From Dublin to Galway

After working all week in Dublin, I decided to head to Galway for a little exploration of western Ireland.  No way was I getting up early today given we've had 7:00 call times with 18 hour days all week so I took the 11:25 train to Galway.  Across from the Dublin Convention Center was a coffee cart boasting the best coffee in all of Ireland which is where I bought this cute coffee travel cup.  Definitely a great purchase as it kept my coffee hot for an hour.

First half of my train ride brought me seat mates of a little girl and her dad.  Sadly the two of them never spoke to each other for the hour ride until their stop.  My next seat mates were a great contrast...Mary and John.  They were the cutest couple and talked with each other non-stop and then once I asked a question about how often they go to Galway, it was like we were old friends as we talked the rest of the ride.  Turns out they are staying at the same hotel as me...made me happy with my random Orbitz selection as they said it was posh and centrally located.  Mary is originally from Galway so she gave me all sorts of suggestions and tips.  Their daughter gave them a gift certificate to Nimmos so they were coming to Galway for dinner...love that!

The ride from Dublin was lined with these yellow bushes.  Mary said they are called Furze or Gorse depending on where you live.  She said they smell like yellow...I just love that description.

The hotel is about a 3 minute walk from the train station and fortunately my room was ready when I arrived.  I dropped my luggage and headed over to Eyre Square just in time for the last hop-on/hop-off run of the day.  This is one of my favorite things to do when I visit a new city as it helps me get a lay of the land.  I took the red City Sightseeing Bus which has live narration in Galway...way more fun than the recorded buses.  Mike was our guide and Cyril was our driver.  Mike was a quite the  talker (shocker for an Irishman...NOT) and kindly gave me the student rate vs. the adult rate...of course that increased his tip.

It was a gorgeous day and folks were taking advantage of the sunshine in Eyre Square

It takes about an hour to make the loop which goes out to the beach and through some neighborhoods to give you a good overview of the area.  Since the ticket is good for 48 hours, I plan to take it back out to the beach on Sunday as they have a monument to those lost in the great food shortage.  There is also a wall at the end of the promenade you can kick for good luck.

Part of the wall that used to surround Galway

Hurling Field

Famine Ship Memorial

Blackrock Diving Tower...crazy folks dive into the very
cold Atlantic 365 days a year.  Today's water temps were in the low 40's

President of Ireland's personal home

Connemara Ponies

Galway Cathedral
Cathedral of Our Lady Assumed into Heaven & St. Nicholas

After the tour, I headed down Shop Street to find a spot I was told had really good fish n' chips.  All along Shop Street are street musicians...Ed Sheeran used to busk in front of Treasure Chest on Shop Street.  I made my way to McDonagh's for a late lunch which was tasty and way too much food for one person.  The long hours of the past week started to catch up with me so I strolled around Shop Street (or High Street or Quay Street depending on where you are along the way) for a little and then popped in to Dunnes to pick up a few snacks for my room before heading back and relaxing for the rest of the evening.   Of course, I had to stop at Murphy's for some ice cream...ice cream always taste better while wandering around a new town and the calories don't count! 

Tomorrow is a big day as I'm going to the Aran Islands and Cliffs of Moher.