Trip to Galway Bay Coast

A castle near Galway city
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Galway...

What a great city on the Atlantic coast.  I absolutely loved this location, it was by far the best part of my trip to Ireland.  I would surely recommend that if anybody comes to Ireland, they should make time for Galway.  Even if only for 2 days.  This city can easily be walked, as a lot of major tourist attractions are on the main streets.  I would say this area has history (not as much as Dublin) but I wouldn't go here for the history but instead the day trips to Cliffs of Moher and Kylemore Abbey.

It was so good but so greasy. So good, that it made me go back the following evening.

A famine house - this was a house that people living during the famine lived in
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I have been asked whether Ireland has a lot of golf courses.  I would say it has some (not nearly as much as Scotland) but someone.  However because I wasn't on any tours specifically looking for golf courses, I would say I only saw about 3 or four.  Ireland is much more of a nature seeking island than golfing.  I would recommend a trip to this island if you want to tour around and see the various and many historic locations.

July 9: I arrived to Galway by bus from Killarney in the morning.  I went to my hostel, which had I actually followed the directions given by the hostel, I would have arrived without a problem.  But knowing me I didn't.  Have I mentioned that street signs are very hard to read, if not impossible at times because they are missing!

This looks like a head and is rightly called Black head something
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Once I checked into my hostel, they warned me to not drink nor brush my teeth with the water, I asked why, and it is because of a sewege problem (yuck!).  They have been on bottled or boiling water restrictions for a couple of months now, can you believe it, and Vancouverites were complaining after 2 weeks.  So this was interesting brushing with bottled water, but I was willing to overcome this matter because I was at such a great hostel (please read review).  Did I mention when I arrived to Galway, it was raining!  Every nationalist keeps saying this isn't normal weather for Ireland.  I have a hard time believing this considering it is an island on the Atlantic, with no barriers protecting it.  So getting back to the days, I went for a brief walk to orientate myself with the city.  It was nice,and I picked up some bottled water.  I went to eat at Elles cafe on Shop St.  (main pedestrian street).  It was good food, had a baps (=panini).  I would go again.  Then made my way back to the hostel to unpack, and chill.

This is one type of landscape Ireland has - it is also called the Lunar landscape
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July 10th: Today, I went to visit the Cliffs of Moher among many other locations on the tour.  It was a great day, beautiful, finally sun!  The day was well worth it and I am so happy I went.  But do you think I could remember all the locations we stopped, no hope.  I am going to have to figure this one out when I get home.  All these lochs, bally this and bally that.  This gaelic really messes me up!  After I got back I went back down the pedestrian street and found a fish and chips place.  Oh my gosh, it was great, called something McNough's?  It was so good but so greasy.  So good, that it made me go back the following evening.

Cliffs of Mohor
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July 11th:  This was the 3 day I was in Galway, and I decided to go on another tour because I had a whole day and there was still Connamera that I wanted to visit.  However, like the Ireland way, it rained.  It didn't rain the whole day and luckily after we left Kylemore Abbey (please read review).  It was such a beautiful abbey, I didn't want to leave.  The Connamera region is beautiful but the Ring of Kerry is much better.  There is a lot of bog in this location, so not much can grow, just a lot of bog and digging of peet.  After, I got back from my 8 hour tour again, I went back to the fish and chips place.  I loved it that much!  Tonight was my last night in this city as I was departing to leave for Dublin the next day.  I honestly didn't want to come back to Dublin for the next night, and instead wanted to stay at my location, because I knew it couldn't be topped.  I am happy that my trip, in Ireland, ended with the city of Galway, as it made my trip that much better.  I really don't consider staying one night in Dublin to be the end of my trip.