I took my first trip in Ireland yesterday with Nick: an afternoon in Kinsale!
I normally have a detailed plan for things that I do so I know what to prepare for. That being said, all that Nick and I had really planned was that we were getting on the 11:25am bus and eating lunch at Dino’s once we got there. It would take us about 50 minutes to get to Kinsale on the bus, so we’d have the whole afternoon to spend in the charming little town.
Naturally, the universe decided that our plan was foolish and helped us change things around!
The Bus
We got to the bus station with plenty of time to get on the 11:25am bus. First things first, we had to buy tickets for the ride. The Parnell Bus Station in Cork has you purchase tickets from a sort of vending machine. You just select the route and ticket type, put your card or cash in, and the ticket gets printed. Sounds easy enough, right? Nope.
The ticket machine didn’t get on well with my credit card, much to my irritation. I’ve been trying to conserve my cash for when I really need it (like controlling my budget at the pub!) and to keep a more detailed record of money spent, so I really wanted to use my card. Luckily, I had a €20.00 note on me and the machine accepted that.
Of course, Nick had no problem using his card to buy his ticket. I’m not bitter or anything; I just think it’s a little unfair, but whatever. It’s fine. We managed to get both tickets and that’s the important bit.
Now, just a hiccup with the ticket machine would have been a little bothersome, but nothing too bad. We looked at the electronic bus schedule to see which bay the bus would be waiting at, and then the second shoe fell: the 11:25am bus wasn’t on there. The next bus to Kinsale listed was at 12:25pm.
We had a good laugh about it, after Nick made a few jabs at my inability to read a bus schedule online (I’m telling you: there was an 11:25am bus listed!). The next order of business was to determine what we wanted to do to kill an hour.
If you know me at all, I’d bet that you can guess what I wanted to do.
I wanted to get food!
Getting Food
While walking to the bus station, I’d noticed a donut shop down one of the side streets. You know what’s really good when you’re hungry but are set on getting lunch at a place 50 minutes away? Donuts.
After a bit of getting turned around, Nick and I found the donut shop and stared hungrily at the different flavors displayed in the window. We walked in and ordered a couple of donuts that managed to be absolutely incredible: Oreo for Nick and Boston cream for me. Once we got the donuts and sat down, we noticed the student and snack specials. I could’ve added a coffee for only €1 extra? You live and you learn, I guess.
The Bus: Take 2
Once we finished our donuts, we decided to head back to the bus station so we could get good seats on the bus. Fortunately, the 12:25pm bus actually existed, unlike the 11:25am.
Nick and I got on the bus and found seats. We settled in for a relatively short ride, prepared to watch the Irish countryside go by outside of the window. A calm 50-minute bus ride would have been a relaxing way to start off our day-trip.
Really, that’s exactly what happened… except the bus driver took the drive at a breakneck pace, careening around turns and throwing us around in our seats. I was very glad to have motion sickness medication in my bag as we rode down the twisting roads.
By the time we reached our destination and rushed to escape the bus, we were very ready to be in Kinsale.
Kinsale, Ireland
Kinsale is a historic fishing port known for being one of the most picturesque and popular towns in Ireland. If you’ve looked at photos of Ireland and seen brightly colored houses and shops, I’d say that you’re probably looking at a photo of Kinsale. The long waterfront and beautiful harbor make it a popular destination for tourists, especially for marine-related activities. More importantly (at least to me), Kinsale has gained international renown as “The Gourmet Capital of Ireland,” due to how many different restaurants, cafes, and pubs it contains!
Upon arrival, one of the first things that we noticed was that the harbor was pretty dry. All of the boats were basically grounded in a little puddle. With how often we get rain in Cork, it seemed a little crazy to us, but I guess there are different weather patterns in Kinsale!
Dino’s
The first thing we did in Kinsale was walk over to Dino’s Traditional Restaurant and Takeaway, known specifically for their fish and chips, for lunch.
Now, Nick’s roommate, Steve, had recommended Dino’s to begin with. We became a little confused when we got there and found a sit-down restaurant, not at all like the cheap, takeaway shop that I’d found in photos on Yelp.
Looking around, I saw the second half of Dino’s that I’d seen online. We walked next door and looked over the menu. Nick went with a classic fish and chips dish, and I ordered potato pies with chips. When the woman behind the counter asked if we wanted salt and vinegar on our chips, Nick gave the affirmation and she took that as being the answer for us both.
When we got outside and started to eat, I found it to be amazing so he was off the hook for accidentally making executive decisions about my lunch. Potato pies apparently are just fried mashed potatoes, so I basically had potatoes two ways for lunch and it was delicious! Nick thoroughly enjoyed his fish and chips, to the point that I think it’s the new benchmark for quality in his mind!
(I’m actually getting hungry right now just writing this 8 days later!)
Exploration and Photography
After lunch, we set out to explore Kinsale. Basically, I just dragged Nick around to a bunch of bookstores! Turns out, books are still expensive in Europe. It isn’t just an American thing.
We looked around for the iconic colorful buildings that you see when you look up Ireland on Pinterest! A bit of wandering later, and we eventually found them. It took a while for us to line up the perfect shot (mostly because I couldn’t believe that Nick wanted me to zoom in quite so much when taking photos of him!). I think it was worth it in the long run, though. I love getting the popular photography shots, even if they’re overdone and cheesy.
Nick and I explored more of the city, although we didn’t go to James Fort or Charles Fort. We really just took photos and talked while we walked around. It was really nice and relaxing!
We found a pirate ship mast and took photos with it, which I would include a photo of me with but SOMEONE hasn’t sent me the photos (I’m looking at you Nick).
Eventually, we ran out of things to do, though. We stopped in at the Lemon Leaf Cafe, which I’d read lots of awesome reviews for, and got some coffee before hopping back on the bus and heading home to Cork. Fortunately, the ride home was easy and uneventful!
Back to Cork
Once we got back to Cork, Nick and I went on a grocery shopping adventure. SuperValu, Tesco, Lidl… the whole nine yards. Naturally, all I decided to buy was alcohol, but I should’ve probably bought actual food. I guess I’ll just have to keep working on being an adult.
I’m glad that I finally got out on an adventure here! Thank you, Nick, for wandering with me and dealing with my insanity. You’re a great traveling companion – not too irritating, somehow! I’m kidding, of course (mostly)!
Today’s song is just really catchy, so I hope you’re ready!