Galway

First glimpses of the Irish coast.

We watched the sun rise.

After 15 hours spent on buses and ferries (mostly asleep) from Cardiff, we arrived safe and sound in Galway.  The Sleepzone hostel was only a few blocks away from the bus station where we arrived, but since it was still another 3 hours before our room would be ready (we arrived around noon), we decided to drop our bags in the luggage room and head out on a free walking tour of the city.  This is something I honestly recommend doing no matter what your destination is as long as they're available.  Especially in a place as small as Galway, where that tour proved fairly invaluable to us in our attempts to find our way around later.  You learn a lot about the people who built the places you visit, and it teaches you a thing or two about the locals living there now.

Irish Stew.  What else do you think I would eat for my first meal in Ireland?

Meanwhile, Sarah went for lamb.  These meals only set us back 10 Euro a piece and we needed cranes when we were ready to leave.  (Below: One of the schools we applied at is in an old flour mill.  While the building has been re-purposed, the old workings have been lovingly restored and maintained.)

 

An archaeological site in Galway.  They expanded the building over it and left the site open to the public.

Sarah at the ring fort outside Ballyvaughan.

The second day was spent looking for work and wandering around Galway -- a town that is shockingly smaller than Kamloops in both population and footprint given that it was once one of the busiest port cities in Ireland.  Even though nobody seemed certain that there would be anything in the way of a job for us, they were all sweet and welcoming.  I know there are a lot of places in the world where people say the locals are rather cold toward strangers, but not Ireland.  There are no strangers there, just friends you haven't met yet.  Come to think of it, our overall experience there made me think of family gatherings back home.

Sometimes people leave offerings for the fairies who supposedly use the circles as portals between their world and ours.  I don't know why they leave lipstick and hair ties though.

Paul and Sarah making friends.

Our third day was spent on a bus tour of the Burren -- which means "the rocky place" when translated from Gaelic -- a UNESCO world heritage site and geopark famous for its Neolithic tombs and barren landscape with plants that cannot be found anywhere else in the world.  We went through Galway Tour Company, with a guide named Paul who was supposed to have the day off.  At least until so many people booked the tour that they needed to hire extra buses.  He isn't one of those guides that just points out interesting landmarks and talks about interesting things related to them.  He tells stories about the places you visit, and the history related to them -- though some of that may also be because in his estimation he's done that particular tour almost 2000 times.  He talked non-stop about everything imaginable, though it was sometimes punctuated by random exclamations from a city girl from Sweden who got excited every time she saw a farm animal.

The dolmen at Poll na mBrón (pronounced poll-na-broon).  More information can be found here:  http://irisharchaeology.ie/2013/06/poulnabrone-tomb-life-and-death-in-the-burren/

Generally when you think of Ireland, you think of greenery, right?  There are also lots of rocks.

The Cliffs of Moher

As we drove through the Burren to the Cliffs of Moher he told us stories of the fairy rings, and the more colourful figures in the history of the region (such as Moira Ruadh -- Red Mary), and of a few superstitions -- like why many Irish men are actually afraid of red-headed women.  The Cliffs are stunning.  If you're ever in the area, you have to go.  There is no question of that.  Just do it.  Sarah may not have particularly enjoyed the steepness of the climb, but I don't think she regrets it.  I think that pictures will honestly go farther at this point, because words won't do this place justice.

Chorco Modhruadh  (cork-um-roah) Abbey outside Ballyvaughan

Dun Guaire Castle, Kinvara

When we got back we were doing a final wander of the Latin Quarter of Galway when we noticed a

Kirwan Lane: One of the oldest parts of Galway.

sign outside a pub on Kirwan lane advertising that the Black Magic Big Band would be playing there that night, free of charge.  Even though we took care to arrive quite early, the place was packed (aided by the fact that there was also a major arts festival beginning just as we were leaving).  One gentleman was kind enough to give us a space at his table even though there were two other women coming to join him later on.  We learned -- to our surprise -- that there are actually people in the world who know where Kamloops is without being told of its proximity to Vancouver.  We were confused until he explained that he was very fond of Vernon and the surrounding area with plans to go back one day.  I hope he does.  Anyway, we had a great view of the band and the dance floor during the first set, but after the intermission people just stood in front of us the whole time and there was no room for anybody to dance.  I managed to record one number, but had to stand on my seat in order to be able to do it.  The other people at nearby tables seemed to think this was quite rude and we continually had to play the cup game so that people randomly leavings their drink on our table wouldn't result in us wearing them.  It didn't stop us from enjoying the music though.

The Claddaugh, as seen from Spanish Arch

One day, I will teach Sarah how to dance.

One day.

Spanish Arch

Our bus to Dublin wasn't until the next afternoon, so we wandered around Galway for a little while after we checked out from the hostel, getting one last glance at some of our favorite places.  The festival meant that you couldn't wander very far without coming across a street performer or a craftsman selling their wares on the cobblestone.  This city is beautiful without a doubt, and returning here is very firmly entrenched on my bucket list as a destination at which to spend more time.

(Actually written now that we're settled in Gliwice again)

Galway Tour Company

The Burren Geopark