Day Fifteen - 25/9/2012 - Cork

     I didn't have class today until 18:00, so Meng and I met up with Alex and walked south of campus to the Cork Lough, a lake filled naturally by underwater springs and serving as a bird sanctuary.  We were approached by five immaculate and quite large swans as we approached the water.  They seemed to be expecting food, but receiving none, they were content to look at us pleadingly.  At one point, one of the swans came out of the water and walked around on his large webbed feet, a process which seemed very deliberate yet difficult for the swan.  They have this habit of swinging their tails laterally while keeping the rest of their body still.  We were entertained.
     As we made our way around the perimeter of the lake, the swans followed us, swimming in a neat line trailing a few meters behind.  There is a legend of the Cork Lough.  Long ago, there was a King named Corc, who had built his castle in a lush valley that was a mile in perimeter.  There was a spring on the castle grounds, and it was said to have the purest water in all Ireland.  People flocked to the castle to taste of the spring, and eventually the King grew tired of this and built a wall around the spring, enclosing it into his castle.  He had a well fitted over it, and locked it with a key that he only trusted to his daughter, the princess Flor Usga (which means "spring water" in English), fearing that his servants would steal the water.
     One day the King hosted a massive party, and invited Lords, Earls, and Dukes from around the land.  There was a bountiful feast with much wine and beer, but no water.  Eventually, one of the guests asked for some water, to which the King heartily replied, you shall have the best!  The King asked his daughter to fetch the water in a golden vessel, but as this was a menial task, the princess was embarrassed.  The King was not one to take back his word, but he also felt bad for embarrassing his daughter, and so he asked one of the attending princes to go with her.  The prince and the princess went down to the well, where the princess unlocked the well with a key.  She inadvertently fell in, and the prince jumped in to save her.  By this time the spring had overwhelmed the well, the pressure having built up over time, and the castle began to flood.  The spring gushed up so much water that it filled the current Lough, a lake of one mile in perimeter.  On really still days, you can see the rooftop of the castle just under the center of the lake.  If you listen very closely, you can hear the dinner guests still enjoying themselves, drinking and dancing.  If someone where to swim to the bottom of the lake and retrieve the golden vessel than the Lough would dry up and the King's party would end.
     On the northern edge of the Lough there are two fountains that illustrate the underground spring source of the lake.  We had a very relaxing walk around the lake, the birds following us nonstop.  As it began to rain, we sought shelter in the Hawthorn Bar adjacent to the Lough and got coffee.  I had noticed at some point earlier, but feel it pertinent to bring up now that brown sugar as it is available here is not the molasses kind put on oatmeal, but rather raw, unrefined sugar, that is commonly used in coffee and teas.
     Later that evening, I had my first lecture of Irish History.  The class was aimed towards visiting students, and the lecture covered The Great Famine.  After a very interesting and informative lecture about the event that completely changed the course of Irish history, I headed to Tesco to get groceries.  Needless to say, I didn't buy much.