Cork city

It's an easy 20 minute walk into the city from our digs - we are very comfortable here with full use of the downstairs. Both of the girls work long hours but last night we managed to have a longer chat. Catriona works at a pharmaceutical plant investigating problems.

Yesterday was sunny and warm and we walked right round the city following some self guided walking leaflets. Cork was a walled city in medieval times and there is one section of the wall left and a bell tower from an Abbey.

We had a wander around the English market (so called because it was created by the Protestant or 'English' corporation which controlled the city in 1788) which was a mix of artisan stalls and traditional family food establishments.

We got a takeaway coffee and sat in the sun outside waiting for a rally to begin which we had seen advertised. To mark International Women's Day the rally was about repealing the 8th amendment to allow a change in the law to legalise abortions. One of the chants was "not the church, not the state, let women decide their fate". I went over and talked to a few of the participants to learn a bit more. There were no counter demonstrators which surprised me.

Walking west we went onto the University campus. There is a gallery on site which is listed in the 1001 Buildings You Must See Before You Die book....goodness knows why. And it was shut for a private function. We carried on through the campus - the older buildings are lovely.