Adventures on Inis Mór, Part Two

I ate lunch and read my book at the American Bar while it rained, but around 3 I headed back out to the other side of the island.

I was walking along the coastal road when I noticed a rocky beach to the right, and as I peered over the edge, someone's old shoe caught my eye!

I made my way down the slippery path and made this when I got to the bottom.

The rocks were so smooth and shiny!

These huge shells also caught my eye from the road.

I was hunting for these beautiful shells in the rocks, and I was hoping I would come across something more magnificent, like a message in a bottle or a gold necklace... but instead I found a fork.

One downside to travelling alone is not having anyone to take pictures of you, and it's hard to do a self-timer!

It was really fun climbing around on these rocks!

I just turned a corner, hoping I'd find some more shells... Instead, I found a huge pile of dead fish!

I saw a dead squid!

Ha ha, just kidding. I have no idea what this is.

Thank God I wore waterproof boots!

Adventures on Inis Mór

This is what I did on Inis Mór:

I saw an open gate with the words "No Camping" on the sign. Did it say "No Trespassing"? Nope! So I walked through to this ruined cathedral.

                            

Later on as I was walking, a large group of French students flew past me on their bicycles. I was standing on the side of the road waiting for them to pass, when I saw another open gate with a grassy path leading to... who knows? The lines from Robert Frost's poem "The Road Not Taken" entered my mind: 

Two roads diverged in a yellow road,

And sorry I could not travel both....

I took the road less traveled by, 

And that has made all the difference.

I took the road less traveled by.

I'm so glad I walked on this path, because I found some beautiful things to take pictures of!

Just as I was about to take a picture of this...

I got mooed at by these cows! 

I walked down a long road and discovered it was someone's driveway.

This cute dog ran down the driveway and wouldn't leave me alone! 

I walked up another foreign path...

And found this strange landscape! One minute it's all healthy grass and trees, and the next it's cracked rocks and overgrown weeds.

I walked down to the beach. There was literally NO ONE AROUND, and that's when I remembered that shop owners go to lunch around 1. Even restaurant owners go to lunch!

I was a little creeped out because I was the only one walking around! But I took a few pictures before it started to rain and headed to the American Bar for lunch. 

I treated myself to my first Irish coffee!

To be continued...

Inis Mór, Aran Islands

During my second day in Galway, I booked a trip to the Aran Islands. 

It was 24 euro, which I think is a pretty good deal for an hour bus ride to and from Ros a Mhíl, and a 45-minute ferry ride to and from the island. A bus picked us up near my hostel, and we drove for almost an hour to Ros a'Mhíl. The smart girl in me told me to buy a book to read on the bus, and I picked up another Jodi Picoult novel: Sing You Home. 
It was raining, of course, but luckily the ferry was enclosed. It was also very crowded and I didn't get a window seat (not like there was anything to see) so I read my book the whole way there. I couldn't complain!
When we got off the ferry on Inis Mór at the main town of Kilronan, I realized that I had no idea where to go or what to do! That's when the dumb girl in me thought, I should have done some research about the island before I jumped on a ferry and planned on spending a whole day here.

A bit o' history for ya: 
+ Inis Mór means "the big island", Inis Meáin means "middle island" and Inis Óirr means "island of the east".
+ There are about 850 residents on Inis Mór.
+ Irish is the first language of the inhabitants of this island, but they are all bilingual. 
+ There are three types of transportation on this island: bicycles, horses and buggies, and mini bus (which double as tours and taxis at night).

This island reminded me a lot of Mackinac Island, especially when I saw all the bicycle hire buildings with all their bicycles parked out front.

Inis Mór doors!

 

Galway, Part Two

On Wednesday night, I went out and explored Galway. I wasn't really sure where to go or what there is to do in Galway, but I had my camera and what more does a photographer need? :)

I wish I could tell you which streets these were, but I have no clue!

Update: After looking at Google Maps, I think I was on Shop Street and Lower Abbeygate Street.

Galway likes murals!

I walked down by the river and then  made my way back home. 

And I Lost My Heart To A Galway Girl

I took a train to Galway this week!
Thanks to my good friend Ian, he reminded me of this song, Galway Girl, which was in the movie P.S. I Love You.

I left Wednesday morning on the 11:30 train out of Heuston Station. I ended up getting there AN HOUR EARLY, which never, ever happens. I'm usually late! So I bought a Jodi Picoult novel (and finished it in two days. There's something about Jodi Picoult novels that are just so irresistible!), and I people watched.

We boarded at 11, and these trains were nice! They reminded me of Amtrak trains, with the wide, comfortable seats and table between four seats.

I got the fortune of having a quad seating area all to myself, until an Orlando Bloom look-a-like sat down across from me. Best trainride ever? You better believe it. We talked a little, but he was French, and I'm probably the worst at understanding how French people talk. 

We got to Galway at 2. I ended up walking a full circle around Eyre Park, when I needed to go to the red target. I was lost, obviously. But I asked a native and he was really nice and showed me where to go.

I stayed at Snoozles Hostel! I'm not joking.

It wasn't bad, especially compared to the hostel we stayed at in London. I dropped my backpack off (that's right. I fit a two-day excursion into a backpack! That has never happened before. I should win an award or something) and walked around Galway.

Galway has a population of just over 75,000 people, which surprised me because it didn't seem that big to me.
Galway is centered on the River Corrib. That is Abhainn Na Gailimhe (The Galway River) in Irish, and is named after Galvia, a mythological princess who was said to have drowned in the river.