Cork/Cobh: My Titanic Pilgrimage

We stepped off into Cobh (pronounced "Cove") and the colorful houses rise straight up the hill like a child's drawing. St. Colman's Cathedral dominates the skyline – we climbed the hill and the carillon bells rang out over the harbor exactly where the Titanic anchored in 1912. The Titanic Experience in the original White Star Line offices made us cry – actual passenger names, recovered luggage, the last photograph of the ship leaving here.

We took the train to Cork city (25 minutes) for the English Market – stalls piled with drisheen, crubeens, and butter so yellow it glows. We had lunch at the Farmgate Café above the market – Irish stew with proper soda bread and a pint of Murphy's that tastes like home even if it isn't. The pros: genuine Irish soul without the Dublin crowds. The cons: steep hills everywhere, but the views pay you back tenfold.