NDBT

Okay – so to finish up Westport – I wandered around the lovely little town all day, by a riverside walk, and down to the quays (saw some sandpipers and other marine-type birds). Then I decided to take the pedestrian walk back to the town to catch the bus to Croagh Patrick. The walk was through the estates of Westport house, and it was really, really pretty (lots and lots of birds – I took one video a glade absolutely filled with songbirds). So I get to the end of the path about half an hour later to find the gates are locked. Its too late at this point to go back around and still catch the bus. I try to climb over the fence. No luck. I go back on another path, cross a dam (which was certainly not meant to be crossed) and came across – more locked gates. I did find a stone wall I could jump over at one point, but being next to a playground full of children, I though that might not be the best example to set. So finally (I was desperate at this point) I took off my shoes, hitched up my pants, and forded the river (luckily no f’n oxen died). My pants got soaked, despite being above the knee, as did the bottoms of my bags (how happy am I that I bought a waterproof camera bag back in Dublin?) Anyways, I made the bus (really nice bus driver) and walked up the base of Croagh Patrick to read the information sign and get some cool pictures of the plants and the sheep on the slopes of the nearby mountains. Even cooler was the national famine monument (something like 100,000 died in Mayo alone). Its a ghost ship with all these skeletons ringing the deck and the rigging. Stopped by Matt Molloy’s in the evening, but it was about the size of a parlor and jam-packed, so I didn’t stay.

Came to Galway this morning (no buses to Clifden). I decided to splurge, and I’ve booked 2 tours – 1 up to Connemara (since I can’t get there) and 1 down to the Burren and the Cliffs of Moeher. I was going to head down that way anyway, but I figure the tour will get me more places and give me some extra info. So I don’t really know where I’ll be heading after Galway – I’ll have to check out my guidebook this evening. I got lunch today at food for thought – a veggie/wholefood place, and wandered around the town a bit. Then I walked out along the coast promenade to the Atlantaquaria – the national aquarium. It was small and cute – mostly rays, skates, and dogfish, although they did have the only white skate in captivity that they are rearing for release (they’re endangered). They did have an AV room, playing Blue Planet on a big screen – so I plopped down and watched a couple of episodes (I love blue planet!). Walked back, wandered up the main st. which is like Grafton st. in Dublin with more stone buildings. I also stopped by the farmers market (oh so much good stuff on sale) – and this cheesemongers with tons of amazing cheese and all sorts of organic specialty foods (I got a raspberry lemonade with organic Madagascan vanilla – just think – in a few months I’ll be able to buy organic vanilla…). Now I’m catching up here, and then I’m headed to couch potatas for dinner – its a whole menu based around potatoes – haha. How Irish. I’ll see how it goes. I stopped in the bookstore (because lord knows I simply cannot help myself – luckily half the books I want to buy are too big for my pack) And how completely annoying is it to be in the middle of the Elizabeth George series and to have her newest book everywhere, broadcasting what happens down the road in the series! Especially when I can’t find the next one I have to read to catch up! Argh.

Galway is very cute – right on the water, nice architecture, tons of hippies, a cheesemonger. I can tell why K likes it so much.

I had a dream last night that I was playing basketball with Gale Harold. How bizarre is that? And why is that I’ve suddenly started remembering my dreams? Must be the leprechauns.

So – probably a quiet night tonight – I’ll let you know how the potato place goes. And I’ll have lots to report (and tons of photos to upload) from the tours over the next 2 days.

No one knows – Queens of the Stone Age

Tags: Travel

This entry was posted on Saturday, February 3rd, 2007 at 9:10 am and is filed under Travel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.