Ireland Day 9

Here's what I did on my last day in Ireland:

Drove from Carrick-on-Shannon to Dublin. The drive was long and boring and I didn't enjoy it much.
Dropped the rental car off.
Went to the Dublin airport and waited for my flight to Budapest.
Flew from Dublin to Budapest.
Took a cab from the Budapest airport to Amy's apartment.
Arrived at Amy's apartment, showered, ate cereal and went to bed.

On Wednesday I had these absolutely insane ideas of getting up super early on Thursday and either driving into Dublin or dropping off the rental car, checking-in for my flight and then taking a bus into Dublin to do some exploring. I thought since it was going to be an "early" night at The Thatch, that I could cram in one last bit of excitement and hit up the Jameson Distillery or House Number 29- Dublin's Georgian House Museum.

But, since my internal clock has been all sorts of f'd up, and I drank way more than I should have (including Irish coffee which is so super delicious), I barely got any sleep before I needed to scoot off to Dublin. Plus I woke up thinking "What the hell was I thinking?" And bagged going into Dublin. Which was a very smart decision to arrive at!

Anyway, I'm here in Budapest and very happy to be at Amy's amazing apartment and with her to make some more fun memories. I went exploring all over the place today, but...I'll have to leave that until tomorrow!

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Ireland- Day 8: Galway to Carrick-on-Shannon (and Another Night at The Thatch!)

I reluctantly left Robin and Galway yesterday after a truly wonderful and relaxing stay. It's definitely the longest I've stayed in one place while vacationing in Ireland and it turns out it was the best thing I could have done. It was great to really get to know Galway (although I have no doubt that there's lots more I could do and see, especially when it's not windy and rainy).

What made the leaving just a little easier is that I was headed to The Thatch! And that place never disappoints.

I took a cab out to the Galway airport, got into my rental car and then drove by myself for the next twoish hours. It was nice having alone time and driving at my own speed. One of the things I love most about traveling solo is that I can do whatever I want. If there's something I wanna take a picture of, I can just pull over and do it. I don't have to worry about annoying anyone or holding anything up. I took advantage of that quite a bit on the drive from Galway to Carrick-on-Shannon. And I was rewarded with some really fantastic sights.

Here's a few from the drive:


Sheep grazing the hillside



Carroll's bar!



More sheep



Stone buildings along the water


Boyle, Ireland


My final destination


Carrick-on-Shannon window

One of the things I liked best about this drive was that I got to travel roads I hadn't been before. I loved when Amy and I rented a car and went exploring. But it wasn't exploring so much as backtracking...or something. (Amy don't take it the wrong way, you know I LOVED every minute we spent together). Anyway...the drive was nice and I saw some new places and the weather wasn't too crappy. So I made it to Carrick-on-Shannon with enough time to shower and watch some more Cougar Town on my computer. That show is really funny! I found myself laughing out loud a lot.

Because I'm such a pro at The Thatch at this point, I didn't even bother showing up any earlier than 9pm. Last week Amy and I got there around 8pm and Percy had to unlock the door to let us in. It was more than 30 minutes before anyone joined us. And with the weather so crappy- it had taken a turn for the worse by the time I was out of dinner- I was the third person there by the time I walked over just after 9pm.

The night started out slow. And it made me nervous. Gene wasn't going to be there, although Percy said there was always a chance he'd show up. So I was already on edge and anxious about just how the night would turn out.

My friends from last week showed up- Stripey Mike, Allo and Padraig:


And they definitely helped keep the night interesting.

But, there was no music! Which was sad. Deasun showed up very late, like around 11pm (which is about an hour to an hour and a half later than he'd normally arrive). But we were in the middle of talking, so he just sat down and joined in. At oint point he said, "I think this is the first time I've ever come in here and there hasn't been any music." So we all made Jim play a few reels on his accordion.

Here's Jim:


I really wasn't sure how the rest of the night would go with conversation and no music or dancing. But it turned out to be great. Percy was running the show and he really helped me perfect my Irish coffee. I even recorded him instructing me on how to do it. Thanks Percy!


Here's my nearly perfect Irish coffee


And here's me with Percy.

Somehow we managed to stay out until 2am, even though I had high hopes of calling it an early night- partially because I promised Gene that I wouldn't keep Percy out past his bedtime and partially because I needed to drive to Dublin, drop off the rental car and fly to Budapest. But Percy kept letting me make Irish coffees and before we knew it, we were out of cream and then it really was time to shut down the pub and let Percy- and everyone else- go to bed!


Stripy Mike


Amy's future husband Allo. I have video of him giving Amy his phone number and telling her she looked "swell in her wellies." (Rain boots).

Although it wasn't a traditional night at The Thatch, it was a wonderful one. I loved sitting down and talking to Deasun, Evelyn (B&B owner), Seamus and Percy. And I loved going back and forth between the adults and the boys (Padraig, Allo and Stripy Mike). While I was sad to not have music, and Gene, I enjoyed getting to know more about the people I've come to love from Carrick-on-Shannon.

At 2am when I walked back to the B&B, I went to bed with a smile on my face and dreams of when I'd be back at The Thatch.

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Ireland- Day 7: Galway

Well today's weather was even crummier than yesterday's. It took me a while to work up the courage to leave the comfort and coziness of Robin's apartment. I heard the wind howling in through her window and watched people fighting with the wind and the rain. But I really couldn't justify not leaving the apartment either.

So I bundled up and decided I needed to head out or starve. And since I had already missed breakfast, I wasn't missing lunch too.

I wandered down some streets I hadn't been on before and walked into a nearly empty Italian restaurant, Milano. I wasn't expecting anything amazing and I got exactly what I had expected- pretty average pizza. But it got me out of the rain and filled up my belly for a little while.

With a meal behind me, I took off and wandered around some more. Robin had told me about a cupcake place that I found about a block away from the pizza place. Since it was still really windy and rainy and cold, and my poor umbrella seemed to scream with pain each time the wind whipped it forcefully in a direction it just should not be going in, I figured stopping in to get a cupcake would be perfect. "I'm on vacation" I said to no one by myself as I opened up the door.

I was greeting with a beautiful table filled with lovely looking treats and knew I had made the right decision.



I started the laborious task of removing all my layers (hat, scarf, jacket) and took out my book after I placed my order.





Neither of my meals lasted long and I had to return to the wacky outdoors. I tried to just brave it and walk around, but it was miserable. And I figured it was okay if I went back to Robin's place and did whatever I wanted there. I felt like I had to go to the pub and read or write, but I just wanted to crash on the bed and do nothing that required too much thinking and absolutely no walking around in the rain.

I had some time to really think about what I wanted to do tomorrow and Thursday. Options were wide open but it was narrowed down to taking the train from Galway to Dublin and spending the night there and then going out to the airport for my flight to Budapest or renting a car and driving to Carrick-on-Shannon, going to The Thatch and then driving myself to the airport for my flight to Budapest.

I know I know. Going to The Thatch is a no brainer, right? Well with Gene not being there, I really wasn't sure how it would be. Besides, I could go to Dublin and spend the night in a nice hotel and do a bunch of walking and sight seeing there. I could even hit up the Jameson's Distillery if I wanted.

But in the end, I decided I would be crazy to pass up an opportunity to go to The Thatch- Gene or no Gene I am certain that place is magical. And it'll actually be the first time that I'll have been to The Thatch on my own, so it'll make me talk to more people. Plus with renting a car, I'll have some nice alone driving time and will have the opportunity to see more of Ireland- even parts I haven't really been to.

With that decided and my clothes just barely dry, off I went to The Townhouse to meet Robin. I took my book and journal, finished my book (I highly recommend picking up Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet- it was a touching story where I yet again learned more historical events that made me feel like a stupid, ignorant American) and started writing in my journal before Robin showed up.





Our night was low-key and included kick ass fish 'n chips and catch-up time on the couch and the computer.

It's been a great stay in Galway. Before this visit I hadn't spent much time here and I felt pretty indifferent toward it. But after this extended stay here, I really dig Galway and think it's a pretty spectacular place to call home for a few days.

One of today's favorite images:

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Ireland- Day 6: Galway

I can't remember the last time I went on vacation and actually felt relaxed. But that's exactly how I feel right now and it is wonderful. Although my body has had a hard time adjusting to the time and I haven't hit my stride or gotten into a routine. I'm still feeling alright.

The good part about staying put in one place is that it's fully allowed me to just chill out. Today wasn't a terribly busy day but it was a good one. After putzing around in the morning, I finally made it out around 1030am and went to visit Robin at work. From there I took a trip to the Galway Cathedral.

It's All Saints Day so I walked right into the middle of mass. It struck me that I hadn't been in church for a very very long time. It's always amazing to me just how much comes flooding back to me- being able to recite the prayers and the psalms (or whatever they're called) after taking such a long break from being at a Catholic mass. I patiently waited for the service to end before snapping some pictures and then high tailing it outta there.

It was a very windy and rainy day on and off. So I took shelter in a pub where I wrote out more postcards and had lunch. Afterward, I walked around some more, battled with my umbrella, not so silently willing it to not blow away or break, and then went to another pub, this time to read.

I felt really relaxed lounging on a couch at a pub right around the corner from where Robin lives, called the Townhouse. I've been here more than a handful of times since landing in Galway. It's easy to get to, has good pub food and is a really relaxing low-key atmosphere. When I almost fell asleep on the couch, I realized it was time to go home and shower before meeting up with Robin.

Feeling a little more awake, I went back to the Townhouse to meet up with Robin. We ate, talked and then decided to get one more drink (for me at least) from another local pub, Murphy's. I had actually tried to go in there earlier in the day, but they must have just washed the floors, because the overpowering smell of ammonia made me turn right around.

With a several hour break, Robin & I were able to hang out. I walked in and felt right at home among the patrons. Average age? Approximately 72 I'd say. I made my one Guinness stretch for a couple of hours as I read and slowly sipped my drink until it was gone.

A short rain-free walk later, I'm back at Robin's and about to go to bed.

I still feel super relaxed and it's a foreign feeling for me. Typically on vacations I'm running around here and there and everywhere and feel rushed to try and fit everything in that I can. I have at least one more day of total relaxation and then need to figure out what I'm doing on Wednesday about The Thatch...

Favorite pictures from the day:

Writing postcards and drinking Guinness


Smokers taking shelter from the rain


Rain damage and color splashes


Kickin' it in Murphy's with the 70-year old men


A quiet end to a quiet day

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Ireland- Day 5- Galway

Amy left this morning. I walked her to the bus station and then slowly made my way back to Robin's. On the way to the bus station, two lads hanging out their windows were cat calling to me and Amy asking us if we were doing the walk of shame. When I responded that my husband was in California, it seemed to shut them up as we didn't see them hanging out their window anymore.

I spotted this had to back track a little to get a perfect shot. A bright pink pump perfectly placed outside a pub.



Turns out Sunday morning is a great time to walk around Quay Street. No one is up early around here! Especially after a few days of celebrating Halloween.





Because it was Robin's day off, we were both more than happy to just chill out. And the crazy thing is, it's not like I've been doing all that much since getting here. Certainly a huge departure from how my trips normally go here. But the idea of going to The Townhouse and writing out postcards, reading or writing in my journal was great. So that's what we did.

I also go to meet some of Robin's friends who met up with us throughout the afternoon. And I got to go to some of Robin's favorite places in Galway. It was a wonderful way to spend a lazy Sunday.

Back home I don't do the going to bars and meeting up with friends casually thing. It's always something that needs to be planned. But here in Ireland it really is a central meeting place. And what's rad is you don't have to be drinking alcohol. I can't tell you how often I hear people ordering lattes or tea or coffee at pubs here. It's the idea of being out and about and social and meeting up with people to talk and connect. I wish it was easier and more common place in LA. Obviously having to get in the car to drive everywhere is a huge deterrent. But in my circle, going out to a bar needs to be planned and almost always there needs to be a reason, a celebration if you will, to push you out the door. It's one of many things I like about Ireland.











I really like this staying in one place thing. We did it during last year's trip, when we were in Baltimore for three nights, but what a huge difference it makes to be in a place where there's year round activity and people and things going on. And not to mention choices in terms of where to drink and eat. It's been great to be here in Galway and to spend this time with Robin.

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Ireland- Day 4: Doolin --> Galway

I wouldn't say I woke up well-rested. In fact, I had a helluva time falling asleep and it wasn't until almost 3am that I finally did. It's been difficult adjusting to the time change- more difficult than I remember it being in the past. But, whatever. I'm on vacation, I can deal with this.

Amy and I walked around Doolin, which took a matter of minutes before heading south to Liscannor and Lahinch. We decided we'd hit up Enis on our way back up north and thought it'd be a really good idea to go back to Moran's to have another superb meal.



The drive to Lahinch is another familiar one. We passed the Liscannor Castle, or what's left of it.



And then parked in Lahinch, which is a big surf town. I've stopped on the way out of Lahinch in the past to get a cool picture of the colorful buildings along the coastline, but never in town. Amy and I walked around for just a little bit, checked out a surf shop and then went to check out the waves. There were a few people out surfing. The water must have been freezing. But they all looked like they were having fun. I couldn't help thinking of Steve, as I often do on these trips, knowing how happy he would have been to watch the surfers in Ireland. (I thought about him and talked about him constantly during the first meal at Moran's knowing that he would have been beyond happy having those amazing oysters).



There's not that much going on in some of these small towns this time of year. So all we needed was a few minutes to walk around and then go on our way. We headed to Enis which is the name of Amy's grandparent's house in North Carolina. She wanted to be able to take a picture and send her a postcard from there.

We were both caught off-guard by how sprawling Enis was. It was much bigger than we had expected (though to be honest, we really hadn't thought that much about it before arriving- evident by how little we thought about much of anything on this trip). But it was Saturday and people were out and about shopping and visiting and walking around town.



Motivated entirely by our taste buds, we hopped back in our adorable little car and headed north for Moran's. I swear if we closed our eyes, our stomachs would have easily led us there. We meandered through little towns and even tinier villages and even though there were a bunch of detours and we used our atlas very little, we found the turn for Moran's and were happy to be seated by the fire place eating almost exactly the same meal we had just one day earlier.

We took our time and savored each bite. Sad when it was done. But so full we couldn't entertain the idea of having just one more bite. The addition of apple crisp (with both cream and ice cream because we couldn't possibly decide between the two) really set us over the edge. But we were more than happy and satisfied. And had the fuel we needed to make the very last bit of the drive back to Galway.

Now I'm staying with my friend Robin here in Galway. Which has been amazing. First of all, quick story. Robin's my oldest friend in my life. Not like oldest as in she's 101 years old or anything. But the friend I've known the longest. Our mothers were friends from the time we lived in Connecticut and naturally we became friends with Robin. We lost touch after my family moved to New Hamsphire and saw each other I think only twice after that move. But due to the magic of Facebook, I heard from Robin after my sister's article was published in Real Simple- the one she wrote about the hike we did to scatter my father's ashes. And we've been in much closer touch since then. We fell back into our friendship essentially without skipping a beat and it's been so wonderful to be back in touch with her. Robin moved here in March and has very graciously opened up her home for me to stay. THANK YOU ROBIN!

Coming back into Galway on Saturday PM, Amy and I were reminded about Halloween and how over the top the Irish are about celebrating this holiday (as it turns out, it's believed that the Irish invented Halloween...of course!). We met up with Robin when she was done with work and had a nice dinner around the corner from the apartment and then ventured out onto Quay (pronounced Key) Street to grab a drink.

Apparently we're too old to be doing anything wild for Halloween, which was more than fine with me. We had a couple of drinks and then made the short walk back to Robin's.

Happy Halloween Eve!

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Ireland- Day 3: Galway --> Doolin

One thing Amy and I actually did discuss and semi-plan was that we'd rent a car for a day and do an overnight trip somewhere south of Galway along the west coast (my favorite one). So after getting what felt like one million hours of sleep (which in non-dramatic people terms translates to nearly 12 hours), Amy and I slowly made our way to Eyre Square (pronounced Air) to see if we could get a rental car.

When I tried to book online that morning, or was it the night before, the search results returned in sad red text telling us we needed to call the rental office directly to check on availability. Sad.

O for spontaneous plans and 1 for the planners (not us in this situation).

We were not deterred, walked into Budget and about 20 minutes later we dropped a pretty euro and were on our way to pick up our adorable little Nissan around the corner. I comfortably eased into the driver seat (on the passenger's side of the car) and off we went for parts unknown. Sort of.

For a few years now, I've heard about a restaurant near Galway called Moran's. I wasn't sure exactly where it was. And since I of course didn't have any sort of a travel book with me, I couldn't get us there. But as luck would have it, as we were headed south toward Lisdoonvarna, we saw a sign for Moran's and followed it until we ended up right outside the restaurant.

We went inside and proceeded to eat one of the best meals of my life.


Baked garlic oysters and mussels, goat cheese salad, mashed potatoes, brown bread, Guinness, wine...I mean, honestly.


And here I am trying my first oyster ever. Let's be honest, this thing is just a vehicle for all the butter, garlic and breadcrumbs. If all oysters looked and tasted like that, I'd eat 'em all day long!

We waddled outta there and continued to head south. I'd driven this part of Ireland a few times. I could specifically remember a part of the road where it zig zags up a hill. But Amy and I were rewarded a few different times with really beautiful shots like these:









It never gets old.

Speaking of never getting old...Amy and I decided at the last minute, dictated by the amazing shades of colors in the sky, to go to the Cliffs of Moher and watch the sun set. I've been to the Cliffs every time I've been to Ireland, but never at sunset. So off we went and were treated with a spectacular view- one I was so grateful to have seen. Check it out yourself:









As you can see in the last shot, a storm was headed our way. We were so busy snapping shots of the Cliffs that we didn't even notice until the skies opened up and it started pouring. We ran back to the car and decided to take a short cut but got stuck at a dead end into the building, which was locked and closed since it was well after hours. We hopped over the fence and then ran down the little path (created by other rebels just like ourselves). I felt my feet start to fall out from under me, but was able to steady myself, exhale loudly, and then whoooosh, I fell flat on my backside and continued to slide down the muddy path for a few seconds before I could finally stop myself.

How Amy didn't wet her pants laughing I'll never know. But I got up, leaving my dignity on the muddy path, and attempted to cooly walk back to the car. I was thankful for a few things:

1. I was wearing brown pants so the mud seemed to blend in a little better than it would have.
2. I had exactly one change of pants I brought with me for the overnight that I could change into.
3. There really weren't that many people around to witness it and not a single person gave me shit- including Amy.

I made myself feel better by going back to Doolin and having another great meal and a pint of Guinness.



After deciding we'd stay there for the night, we thought it'd be a good idea to find somewhere to sleep. Of course we hadn't figured that part out yet. But Amy went up to the bartender and asked for a recommendation. An hour later we were at a beautiful B&B with Laura Ashely sheets and a brand new shower. It felt like heaven. And a place Me Mum would have absolutely loved and approved of.

Although we were steps away from some of the best traditional music in Ireland, we decided to call it an early night!

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