Last Sighting Of The Titanic, Hopefully Not For Us

  Cobh, Ireland
Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Constellation docked a little after 7am and we got another early start on our last port call in Europe.  Cobh (pronounced Cove) was also the last port call for the Titanic.  That was an erie feeling!  Breakfast was rushed but John had his usual ham & cheese omelet with hash browns.  I had bacon, a scrambled egg and a waffle.
 
Weather forecast for the day was cloudy, high temperature of 59 degrees with occasional light rain.  Our tour was booked through eCoach and was a bus trip to Blarney, Kinsale, Cork City returning to Cobh.  Our guide was Ian and our driver John.  The drive through the countryside was picturesque with green pastures, trees and rolling hills.

Cork Countryside

 
First stop was the town of Blarney.  We elected not to pay an extra entrance fee to climb the deteriorating remnants of a castle to hang upside down and kiss an ancient brick.  Besides, John seems to be of the opinion that I have more than my share of the gift of gab.  Instead we browsed the stores of the Blarney Woolen Mills and picked up a few souvenirs.  One could buy woolen goods, Waterford Crystal, Guinness items, and trinkets featuring shamrocks or sheep.
 
The bus drove on to Kinsale where we stopped for lunch.  We chose to eat at Dino's which is famous for their fish & chips.

Dinos Fish And Chips

A 12" cod fillet and pile of French fries cost 9.95 euros (or $14.33 USD) and was quite delicious.  After a walk around the town, we then drove on to Cork City for a quick look around.  Back in Cobh, we stopped briefly at St. Colman's Cathedral which started construction in 1868 and finished in 1915.  The original building of White Star offices still sits at the port where passengers bought tickets to cross the Atlantic on the Titanic.  The original pier still stands but is badly deteriorated.

White Star Office And Pier

 Upon arrival at the ship we went to Deck 11 forward to take photos of the village and watch the preparations of pulling out of port.  A little band serenaded the departing passengers then played "Anchors Aweigh" as we pushed off. 

Band Playing For Ships Passengers

The ship pulled straight out (sideways) from the dock, and then moved forward.  How such a large ship can maneuver so effortlessly is beyond me.  As we set out to open sea, the waves became rough.
 
We picked up the daily newspaper, a couple of chocolate chip cookies and returned to the cabin for some rest before dinner.  John's dinner choices were Caesar Salad, Prime Rib and Vanilla Ice Cream with Chocolate Syrup.  I had Shrimp Cocktail, Belgian Endive Salad with Celebrity Dressing, Medallions Of Pork and Crepe Suzette for dessert.  At 11:30pm we went to the Bar At The Edge of The Earth  for the Chocolate Buffet.  All kinds of desserts, ice creams and even sculptures were made of decadent chocolate.  We each chose a few desserts to indulge in and watched some passengers trying to disco while the ship rocked and rolled in the big swells.  Being at the very forward part of the ship proved to be a roller coaster ride after all.