THE GALWAY CATHEDRAL
11:00 am We take a peek at the Galway Cathedral. Its architecture is amazing, but different because it is one of the more modern cathedrals, built in 1960. They were having mass, so it felt weird to tour around the outside walls, but there were dozens of others also making a mockery of the religious service, so we joined in. I love how the church has an opening right above the altar that seems to go up forever (seemingly to heaven I guess). I did not realize until after we left that you can walk around the upper area. I felt cheated. Now I have a reason to come back.
11:45 am I show the parents the apartment I stayed in while working the Galway camp. It’s a 3rd floor flat and I was also going to see if I could find my lost u-shaped travel pillow. Upon leaving my father is somehow behind us all and screams, “Shaun, turn this light out or not?” Forgetting to tell him to not be incredibly loud, this scares “Joe’s (my boss at that camp) Mom” who lives on the second floor. This will be important later.
12:00 We then went to the town of Claudaugh, famous for boats named after the town and for the Claudaugh ring. You wear the ring with the heart out if you are available and towards you if taken, or the other way around, I don’t know. It gives you a good opening line either way. “Is that the available claudach direction? Oh, good, can I buy you a Guiness?” It is a quaint fishing town that now thrives on what all of Ireland now thrives on. Clueless Americans spending there money on everything and anything.
Aran Island from a distance
Kate showing the stress of being a Pack Mule
1:00 pm Due to poor time estimates and poor conversion of km to miles, we are now way behind schedule to catch the last ferry to the Aran Islands. Again my fault, I thought we could do 100 km in an hour no problem. Well Kelly “Danica” Haggerty does pull it off at one point reaching 120 km/hr, which is only 77 mph, but imagine doing 77 on a 2 lane country road. Plenty of double yellow line passing was done as well.
THEY LOVE THEIR ROCKS ON THIS ISLAND
WHY IS THERE A SIGN WARNING YOU OF ONCOMING HOCKEY PLAYERS?
MARY HAS A HECK OF A COLD SORE OR THERE IS A SNAIL STUCK TO HER
1:58 pm Cutting it way too close, I am dropped off to buy the tickets and hold the ferry. I buy the tickets and like most things Irish, the boat has no interest in leaving on time. My family doesn’t know this and I see them sprinting down the pier, including Kate carrying 3 backpacks worth of food and jackets. We affectionately call her “Mule” the remainder of the trip.
2:20 pm Due to fear of boats and utter exhaustion Kate is in near tears on the ferry ride, while Leo takes the chance to take one of his trademark instantaneous naps.
2:40 pm Like I did before, we rent bikes. It’s the best way to get around the island on your self-guided tour. We go to the lighthouse, which is the highest point and take in a great view of the rest of the island, the Atlantic and the Irish coast in the distance. Then I make another poor leadership decision and send us straight down a steep winding sometimes grass trail to the Seal Cove. This gives us the utter exhileration of seeing ONE seal, but then forces us to constantly climb uphill to the fort at the other end of the island.
Here is our ONE SEAL!!
4:50 pm Fortunately the ride back is “mostly” downhill. Nothing better than biking downhill.
5:10 pm As a reward for our full body workout, we get ice cream at the SuperMax, which you may remember is the McDougals of Ireland.
5:30 pm The return ferry trip is less stressful as we are tired, but not as frazzled.
10:00 pm Our lovely mobile home renters tell us that there is an urgent call for me and I need to phone Terry Kennedy immediately. Terry informs me that I should not go back to Galway the rest of the trip. “Joe’s Mom” has phoned the police for breaking and entering. He says, “They take breaking and entering seriously here.” Well, maybe you shouldn’t have the shop keeper who holds the key give it out to anyone who asks. Luckily I look like 40-50 percent of the Irishman in Galway, so even a large manhunt would prove unsuccessful. Regardless, thankfully we have no plans to return to Galway, even though a trip to prison would help to get the full flavor of the culture.
No comments:
Post a Comment