A Little Amy

City Slicker

So last week I spent a substantial amount of time in a new part of the city and it gave me a new found appreciation for just how pretty some areas of Cork are. It can be quite quaint, what with the old red bricked buildings, undulating hills and charming little churches. As well as this, there is a plethora of unique cafes and enticing spots, if only one knows where to look. After all, beauty is in the eye of the beer holder beholder ;) Here is my perfect day out in the city!







Wake yourself up and get a great start to the day by heading to Café Gusto located on Washington Street. This is one of my favourite cafes in the city, especially for breakfast. The premises was converted from an antique shop in the summer of 1941 and the café still retains a retro vibe, all black and white tiled and their signature bike parked outside. As well as this, the staff are super friendly and the ambiance is really chilled. I love sitting by the window, tucking into some porridge and tea and watching people pass as the city begins to wake up and come to life.




Gusto has a great breakfast selection, from porridge with a variety of toppings to granola and Greek yogurt to a power breakfast smoothie. It's also quite affordable, so I can manage my affinity for going out for breakfast on a regular basis without too much difficulty! Have a browse on their website and check it out if you haven’t already been :)

If the sun is out, there is no better place in the city to head than Fitzgerald’s Park. For someone who’s (to put it mildly!) quite highly strung, I find being out in the fresh air and large open spaces a big stress alleviator. The park has a tangible atmosphere of tranquillity that feels like an instant tonic to the spirit. The lush vegetation, pretty bridges and ubiquitous smiling faces make any day a little brighter.




 

When I have free time, one of my favourite things to do is grab a take away salad from Rocket Man, sunnies and my earphones and I might as well be on the Costa Del Sol for all the relaxation it brings me! I particularly love sitting on the benches by the waterlily-adorned pond and watching the world go by :)

It's really nice to see the park being utilised to its full potential with the exciting events occurring throughout the summer season. Check out the happenings here :)

When it comes to dinner, you'd be hard pressed to get me to go anywhere other than Wagamamas! I have a mild obsession and have vetted all friends/family to ensure they share this love (just about joking on that one!) Pretty sure I'm known by the staff in there as "number 41 girl" because I always order the same thing, Yasai Yaki Soba (stir fried vegetables and noodles). They also do lovely juices and a refreshing homemade lemonade. Check out the full menu here for any newbies out there. The service is so quick and the staff are just the bees knees :)

Somewhere which isn't talked about enough in the city is Triskel and it's just a hidden gem. Every time I go there I find myself mesmerised by the beauty of the place. The eighteen century church was originally of Anglo-Norman construction, until it was destroyed in the siege of 1690 and reconstructed in 1725 with the beautiful Romanesque architecture that's visible today. In 1978, the church ceased to be a place of worship and is now used as a venue for small scale gigs, as a cinema to screen antique and indie films and as a gallery to exhibit visual art. I absolutely love going to the cinema and attend quite frequently. Recently I went to see the Derry born musician, SOAK play there and it was just magical. The acoustics there were so smooth and it felt so intimate. If you haven't heard of her before, do check out her music, both her style and sound is very unique. Triskel's manifesto is that they aim to "facilitate works of excellence in Music, Visual Arts, Cinema, and other art forms. We want to make these works as available as possible to everyone", which I think is really admirable and something which I feel they definitely achieve. Have a sconce on their website to see upcoming events.

 

If Cork does one thing well, it's pubs! Of course there are the really well known, well frequented ones, but I prefer the well established golden oldies. My favourite of the lot is Tom Barry's, located on Barrack Street.


 
 

It's well worth the trek up the hill and ideal for a quiet few drinks with a couple of people. Although quite small in size, the pub has an extensive heated beer garden to the rear and more often than not, a fire lighting inside (could that be more up my alley?!) It almost has a domestic feel to it that's really enhanced by the friendly bar staff. It's the perfect way to round up the perfect day in Cork :)




Until next Monday's craic,


                                                   Amy. x