I miss my mess

It was last night, after a meal and a couple of Guinesses at a wonderful authentic bar in downtown Galway, that I realized I am going back to the fray of normal life.  It'll be an intense day of travel (about twenty hours worth), and an even more intense week for work -- there's a lot to get caught up on.  It is nice it is to plan a full day of "stay-cation" after a trip, and yet I still often forget to do so (including this trip.  D'oh!)

So I reflect back on the trip now, sitting in the airport, trying to make the memories of the trip slightly more permanent.  I have been incredibly lucky, from the gorgeous weather to the perfect amount of fuel -- I pulled into Hertz with zero liters of petrol left, which is equal to zero gallons of gasoline (in case you didn't want to do the math).

Each city was different, though the locals were consistently friendly, and the experiences were more about what I brought to them than what they offered me.  My favorite moments were those which included a playful nature, which I didn't think to capture with my camera.

I played more chess in the past two weeks than the past six months combined, sometimes even two games at a time.  Playing chess in public with a pint harkens back to college in Santa Cruz.  Yeah, I'm a nerd, so what?

I liked the "neighborhood park" feel of our walk yesterday, including stumbling and drooling toddlers on leashes.  Looking back, the whole trip was pretty bromantic.  Yes.  Bromantic.  I don't know how many times the conversation rolled back to:

"So, what do you want to do tonight?"

"Dinner and drinks?"

"That sounds nice."

It was nice to have a travel buddy, but now it's time to focus on all the things back home.  Thanks for reading!

Around Galway

One more attempt to find Horans came up close, with a few near-misses, with Killoran's Bar and a smattering of rhyming last names in a graveyard on the outskirts of Galway.

The weather is still gorgeous, so no complaints here.  I'm heading home tomorrow, so it was nice to escape into the Irish piers and parks for a bit as well.

Galway Cathedral

Cathedral of Our Lady Assumed Into Heaven and St Nicholas -- it's too long a name, but that's how it's listed on Google.  No wonder the locals just call it Galway Cathedral (or maybe just "Church").

The photo above is just one of four giant sections in the cross shaped floor plan, each adorned with massive, detailed statues, mosaics and stained glass windows.

Last night was more Irish music, including a band called the Amazing Apples who were peddling their new single street side.  It made our outdoor cafe writting session much more enjoyable (and so did the Smith(w)icks).

We went out later to the bars, nursed a couple pints, and played a game of rummy, then chess.  I'm a terrible wingman.  Sorry Colin.

Galway

We watched Ireland's premier film, The Stag, for a slight change of pace.  I'm not going to lie, one of the main perks was a half-pound of mystery gummie candies that we got to try.  The film was ranked at less than 50% on Rotten Tomatoes, so we set our expectations accordingly, only to find that it has more redeeming qualities than we expected.  It is Irland's answer to The Hangover, only more focused on character development.  I recommend for anyone who really likes Irish accents and lots if male butt crack.

[trailer video to be put here]

Yesterday was a romp through the Galway city center.  Colin was selected out of the crowd to help a street performer escape a straight jacket atop a unicycle (whilst cracking a few jokes).  A great way to spend a bit of time on our way to lunch.

Later that night, we grabbed a couple of pints and listened to some award-winning Irish music at a pub downtown.  We ran into an Irishman at the bar who was willing to answer my questions about Irish economy and politics (we were surprised to hear that the Irish government hold approximately 500 politicians for this tiny island, and that Northern Ireland is considered both Irish and English for the purpose of passports, and possibly even social programs.)

[No photo]. :(

The Burren National Park

On the way, we stumbled across the KillmacDonough cemetery and ruins of the 7th century church (and surrounding buildings).

The road to te Burren National Park was flooded, so we were re-routed, then again, until finally the main road through the park was also flooded.  It hasn't rained in a week, it's just ireland, so I guess it just tends to puddle up in certain areas.  Luckily, we were able to pull off to the side of the road, and wander about the cracked rock surface.

No, I'm not sure what the horses were doing there, but they didn't seem bothered by us as they grazed on one of the few patches of grass that grew across the rocky surface.

Cliffs of Moher

This was just a day trip, and a bit of a hike, but it feels worthy of its own post.  A truely stunning view, and I'm not just talking about Colin's beard filling in.

We walked the path atop the cliffs about seven kilometers, which -- by my calculations -- is about thirty-five miles.  It may not be apparent from the pictures above, but the slightly muddied path snaked along less than a body length from the edge of the cliff.  Each slight slip caused my life to briefly flash before my eyes, though it was more the virtigo than actual danger which caused this reaction. For Colin, slipping in the mud just got the theme song to Dawson's Creek stuck in his head; at least, that's what he thought, until he realized it was actually Vitamin C - Graduation (friends forever).  I find solace in the idea that at least the cliffs were high enough that had he fallen, he would have had enough time to think "Wait, is that the theme song to Dawson's Creek? ...no, it's not."  Thank goodness, right?

The "farmland" and coastal town visible from atop the cliff path were equally beautiful, though I'm not sure if the picture captures it properly.

Limerick

Like nearly every other city, Limerick is built on a river.  It was a smattering, nearly clashing, of old and new.  We spent a bit of extra time catching up on sleep, before taking a walk around the city.  Nothing jumped out as remarkable, though the cathedrals were definitely noteworthy, though I must admit that we feel blessed to have enough sunshine to warrant worrying about sunburns.  Is it possible that we brought some California sun with us?