Galway and the West: Ring of Kerry tour day 2

So, we arrive in Galway just before lunchtime and were told we had 2.5 hours of free time. I had remembered reading about a number of highly regarded restaurants there, so upon disembarking, I hauled it to Ard Bia at Nimmos where, after some hemming and hawing, I ordered a bowl of fresh seafood chowder with a side of brown bread. As had been every other person since I landed in Ireland, my waiter was noticeably friendly and lovely, and the chowder, bread, and butter did not disappoint.

Galway was in the throes of a vibrant arts festival and a hopping tourist scene, and in an attempt to escape the latter, I wound through farther-out side streets to explore. A local crafts store caught my eye, and I wandered in and was taken with it all, particularly the earrings and tea towels (I have a significant and long-standing obsession with tea towels). As I was checking out, the HILARIOUS clerk and I happened to begin chatting about her long-ago trip to DC. She was traveling with a friend and, following a terrible experience at one hostel, found another where she “experienced the best sleep of my life.”

The next morning, confused by the lack of noise and, upon a look around, other guests, she and her friend worried they’d inadvertently squatted somewhere. Turns out it was a Mormon lodge of some sort, and they never did cross paths with a soul. “Well,” I said, “maybe you are, unbeknownst to yourself, a Mormon. But, they don’t drink caffeine, so…”

With a very dramatic series of hand gestures towards herself, she replied, “does THIS look like it needs caffeine?” “Ok,” I said, “well if you’re fine with no alcohol and a certain type of undergarment, you’re set.” That killed the deal, which never there was, and we were still laughing as I walked out of the door with my purchases.

After Galway (wish I’d had more time there), we ventured further into Connemara, a stunning region in western Ireland that also includes the eponymous national park, and to Ballynahinch Castle. It sits on 700 wooded acres and is breathtakingly beautiful. Beyond the grounds, the rooms were perhaps the nicest I’ve ever stayed in, the food was delicious, and during dinner our first night, a local father-son duo played jigs, reels, waltzes, and a variety of tunes from all over Ireland on a Gaelic accordian (the son) and a wooden flute of African black wood that the father had crafted himself. The son was also an excellent Irish dancer, and the entire evening was a joy to witness.

The grounds were just stunning, and I took an absurd number of photos. I was fascinated by the fact that MD and Ireland grow so many of the same plants, despite the latitudinal difference. Granted, their gardens seemed happier than ours, perhaps because it was not 100 degrees each day.

Next stop: Clifden, Roundstone, and Kylemore Abbey.