Galway, I’m glad to have met you…
Galway, the cultural capital of Ireland, lived up to its nickname. I visited the city on the west coast this weekend with some friends and we had a swell time! I wasn’t sure how much of the city we would really get to experience in the short visit that we had planned, but I think we covered the bases pretty well. The bus station in Galway sits on Eyre Square, the center of the city that is also known as Kennedy Park…named in honor of JFK who gave a speech from the square…at some time or another. The Claddaugh hostel where we had made reservations was right around the corner, just a short walk. We really made a find with this one! Granted, I’ve only stayed in one other hostel, but from what I’ve heard, I think the Claddaugh is really fun. It was small, artsy, and personal with a fun, mostly French staff who made us feel more than welcome and gave great advice on what to do in the city. I think having pleasant accommodation in a new place is a big deal, and I’m glad we discovered the Claddaugh…thanks Sam!
After we settled into our cheerful room at the hostel, we set out on a hunt for a pub with a relaxing atmosphere…and we happened upon Garvey’s. I’d like to say this particular corner pub had a bit of old man charm to it, and that is exactly what I we were looking for. We grabbed a booth and enjoyed the atmosphere for awhile…thanks Garvey’s! The next night after an amazing but exhausting bus tour, we sought out the Crane Bar, highly acclaimed by Zoey’s Lonely Planet guide book for hosting spontaneous traditional music sessions. We found it and it’s “trad” in a cozy little pub not far from our hostel. After a few drinks, a solid traditional session, and a memorable conversation with a Martin (an older Irish man who I got to chat with about his travel around the states when he was younger, world politics, and my European travel plans) who told me I had a “pure heart,” we called it a night.
Our bus tour on Saturday far exceeded my expectations. Not only was our tour guide, Desmond, fantastically Irish and hilariously repetetive, but he was set on giving us a very personal tour of the Irish countryside. This was no cheesy, “lets get the tourists to spend money” kind of bus tour. “Dezy” drove us to the Cliffs of Moher and didn’t skip a beat of history as we traveled through small towns on the way. We spent some time in the Burren region (Irish for rocky place) that’s covered in limestone and extends to the coast of the Atlantic in a small town called Doolin. We stopped here for lunch at O’Connors where I had the most amazing beef stew…yum! We spent an hour and a half at the Cliffs of Moher, and the Lord truly blessed us with beautiful weather. I would have been happy to see the cliffs in any kind of weather, but to stand at the edge looking out over the sunlight ocean and breathing in that crisp, Atlantic air was an experience that I could never forget. The pictures hardly do it justice, but I’ve posted some of my favorites here for you to enjoy. I do hope that every one has a chance to experience something as vivid and magnificent as the Cliffs of Moher in their lifetime…certainly God’s creation at its best!! We left as the sun set on the Atlantic and drove along Galway Bay back to the city.
I bought a scarf in Doolin that is made in the Burren, it still smells like a sheep :)
Sunday morning I walked along the Salthill Promenade with Beth, Zoey, Lindsey, and Lauren. The sun was shining but the wind was incredibly cold, so we wandered Galway until we found a wonderful little coffee shop to kill time until our bus later that afternoon. It was a fast and fun weekend that reminded me how close I am to God’s glorious work. I’m really enjoying traveling around Ireland and look forward to the day and weekend trips that are coming up. It is so great to be able to hop on a bus or a train and experience a whole new city in just a few hours. Saturday I travel to Kilkenny with the university and next weekend Arcadia has a daytrip planned for us. I think some great castles and gravesites are on the lineup…I’m soaking up the history! American students studying business here at UCD are required to take an Irish history class as part of our study abroad program (From Colony to Republic: The Making of Modern Ireland, 1169-2007). This country has an impressive history and I’m enjoying learning about it…of course it would be nice if we didn’t have to take an exam at the end of the semester. Now, off to read some Irish history…
