Blogs from Galway, County Galway, Ireland, Europe

I recorded yesterday that our room is small but not HOW small. The room is so small that when we open the door it smacks into the end of the bed at one third open, and we have to walk through it sideways! The room is so small that there is literally nowhere to put two suitcases but being a resourceful couple, we have balanced one suitcase on top of the mini bar fridge and the other on the wide windowsill. Thank goodness for the deep/wide windowsill. The room is so small it has no room for bedside tables. On one side there is a desk which sort of doubles as a bedside table but on the other side there is nowhere to put the phone and the watch on the charger although Bernie has managed ... read more

When I told my friends that I would be traveling to Ireland, I got similar comments, "Ireland is green, greener and greenest. The people are friendly, friendlier, and friendliest people they have ever met." I must agree that their observations are extremely accurate. The scenery is stunning, and the people are kind, helpful and, yes, very friendly. I believe there is another trait. The places we have visited so far are tidy, tidier, and tidiest. There are not any wrappers, empty bottles, cigarette butts, or bits of trash on the streets or roads. When we made this observation to our driver he informed us that each town enters the 'tidiest town' contest. People take such pride in their towns and their reward is to be named 'The Tidiest Town.' Last year Abbeyleix in County Lapis won ... read more

Today was a moving day to Galway, so bags out at 7:30, then breakfast, then on and gone by 8:30. On the way to Galway we stopped for a comfort stop (restrooms, snacks, and drinks). The place we stopped was just in front of Bunratty Castle. It’s a place Marsha, Shealyn, and I visited on our trip to Ireland! What a coincidence! We also drove by a golf course. Now I’m not a golfer but this was the toughest looking golf course I’ve ever seen. Look at the pictures. I’m not sure a golf cart would go across that land. Our first goal was The Cliffs of Moher. These cliffs are absolutely breathtaking!! They rise above the ocean 702 feet and you can climb up the left side or right. We opted to take the golf ... read more

We attended a cooking class at a private home out in the County. Katy had run her own shop in Galway for 15 years and 'sort of' retired. Sort of as in then started teaching classes out of her home and is busy most days. She and her helper, Valentina, organized us, told us how much to put in, how to mix the ingredients, then how to cut scones. After they went in, we chose the type of bread to make and did that. We got to taste the scones while the bread baked: hot, soft, tasty, perfect. We had taken a taxi out but the other folks who baked with us, a mother/daughter from Connecticut (the daughter had been a student here) gave us a ride back into town which was very generous of them. ... read more

Train to Galway was a 2.5 hour ride West through the countryside, with a half dozen stops along the way. Got to the B&B and checked in then wandered back down to Eyre Square for late lunch/early dinner. Long day planned for tomorrow, bus tour out to Connemara.... read more