love and tourist in my own city

Happy Valentine's Day!!

I'm not usually a big Valentine's Day fan because well I've been single every year (ok, M and I were together in 2006 but I was 3000 miles away and I don't think he was with Jenna at this point yet) and I don't really see the big need for a day to pay quadruple the price for roses, and to publicly display your love. I think it should be happening all the time, just a little note to say hey, I love you. Or a random just because, not because you have to. 

But I do enjoy the candy and chocolates :) I do wish I had some conversation hearts, I can't find any here, I love their sugary goodness.

So I've had a fabulous Valentine's Day, I decided to be a tourist in my own city. For living in Cork for almost 2 years now, and leaving it once already. There are still tons of things I haven't done. So I am making it my mission to do them and to take as many pictures of the city. 

So today I headed to the Crawford Art Gallery for their exhibit on Maclise. He was born in Cork and is most famous for two frescos which hang in Westminster (which I've actually seen, though I don't remember them specifically I was in the room where they are when I toured Parliament last April) and also his illustrations for books. So it was cool to see the exhibit. I've been to the Crawford a few times, but I did one of the guided tours and it was cool to hear more about the artist, his life and the little things about the paintings. I would love to take an art history class because I don't really know much about art, besides I enjoy going to art musuems. So that was fun and today was the last day of the exhibit, so I was glad I went. I've had a few friends talk about it and say it was fabulous. 

After the Crawford, I treated myself to my favourite hot chocolate from O'Conaill's and then decided to head up to Shandon. St. Anne's Church is referred to as Shandon Bells and it is one of the notable sights of Cork. I was too late to go inside the church but I took a few pictures from the outside and then wandered around the North side of the city. I headed up towards the UCC Music School because I love the views of the city from up there and then on my way I saw the Cork Vision Centre was open. Now I used to live around the corner from this when I studied abroad and thought it was a church, but it is actually a museum and I've finally visited it. And it was really cool. The most amazing thing is a scale model of Cork City. So awesome! Like I found my house and it was neat to just see the whole city and how the River Lee runs around the city centre and everything. The exhibit this month was from a local art college and the pieces were cool, there was everything from ceramics, sculpture, paintings, sketchbooks, drawings, mixed media, reallly everything. So it was neat and made me want to take an art class. The last time (and only time) I had an art class was my freshman year of high school I took a Crafts class - it was cool. I really enjoyed it, as I love the arts, but a drunk 5 year old could be a better artist than me, but with crafts it was mostly 3D stuff. So I was ok, it is the drawing/painting that gets me. I love clay, sculpures, visual design stuff and that is what the class was about. So back to today, so I asked the woman working there about the model of the city, how long it took (1 year full time) and a few other questions and I mentioned how this was my first time but I was looking forward to the photography exhibit next month. In association with one of the local papers they are doing an exhibit- Echos of the Past, which is all old photos of Cork. And she gave me an invitation to the exhibit opening! So I am really excited for this in a few weeks. I've never been to an opening before. So that was cool. And then on the way home I stopped at my favourite cafe for a late lunch as it was Valentine's Day, so I could treat myself. 

So I enjoyed being a tourist in my city, there are still a few more things I need to do, so in the next few weeks I still have to go to St. Finbarr's Cathedral. I live next to the cathedral and have never been inside, ring the Shandon Bells, the Cork Public Museum, the Fort (some of old walls of the city from the medieval times are still intact), Red Abbey, the Glucksman (another art gallery, I've been a few times but want to see the newest exhibit) and continue to take pictures of the city.

So besides being a tourist I ran a few errands, I got guide books for Italy at the library. They didn't have a book of Italy in, but I was able to get individual guides for Venice, Florence and Rome and I think I like that better. They are smaller and will easily be able to fit in my purse and the maps look fab, so now I can plan a little more. I need to book accommodation and train tickets this week at work. And I also got 2 fabulous travelish writing books on Italy. Both are by Annie Hawes - Extra Virgin: Amongst the Olive Groves of Liquria and Ripe for the Picking. They are about a British women and her sister who just went over to work in a small town for a few weeks, but end up moving and buying an olive grove. So I'm excited to read them. I've started the first one and I can't put it down. 

And I bought nail polish. I'm painting my nails again. Last week when I took off my fake ones, I painted them with the only nail polish I had a sparkly red that I've only ever worn on my toes, because fake nails ruin your real ones and they just looked horrible. All indented, scratched and uuugh. So I had them red for a few days, but I don't like my fingers to be that bright, so I bought 2 more subdued shades of pink. Which is funny because the last time I painted my nails besides getting a French manicure was, honestly I have no clue. I usually don't paint my nails, because I hate it when they get chipped. 

So off to finish catching up with Private Practice - I LOVE the Grey's/Private intertwining storyline. And pack my hiking gear up for tomorrow! I can't wait to be on a mountain :)

And here's to celebrating Valentine's Day with my favourite quote about relationships - 

Later that day I got to thinking about relationships. There are those that open you up to something new and exotic, those that are old and familiar, those that bring up lots of questions, those that bring you somewhere unexpected, those that bring you far from where you started, and those that bring you back. But the most exciting, challenging and signifigant of all is the one you have with yourself. And if you can find someone to love the you - you love, well, that's just fabulous. 

-sex and the city

a smaller reproduction of one of Maclise's frescos in Westminster

the model of Cork from the gallery
Shandon Bells - each of the 4 sides has a clock, and the times are all slightly different