons of steel, not to mention attack dogs, trip wires, traps and armed guards.

Our first day we managed to visit the Berlin Wall Memorial, the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag and various historic squares. We enjoyed of wonderful lunch and dessert in the Jewish Quarter, but all the while my thoughts were on the impending arrival of Giana, who we had not seen for three months!

We returned to camp and decided to spend the next day on our bikes, shopping for a used bike for Giana to use during the two weeks she would travel with us.

The results? We rode for four and a half hours and finally found a wonderfully helpful shop named Little John Bikes. He located us a perfect bike for Giana’s use at a reasonable cost. He was so kind that he threw in a seat cover for her and Steve’s bikes and a key chain!

We then, that evening at 10:30 p.m., rode our bikes to the train station to meet Giana’s plane. We were a little late, but her being the resourceful traveler she is, found the train station, the correct incoming train, and was waiting for us!

On our fourth and final day in Berlin, all three of us visited many of the historical sites in Berlin. The one that we learned the most from and definitely touched us was our visit to The Wall of Terror. This location is at the sight of the former Gestapo headquarters, once the most feared address in Berlin. It was chilling to see. We learned about Hitler’s plan for Poland. We also walked along an original fragment of the Berlin Wall that stretched along the side of the street.

After such a heavy day, we returned to camp, and took our three bikes on a long evening ride.

Dresden

After a three hour delay, a stomach ache on my twelve hour flight to Stockholm, and a customs agent who barely nodded at my cheerful hello, my trip to Europe was off to a rocky start. Yet, after my first hot shower in over two months, in my opinion, Europe had welcomed me with open arms. I had been living in Nicaragua for the past two and a half months, and with less than twenty four hours on US soil, I crazily decided to meet my parents in Berlin to join them on their travels before starting school again at the end of August. So, bienvenidos to this special edition blog post with me, guest writer, Giana Amador! (Sorry, I’m still adjusting to living in a non-Spanish speaking country).

After just one day in Berlin for me (and four for my parents), we headed to Dresden, a city most commonly known for its destruction from the bombings of WWII. Yet, what is even more unbelievable was the preservation of history and reconstruction that occurred after such staggering events. We set off on our Dresden adventure on bikes, with a list of sites we wanted to see. We first happened upon a Russian Orthodox Church whose beautiful golden spires stood out from the more western architecture we had seen in Berlin. It was obvious that we were traveling to an area of Germany more heavily influenced by Russian culture.

Next stop was Old Town Dresden, a cultural center with many old churches and government buildings that now serve as museums. My particular favorite was the Zwinger, a large courtyard surrounded by magnificent buildings on all sides commissioned during the Golden Age of Dresden (mid-18^th century) by prince elector of Saxony and king of Poland Friedrich Augustus I, nicknamed Augustus the Strong. The opulence in the Zwinger is fabulous and shocking, especially considering the grounds were only used for celebrations and not official business.

Quite arrogantly, Augustus ordered many renderings of himself in the Zwinger, including a statue of the mortal Atlas (with his facial features) holding the earth on his back. It fits Augustus’s nickname to embody someone strong enough to hold the earth. However, even more fittingly, in Greek mythology, Atlas was sentenced to a life of punishment for his haughtiness and his attempt to overthrow the gods of Mount Olympus. Similar to Atlas, Augustus’s pride caused him to miss an important detail – he didn’t have enough money to finish his masterpiece. The Zwinger was left unfinished until after his death.

Dresden was heavily bombed in 1945 and most of the buildings were reduced to ruins. Different from the other “old” buildings in the city, the Zwinger was the only complex to be restored under communist control. Yet, the citizens of the city had anticipated this, and hid their most important artwork and cultural items in underground cellars in the countryside. They remained safe, however, the rest of the city was reduced to ruins in only one night by American and British bombs.  The buildings shown below, along with many others, were left in pieces until Germany was reunified in 1989. However, the reconstruction yielded an awe-inspiring display of complexity and beauty!

Still on bikes, we came upon a little piece of home in Dresden! This statue, titled Rotante Dal Foro Centrale by Italian sculptor, Arnaldo Pomodoro, is a sister statue to one at UC Berkeley, where I go to school, in addition to other locations across the globe. The statue represents the coming of a new, transforming world erupting from the inner sanctity of the current world order. I think this perfectly fits phoenix-like persona of Dresden – rising from the ashes of WWII, into a beautiful and history filled city.

We biked home 15 miles over Blue Wonder, an impressive suspension bridge which was built when the technology was still new, and rounded out our day with lunch on the Elbe River.

 

Wolfsburg Autostadt

Of course we had to make sure we visited the birthplace of the Volkswagen Bus, Wolfburg Germany. After arriving in Wolfsburg, we purchased our tickets to the Autostadt and booked a tour of the Volkswagen factory (where no photos are allowed).  They picked us up by boat, took us to the plant where we toured by electric vehicle. We witnessed people putting together various parts of the car, but the use of robotics was immense.  It was amazing that almost everything on the exterior was done by robots, including the putting on of window rubber, windshields, wheels and molding.  We saw cars being painted by robots too.  Volkswagen claims that the Wolfsburg plant is the largest auto plant in the world, it produces over 3000 Volkswagen Golfs per day!  In the town of Wolfsburg, Volkswagen employs 53,000 people.  It is rare to see a car that is not a Volkswagen in this company town.

The Volkswagen Autostadt is 28 hectares (70 acres) of parkland, museum, architecture, design, engineering and nature.  It is like a theme park for car enthusiasts. You can drive any Volkswagen vehicle, order one to your specifications and pick it up there.  When your car is complete, it is mechanically placed into one of two towers where it waits for your arrival (the pick up option is available only to those in Germany, the Netherlands or Austria).  Watch the video here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0-b-D6TCpY) of how the cars are handled after leaving the factory prior to pickup.

Volkswagen Museum

In addition to the Autostadt,  Wolfsburg is home to a privately owned Volkswagen museum.  It contains a good representation of Volkswagen history and contains a couple of very rare cars and factory vehicles.  We have found it odd that old air cooled Volkswagens seem  hard to find in Germany.  We have had numerous comments and conversations about our camper, and the locals express that there are not many left. In the past two weeks we haven’t seen another bus or beetle older than 1970. In fact, while driving through Berlin, a motorcycle pulled up next to us at a stoplight and commented on our bus, and then asked if we would sell it.  We politely said no, and then he commented on how hard they are to find.

Monastery Jerichow

While driving across Germany, we  happened across yet another amazing structure in a small out-of-the-way town, the Monastery Jerichow.  The intriguing, detail laden exterior of the Monastery Jerichow continued to amaze us as we explored the path through the exterior courtyard.  This 12th century church and grounds awed us with its monumental sense of space and harmony of proportion. The details and craftsmanship of this pure Romanesque style building once again humbled us. The interior arches, supported with column capitals, are uniquely and elaborately decorated.  The use of red bricks throughout added to its sense of spaciousness and symmetry.

 

 

 

 

 

Glasshouses

While camping in Amsterdam, we were lucky enough to camp next to Pierre and Annette, a couple from the Westland area of the Netherlands. During our conversations, we found out that Pierre was a Glasshouse (greenhouse) consultant, helping growers lower energy consumption, and save money in their production facilities.  Pierre soon asked if we would be in the Westland area and if so,  would we like a tour of some nearby glasshouses.  We jumped at the chance, and met up several days later for the tours.

The tours took us through three sites, a working research/educational facility, a tomato grower and packer and a flower / houseplant glasshouse.  At each of the facilities we had very informative tours lead by the owners, and we came away with a better understanding of Dutch agriculture.

Demokwekerij Westlands

Our first tour showed us a facility that conducts research, connects industry with equipment suppliers, and educates young people for placement in middle management positions in the glasshouse industry.  We were guided by Peet van Adrichem, where he showed us his amazing facility.  Numerous equipment suppliers donate equipment where it can be used in research and as educational tools.

As stated above, the company also operates as educational facility for young students wanting to enter the profession.  They have test areas where students will run test plots, learning the ins and outs of the business, as well as finding new and better ways to improve output.  The school was started to help supply the dire need for employees.  There are currently ten jobs waiting for each graduate!  I found it odd that all students are male, even with the company efforts to attract female students.

Pictures of various equipment within the facility

Tom Select Tomato Growers and Packers

Our next stop was with Tom Select, a hothouse tomato grower and packer in the Westland area.  Here we had the opportunity to see more of the production aspect of the industry.  We suited up for sanitation reasons, and took a look around.

Our last stop of the glasshouse tours was with a potted-plant grower, who grew house plants.  The most interesting aspect of the company is that they market air purifying plants.  Selling plants for the home , office, or classroom that purify the air and improve air quality indoors.  They specifically sell plants based on their ability to improve air quality. For more information check out their website , http://www.airsopure.nl/en.  The facility we visited grew primarily Spathiphyllum.   The grower would spray paint the flowers in many different colors.  Since Spathiphyllum only flower in white, they would paint the flowers to gain a different effect that was highly marketable.

 

All three tours were a great look into an industry we were not familiar with, Jeanette and I learned a great deal.  A special thanks to Pierre and Annette for the organization of the tours, without their generosity this experience would have not been possible.

 

Netherlands countryside

We enjoyed the bike roads winding through the countryside going from one town to the next without the worry of traffic (or hills). We visited Alkmar, Haarlaam, Almeer, Nieuwland, Den Haag, Westland, Arnhem, and others. Many of these towns we rode through on our bikes, enjoying the landscape, historic churches, and beautiful houses and gardens.

Delft

This beautiful town with its charming canals and roomy cobblestone square, is the hometown of the painter Vermeer (The Girl with the Pearl Earring) and the original blue and white Delftware.  We met a charming French couple and their son at our campsite.  We stupidly neglected to get their names, but enjoyed talking with them about school (the woman was also a teacher), and traveling through Europe.

Our first full day, we leisurely biked to the center of town to a large antique flea market. I did buy a few treasures, but found a lot of fun bits,  if only I had the room to bring them home.  We spent the next two days biking through neighboring towns, wandering around, and enjoying the sites.

We were particularly awe-struck by the beauty of Maria Van Jessekirk  Catholic Church.  Its stained glass windows and impressive religious artwork was so incredible it brought tears to my eyes.

 

 

 

Belgium

This beautiful country covers only 12,000 square miles, which is slightly smaller than the state of Maine.  For now, as we hope to return, we only visited this incredible country for three days.  During our short time here, we were captivated by the beautiful countryside. Each town had a city square ringed with restaurants, shops, and at least one church.  Paved bike paths ran along each side of the larger streets, and specific bike lanes gave bikes the right of way on the smaller roads. These bike paths were not only located on almost every road in the city, but also stretched from town to town, sometimes right through the middle of a farmer’s field!  Beautiful countryside, boat rides on the canal, chocolate, windmills and biking. We are looking to return soon.

Netherlands

Upon entering the Netherlands we were quick to notice beautiful old windmills scattered across the countryside.  Theses windmills were were used (some still are) to meet the mechanical and farming needs of the Dutch.  Some were grain mills, others lumber mills, but the majority were erected for the purpose of pumping water.  The Netherlands is a country built upon coastal peat bogs and much of the country is below sea level. Throughout history,   land was reclaimed by building a series of dikes surrounding a parcel of land then removing the water using windmills as a power source for pumps.  The windmills would remain in place to remove rain water or seepage as needed.  Today, more modern power sources are used, yet windmills remain as a beautiful part of history.

Amsterdam

Traveling from the beautiful agricultural countryside to  historic Amsterdam in one day, was was a shock to our systems.  There were some similarities such as miles of bike lanes, but the number of people and the tempo of the city overtook and enthralled us. We checked in to the Zeeburg campground    We luckily were granted their very last spot.  We joined other campers among a sea of tents. The site was quite nice, almost like a small city itself. The staff was wonderfully helpful and went out of their way to make our stay special.

Our first day we rode our bikes into town learning the rules of the road on the way. Our trek was relaxing and helped us arrive at our destination much more quickly than a bus or even a taxi and with zero pollution   Our ride home that first night was not as quick, but that’s another story. Amsterdam is a great bike town. It was amazing to see 100’s of bikes parked along side the road. There are definitely more bikes than cars.

We parked our bikes, locked them securely, and started by taking a walking tour of this large city. The architecture is incredible. Steve noticed that many buildings lean forward toward the street with a hook high up near the roof. We found out that this was for hoisting cargo upstairs without banging it against the house.

We made our way from the historic area southwest to the Anne Frank House, Rembrandt’s house and the tree lined canals across from gabled mansions, and then west to an area with small boutiques and finally to the Jordaan area where we enjoyed a quiet stroll along the cobbled streets and flower topped canals.

Anne Frank House – this was one of the most emotional stops on our trip this far. It is almost too consuming and overwhelming to write about.   Seeing her actual hiding place impacted me much more than reading her diary.  I learned that Anne was born in Germany in 1929. In 1933 the family moved to Amsterdam where her father started a business. Nine years later when Anne is 13 years old her family went into hiding in the back part (the annexe) of the company.  As a reader, I waited to see the the original bookcase that concealed the secret passageway and the rickety stairway. It is narrow and difficult. We learned that eight people ended up living within the secret annex for two years without going outside, ever! It is almost surreal to stand in the rooms were Anne stood, and where she wrote in her diary. We witnessed where she sat during the work day as  she had to sit still and not make a sound, so the workmen would not discover them. We see marks on the wall that are the growth lines where Anne’s parents made pencil marks to measure her and her sister’s growth.  We see a Star of David Patch. We visit her room and see the remains of her collection of pictures of movie stars,of art she found beautiful and perhaps, inspiring.  We learn that after hiding for two years, the German Secret Police find and deport all eight people to Nazi concentration camps.  Only Anne’s father survives.

 

 Wageningen University

During our journey across the Netherlands, Jeanette and I made it a point to stop and visit Wageningen University, the country’s top agriculture college where the motto is “to explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life”.

Upon entering the campus we noticed the new modern facilities with large impressive architecture. The names and designs of each building focus on the cycles of life.

We began our tour in the Gaia building, with a wonderful tour of the World Soil Museum.  Here 1000 soil samples have been collected from over 80 countries.  Scientists look at how humans have influenced the soil.  It also boasts up-to-date digital soil maps from all over the world.  These are for educational purposes and as references for scientists.  “No life without soil” is the message of this World Soil Museum.

We continued our tour of this unique agricultural research campus and were in awe of the size and scope of their campus.  Extensive animal and crop units focus on the production of food while taking into account environmental concerns.

 

 

Every week we post a student question in the “Weekly Challenge” section of our blog.  This week we thought we would challenge everyone. As we travel we are constantly struggling with our limited knowledge of European geography, sometimes to the point that it’s a little embarrassing. Follow the link below and take the on line quiz to see how you measure up.  Make sure you check the appropriate box if you want to practice or take the test.  Send us your results if you’d like, and let us know how you do.

http://lizardpoint.com/geography/europe-quiz.php

In addition, we have added links to a couple couple of fun videos that Nick Stuyt showed me prior to our trip.  One tells the difference between Holland and the Netherlands and the other shows where Britain and England fit into the United Kingdom.

Holland vs The Netherlands

 

England vs Britain vs The United Kingdom

 

We hope you enjoy the challenge. 🙂

Cambridge

Just 60 miles outside of London is the historic and prestigious Cambridge University. This is where Isaac Newton, Darwin, Tennyson, and even Prince Charles studied. We enjoyed this busy town’s many stately buildings, stores and bookshops.   This is where DNA was originally modeled, the speed of sound measured (right outside the library foray), the atom was was first split, and electrons discovered.

While there, we took a punt, a flat boat guided by a long pole, on a canal tour. Our guide was informative and loved to tell us not just the facts, but also the stunts and jokes of this beautiful university town. He also explained that Cambridge University is not one, but instead 31 colleges that are applied to separately.

 

Ironbridge Gorge

This is not only the name of the town in Shropshire, Englad, but also the first cast-iron bridge in the world, built here in 1779 to showcase a wonderful new building material that was developed by Abraham Darby III. We stayed in a beautiful country campsite in this quaint town that is home to the first iron wheels, steam-powered locomotive, and the cast iron bridge.

We started our tour the next morning watching a video explaining how these innovative men and women approached problem solving during this time of the Industrial Revolution. The amount of trial and error, analyzing and hard work that went into developing the wide spread use of iron was immense.

Upon visiting the bridge we noted the lack of rivets. We found out that lacking experience with cast iron, the builders made it as though they were constructing it out of wood and used traditional timber-jointing techniques like mortise and tenon and dowels.

 

 

London

We camped in a small town just outside London. After a wonderful evening of hiking, we woke early and took the “Tube” to Victoria Station, right into the city center. We decided to explore this busy city by foot.  We found our way to Westminster Bridge to get an better look at the House of Parliament and Big Ben.

We visited Westminster Abbey where kings and queens have been crowned (and buried) since 1066. We then headed across the street to visit a statue filled park, the first being a bronze model of  the inspirational former British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill.  We both admire him for his stand against tyranny and his ability to inspire people with his words and his actions. It is a testament to his character that he choose to visit bombed out cities during WWII, thus giving the people hope, instead of his staying safely afar. Some of the other statues in the park include other Prime Ministers such as Benjamin Disraeli, Sir Robert Peel, but also included are Abraham Lincoln, and Nelson Mandela.

We walked by the heavily guarded Number 10 Downing Street (home of the prime minister)  and to Trafalgar Square with the horse guards in their elaborate uniforms.

We enjoyed lunch at a small pub in the Soho area, walked through the Piccadilly Circus area, and then decided to take a bus to Notting Hill.  We enjoyed strolling through  quirky side streets and pretty gardens.  This area was of course, home to the 1999 film by the same name.. It is also the location for the films, About A Boy, Sliding Doors, The Italian Job, Love Actually and others.

 

Leaving Ireland, we headed across Wales and drove south toward London.  Our ultimate goal was to work our way to Continental Europe, crossing the English Channel, and taking in a few sites along the way.  Some sites were planed, while others were just stumbled across, either way, we continued to be amazed by the rich history of the United Kingdom.

Dubdayz Summerfest

One such event that was found by luck, was the Dubdayz Summerfest.  Dubdayz is a three day, UK Volkswagen show in Nottingham, England.  Right away we realized the event was going to be quite different than events held in the states.  In the UK, Volkswagen events seem to be more about the camping and the party, rather than strictly the show.  We found our spot, set up camp (along with 1500 others),  then began to take in the experience.  It was almost like a huge family reunion with friends circling their campers to provide a camp.  There were young and old, parents and children, all enjoying the weekend. There was even a Freddie Mercury impersonator on a small stage that provided the entertainment.

 

Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial

We visited this memorial with the intention of staying just a short while., instead our visit took most of the day. The Cambridge American Cemetery is the only World War II American cemetery in the United Kingdom. It contains 3,812 graves of those who lost their lives in the skies or in the waters in and over the British Isles. In addition to those buried in the cemetery, there is a  427 foot long monument wall dedicated to the 5,127 missing US service men that gave their lives for freedom, yet their bodies were never found.  There was also an ornate chapel and a visitors’ center. In the visitors’ center we looked through the museum detailing the American involvement in the war. The commitment to democracy brought more than 3 million Americans to Europe.

It is staggering when you think about the total loss of life during WWII is estimated at 70 million people.

It is one thing to read about the heroism of the young men and women, but completely another to touch their names, see their pictures and read their personal stories. It was an emotional visit.

Several weeks ago while camped near Dublin, we had the opportunity to camp near an Italian man and his children.  We began talking one evening (lucky his English was much better than our Italian), and we soon found our interests were similar.  He expressed concern that his daughter was moving from home for the first time to attend college at University College Dublin, we could relate having Giana spending her summer working in Nicaragua, out of the country by herself for the first time.

Our conversation then turned to our perceptions of our respective countries, many of which are not without merit.  He then said me, “Some of my fellow Italians feel that Americans are pushy and selfish, always throwing their money around.  I tell my fellow Italians to visit Normandy and look at all the crosses, Americans don’t seem that selfish to me”.  I was speechless.

 

See Student Weekly Challenge #5

 

 

 

 

West Coast of Ireland

Cliffs of Moher – (pronounced more) another incredible sight in Ireland. For five miles these dramatic cliffs soar as high as 700 feet above the ocean.

Interesting information from the visitor’s center:
“The rocks that make up the Cliffs of Moher were formed over 300 million years ago during the Upper Carboniferous period. Bands of Namurian sandstone, silt-stone and shale were exposed in a spectacular fashion and now scientist come and study this as an example of a sedimentary basin normally only visible under the sea. At that time a large landmass was located to the southwest of the ancient marine basin. Heavy rainfall on the land created great floods that washed sand and mud into ancient rivers that flowed to the sea. The sand, silt and mud carried by these large rivers were dumped into the sea at the mouth of a great delta (similar to the mouth of the Mississippi River as we know it today). Over the millions of years that followed, the sediments were compacted into solid rock and were pushed upwards due to movements in the earth’s plates. It these sedimentary rock layers of sandstones, siltstone, mudstone and shale that make up the Cliffs of Moher today.”

The dramatic limestone beaches along these shores have been quietly eroding away since the last ice age.  As we walked along these breathtaking shores, we marveled at their beauty and their history.

The Cliffs of Moher have been featured in many films such as, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince(2009), and The Princess Bride (1987). It is also an important setting for Eoin Colfer’s  novel The Wish List,

 Lovely towns and sites of Southwest Ireland.

Muckross House is a stately Victorian home at the edge of  Killarney  National Park.  We enjoyed our tour that included the estete withs its exquisite furnishings, and breathtaking gardens.

It was disturbing to go into the servants quarters after the opulence of the house. Located in the dark, damp basement, the upper walls were lined with 32 bells of various sizes, which were used by the owners and guests to summon the help. The servants were required to answer the bells at anytime of the day or night.

 

Ross Castle – stately and yet somehow elegant, this castle comes with its own ghost story.

We once again saw how each aspect of the castle was planned for defense.The spiral staircase, located in the front left corner, was built in a clockwise direction. Attackers, ascending up would have most likely had their sword in their right hand (If they were right handed) and would be impeded by the center structure of the staircase. Defenders, facing down, would have their swords swinging in the open section of the staircase, giving them an advantage. As you moved into and upwards in the castle, every move is a right turn, this continued to put right-handed attackers at a disadvantage (imagine holding a sward in your right hand and fighting around a doorway to the right).  In addition, the stairs were of uneven height to throw off an attacker’s charge by interfering with his gait. Interesting, I had never before given thought to the design of a defensive castle.  🙂

Cork – Like Venice, Cork City is built upon water. The city center is built on an island connected by many bridges. The city views were amazing and the architecture interesting.  We enjoyed the local pubs for their corned beef salad sandwiches,  local stores for their beautiful handmade items and the city for it edgy vibe and friendly people. We climbed to the top of the tower at St. Anne’s Church and enjoyed the breath-taking 360 degree views.

We enjoyed visiting this town seeped in history. It reminded us a bit of San Francisco.  We especially enjoyed the English Market, with its stalls of traditional Irish food as well as food from all over the world.  We purchased fresh bread, three types of cheeses that we had never tried ( loved them all), rosemary and basil olives, sun-dried tomatoes in herbs and olive oil, and Irish Spiced Beef.  We then had an enjoyable picnic on the green with enough left over for dinner.