Sign of the day: It's in the bag

We couldn't understand why Rick Steves completely skipped Cork in his 2016 Ireland guide. I mean, it's the second largest city in the Republic with a population of 119,000 in 2011.

A view of the River Lee. 

The downtown is cut into thirds, bisected by two channels of the River Lee and has charming bridges and colorful houses. It has literally the most beautiful university campus I've ever visited, University College Cork.*

George Boole is everywhere around UCC. 

But Cork mostly seems to be a shopping haven. There isn't a lot to do.

We spent the day wandering from one shop to another, and getting lost trying to find something we had spotted earlier amid the curving streets that inexplicably become something else. To put it in perspective, Cork puts Lexington to shame on the street name-switching frustration scale. It wasn't, however, as much of an epic navigational failure as Venice. Or maybe the fact that it wasn't raining made it seem slightly better.

These girls were so engrossed in their books, they were oblivious to the shoppers rushing by. 

Amid our lazy Saturday, we stumbled across this shop name that we found amusing. That it was among the highlights of our Cork visit should tell you a little something.

They have quite a selection of d'bags.

*Librarian trivia bonus: The library at UCC is named for George Boole, who was the first mathematics professor here in the mid-19th century. And of course, the "father of the digital era" for giving us the logic that underlies computer circuits and allows for our legendary Boolean searching skills.

Yes, this is how I pictured Rome...

After cajoling Ryan into a visit to my fourth international H&M, we spent some time wondering around the high-end shopping district near the Spanish Steps on Thursday evening. Dusk was falling as we left, and I snapped this shot of what I expected Rome to look like: pastel buildings, narrow streets, outdoor diners, and fashionable people.

We stopped on our way back to the hotel for macedonia con gelato (fruit salad with ice cream), and, in Ryan's case, his first Italian birra.

Ryan is always perfect on the first take when we do these type of pictures. It is one of his more irritating qualities.  

   

It took him five shots to get this unflattering picture of me. By that point, he was laughing too hard to continue trying. Since I'm posting this one, you can imagine what the first four looked like.

Our girly day: Shopping, sugar and high tea

America has Goodwill shops, but in Britain just about every charity has its own shop where its sells second-hand items - mostly clothes, but lots of shoes, books and household goods, too. These appear to be the big fund-raiser for most of the charities (not all of them benefit from long-ago bets on Roger Federer to win seven Wimbledon championships). A few of the shops we've visited: Pets in Need of Vets, Age Scotland, the British Heart Foundation, Cancer U.K., Autism and a few aimed at women's and children's aid. In Edinburgh, Nicholason Street is home to several of these shops, and York has a handful, too.

Charity shop row: A shop for Oxfam, one for the British Heart Foundation, a children's aid group are all visible in the shot from York. Up the street were three others. 

Ryan in particular loves stoping in these places. I think he's bought a whole new wardrobe in them (OK, maybe it's only two shirts and a sweater, but that's a lot for him in a three-day period.) We also got this deliciously creepy book at a shop in York, which is supposed to be the most haunted place in the world. It includes stories from Charles Dickens, Wilkie Collins and Bram Stoker among others.

Ryan's newest addition to our library. 

Sugar shacks: Yorkshire is apparently well known for its sweets, being the U.K. home of Nestle. There are several candy shops here and a few smaller chocolatiers. What I find funny is that the shops consistently advertise Lucky Charms cereal in their displays. I've been telling Ryan for years that they're nothing but breakfast candy, and I am claiming this as evidence that I have won this argument. No further appeals.

Other popular imports?

Tea! We did afternoon tea on Tuesday at Grays Court, which is one of the oldest continuously occupied houses in the United Kingdom, according to its website. Parts of the house date to 1080. It is now a boutique hotel that would make a fantastic spot for a wedding. We sat in the Sterne Dining Room overlooking the garden. In my excitement, I forgot to take a photo of the tea tray in my excitement, but it was a beautiful room with quite a view.

The courtyard  and entrance at Gray's Court.

Awaiting my tea. I chose English Breakfast (you can't ever go wrong with that).

The Sterne Dining Room at Gray's Court.

Ryan preparing his tea, an Assam blend. 

The garden behind Gray's Court. 

Sign of the day: York residents wanted this sign repainted because it's a bit of a landmark, although the parent company is trying to distance itself from the product, which is no longer for sale.

Ryan's comment: Sounds like something from Harry Potter.

Beer of the day: Ryan tried several new beers on Tuesday night while we were blogging. The first was a John Smith, which sounds like it is the PBR of this country. He also had an Abbot's that he rather liked.

Working on the blog at Cross Keys in York. 

I didn't know I was lost at the time on Portobello Road

At Brian Malasics' suggestion, we hit the Portobello Road street market on Saturday. It was probably one of our top three experiences in London. Some of the highlights:

Miles of stuff. I'm ashamed to say we didn't quite make it all the way to the end before turning back to get lunch. Antiques, food, clothes, crafts, and crap (of the tourist variety) can all be had.

The crowd on Portobello Road.

Souvenirs. Ryan and I actually had bought very little in London before Saturday. But we picked up a few things for ourselves at the market. I went for a couple of scarves, which are trendy in London and
useful in the cool weather. Ryan bought cigarette cards showing straight-line caricatures of famous Brits from 1926, including Winston Churchill, Charlie Chaplin and Lloyd George.

Ryan's cigarette cards. Churchill is located on the top row, second from the right.

Lunch. We opted for the chicken paella and ate it in alley off the main road. One of the best meals we've had in London.

The paella stand where we bought lunch. The recipe consisted of chicken, runner beans, butter beans, garlic, tomato, paprika, and rosemary, according to the sign.

The used clothes bin. Ryan and I each picked up jackets for £2 apiece, which I know will horrify my mother when she reads this. But, Mom, know this:

• It's really cold here
• The jacket is corduroy and very cute.
• I washed it in hot water Sunday.
• I didn't let it touch any if my other clothes before it was washed.
• I inspected it thoroughly for bedbugs.

Elizabeth in the new corduroy jacket.

The stores along Portobello Road also are interesting to peruse, but the market is what makes the trip worthwhile. It's open 9-5 on Saturdays.