We headed out onto Quay Street in search of breakfast. However as soon as we stepped out of the hotel the sight that greeted us made us laugh. Beer had definitely flowed freely in the pub last night. The morning air had a chill, and a light breeze blew down the street. The Latin Quarter was all quiet, which was a major change from 8 hours ago. The young lady working at the desk at the hotel had told us where a good breakfast could be found, but locating the eatery had alluded us. Tom stopped for a moment and chatted with Oscar Wilde & Eduard Vilde. (Tom will talk to anybody!) Finally locating the restaurant, it was upstairs, we told the two literary icons goodbye. We had a wonderful breakfast, but sadly porridge was not offered.
Trying something new for us, we had signed up for a walking tour of the city. The tour was free, but the guide worked for tips. We arrived at the designated rendezvous spot, a pub on Eyre Square, early so we strolled around the square.
The city was now starting to awake, and people could be seen coming and going about their day. There was a girl sitting on a bench trying to eat her breakfast sandwich, but instead she was in a battle with a blackbird. The prize was her breakfast sandwich. Not sure we had ever seen such an aggressive or bold bird. The winged attacker would fly right into her lap to go after her food and would retreat when she swatted at the bird forcing it away.
Out of the corner of his eye, Tom saw someone else in the center of the square he wanted to talk to, but time did not permit. The tour group was gathering in front of the pub. The weather was still holding, but clouds could be seen on the horizon.
Our tour guide was a young Spanish girl who had come to Galway as student. She fell in love with the city, including an Irish man. Ana had an ebullient personality, and with her red hair one could tell she had truly embraced her new home. We walked across the street to Eyre Square and the tour began.
On our first stop, we were formerly introduced to Pádraic Ó Conaire (Patrick Joseph Conroy), an Irish author that is credited for reviving Irish Gaelic language. The original statue was wood, but after a night of partying in the city, his head was always missing. Eventually, the city government replaced the statue in bronze and moved the original to the city museum.
There is also a monument to mark the spot where John F. Kennedy gave a speech only months before his assassination. There are many stories that revolve around that day in the park from how a pub on the corner got its name to a hotel room where he had a secret rendezvous. None of these tales are true. However, our guide invoked the old Irish rule when retelling the past, “Never let the truth get in the way of a good story”!
Emerging from the underground we saw a familiar sight. However, with Tom’s new diet restrictions what they offer inside is not on his list of approved items. Plus, the “Hot Donuts Light” was not glowing! Who would stop when the light wasn’t on?
After wandering through the streets and alleys of Galway we found ourselves at the base of Quay Street next to our hotel. Our tour was coming to an end, but we had seen and learned so much about this historic city in a couple hours. Standing in front of a large stone building with a blue circle identifying as a historical location, Ana began telling us the story of one of the Galway Tribe Families, the Blakes! Whoa, Tom’s maternal family! Our hotel was next door and we had not noticed the historical marker.
The tour finished in front of the city museum after we had passed through the Spanish Arch. Once an extension of the city wall, the arches were partially destroyed in 1755 when an earthquake in Lisbon caused a tsunami wave in Galway. The arch is the gateway to what is known as the “The Long Walk”, a promenade which runs parallel to the River Corrib. The river is the entrance to the city’s port from the North Atlantic Ocean. We thanked Ana for a wonderful tour, left our tip, and went in search of lunch.
Continuing our walk along the Coastal Trail, the wind blowing off the Atlantic Ocean began to gain strength. The warm sun disappeared behind dark gray clouds. We quickly pulled out our umbrellas as the rain came down driven by the wind. It did not take long before the strong gusts rendered the umbrellas worthless. Being a half mile from any cover we were exposed to the elements. We pressed on and the rain slowly came to an end. However, the pause was brief before it started to hail. The ice pellets pounded us as we could see a coffee shop in the distance as we neared Salt Hill. Tom was cold, wet, and after that awful lunch was not in a good mood, so Janet humored him by agreeing to grab a cup of coffee and take a moment to dry out. Bathroom hand dryers do an amazing job. Once again, the sun reappeared when we left the coffee shop.
Maybe it was the walk, but both of us were a little underwhelmed with the “quaint little village” of Salt Hill. However, now dry, we were laughing about the adventure. A bigger smile came to both of our faces when we saw this brave soul taking a swim in the ocean. Remembering our daughter’s story of doing the same thing in January when she had a mini semester that brought her to Galway. When we got to the fork in the trail, we decided to skip the Coast Trail and walk the quick back to Galway.
The color row houses on the river were a welcomed view. We decided to visit the Galway City Museum. It was an hour well spent as the stories that Ana had relayed to us on the tour came alive. We even saw the original Pádraic Ó Conaire statue, with his head attached. The museum also had an area dedicated to more recent Irish history. From the rebellion of 1916, the civil war of the 1920s, to the Troubles of the 1970s, this section was fascinating and eye-opening. The museum was closing as we left. We decided it was time to hit a pub or two on Janet’s list of places to see. First stop was Tigh Nora a small pub washed in pink light that is known for their Irish Gin. We never heard of Irish Gin, and Janet was ready for a gin tonic. It was a cocktail made in heaven. 😊 Tom enjoyed a club soda and lime.😒
Our stomachs were telling us it was time to eat! Walking back towards our hotel we scoped out all the possibilities.
We decided on place called “The Quays” for our last meal in Galway. The restaurant was packed, and the food was excellent. Both of us chose traditional Irish dishes and we were stuffed when we finished. How the Irish eat so many potatoes so often will remain a mystery to us. Reluctantly, we decided to head back to the hotel and begin packing for our departure. Arriving in front of the Residence Hotel a slight drizzle had started again. Coming from M. Fitzgerald’s was the familiar sound of a fiddle and tale being told in song. Grabbing a seat up front, we listened to the final set of the group we had heard the night before. What a great way to end a visit to Galway. Tomorrow, we head south to Killarney in County Kerry. Good Night!
Trying something new for us, we had signed up for a walking tour of the city. The tour was free, but the guide worked for tips. We arrived at the designated rendezvous spot, a pub on Eyre Square, early so we strolled around the square.
The city was now starting to awake, and people could be seen coming and going about their day. There was a girl sitting on a bench trying to eat her breakfast sandwich, but instead she was in a battle with a blackbird. The prize was her breakfast sandwich. Not sure we had ever seen such an aggressive or bold bird. The winged attacker would fly right into her lap to go after her food and would retreat when she swatted at the bird forcing it away.
Out of the corner of his eye, Tom saw someone else in the center of the square he wanted to talk to, but time did not permit. The tour group was gathering in front of the pub. The weather was still holding, but clouds could be seen on the horizon.
Our tour guide was a young Spanish girl who had come to Galway as student. She fell in love with the city, including an Irish man. Ana had an ebullient personality, and with her red hair one could tell she had truly embraced her new home. We walked across the street to Eyre Square and the tour began.
We learned about the flags that line the north side of the park. Each flag has a name and identifies one of the fourteen tribes of Galway. All the families were wealthy merchants and ran the city both politically and economically at some point in Galway’s history. The red flag bears the name “Blake” which is Tom’s middle name and his mother’s maiden name. One of the many characters of Irish lore is Captain James "Spanish" Blake. He is remembered for being a spy and assassin in the 1620s. Ironically, Tom’s grandfather was named “James Blake” – a relative???
The skies began to darken, so the group cut down an alley which led to the underground. We discovered that there was a shopping mall under the downtown streets. A giant stone wall dating back to the city’s origins was a part of the entrance. If you look at the far-left end of the photo below you can see part of the mall.
Ana stopped the group at the next corner to show us a sign that had been there for many years. It said welcome in eleven different languages. She began talking about some of the surrounding sights and then turned to the sign. Neither of us got the significance of the sign or why we were looking at it. Then she broke out her tour book. She showed the group a picture of a young boy with a guitar playing on this corner with his guitar case open for donations. The light came on immediately! The boy in the picture was Ed Sheeran! In 2005, the 14-year-old Sheeran stood on this corner for two days playing his heart out. Although no one can verify, it is said he only made twenty-seven euros for his efforts. Of course, a buzz could be heard within the group, “Galway Girl”! Some began to sing the song quietly. Janet loves her some Ed Sheeran, especially when he is playing with Andrea Bocelli. Her photo op would be coming in the next block.
After wandering through the streets and alleys of Galway we found ourselves at the base of Quay Street next to our hotel. Our tour was coming to an end, but we had seen and learned so much about this historic city in a couple hours. Standing in front of a large stone building with a blue circle identifying as a historical location, Ana began telling us the story of one of the Galway Tribe Families, the Blakes! Whoa, Tom’s maternal family! Our hotel was next door and we had not noticed the historical marker.
The tour finished in front of the city museum after we had passed through the Spanish Arch. Once an extension of the city wall, the arches were partially destroyed in 1755 when an earthquake in Lisbon caused a tsunami wave in Galway. The arch is the gateway to what is known as the “The Long Walk”, a promenade which runs parallel to the River Corrib. The river is the entrance to the city’s port from the North Atlantic Ocean. We thanked Ana for a wonderful tour, left our tip, and went in search of lunch.
As on cue, the heavens opened once again. Rain is no stranger to Galway! We scrambled to the closest restaurant to grab some lunch. The display menu by the door looked good and it had a very cute sign outside. We ordered our food and then sat… and sat… and sat! All the tables around us were being served and we sat some more. Finally, when our soup arrived it was not warm or edible. Absolutely awful! Janet powered through it, but Tom could not eat it. The culinary experience rated as one of the top ten worst meals in our lives. Our parents taught never to tell names and stories, but a Confucius says, “A picture is worth 1000 words”. Albeit Confucius was not the first to use the expression. A reporter in Syracuse, NY coined the expression. The only good thing about this experience was the sun came out while we were enduring the meal.
We had heard of a quaint little village that was a 2 mile walk from Galway called Salt Hill. Since the sun was shining brightly, we headed off to find the village. The walk would take us on the opposite side of the River Corrib and allowed us a great view of the colorful houses that lined the promenade.
Continuing our walk along the Coastal Trail, the wind blowing off the Atlantic Ocean began to gain strength. The warm sun disappeared behind dark gray clouds. We quickly pulled out our umbrellas as the rain came down driven by the wind. It did not take long before the strong gusts rendered the umbrellas worthless. Being a half mile from any cover we were exposed to the elements. We pressed on and the rain slowly came to an end. However, the pause was brief before it started to hail. The ice pellets pounded us as we could see a coffee shop in the distance as we neared Salt Hill. Tom was cold, wet, and after that awful lunch was not in a good mood, so Janet humored him by agreeing to grab a cup of coffee and take a moment to dry out. Bathroom hand dryers do an amazing job. Once again, the sun reappeared when we left the coffee shop.
Maybe it was the walk, but both of us were a little underwhelmed with the “quaint little village” of Salt Hill. However, now dry, we were laughing about the adventure. A bigger smile came to both of our faces when we saw this brave soul taking a swim in the ocean. Remembering our daughter’s story of doing the same thing in January when she had a mini semester that brought her to Galway. When we got to the fork in the trail, we decided to skip the Coast Trail and walk the quick back to Galway.
The color row houses on the river were a welcomed view. We decided to visit the Galway City Museum. It was an hour well spent as the stories that Ana had relayed to us on the tour came alive. We even saw the original Pádraic Ó Conaire statue, with his head attached. The museum also had an area dedicated to more recent Irish history. From the rebellion of 1916, the civil war of the 1920s, to the Troubles of the 1970s, this section was fascinating and eye-opening. The museum was closing as we left. We decided it was time to hit a pub or two on Janet’s list of places to see. First stop was Tigh Nora a small pub washed in pink light that is known for their Irish Gin. We never heard of Irish Gin, and Janet was ready for a gin tonic. It was a cocktail made in heaven. 😊 Tom enjoyed a club soda and lime.😒
It was time for some music, so we headed to Tig Coili, a pub known as the home of Irish Traditional Music. It did not disappoint! The bar was extremely crowded and loud, but the music was great. Traditional Irish music is much like Bluegrass. The instrumentation is much the same, and the stories are embedded in the song parallel with many of the same themes that one would hear in bluegrass.
Our stomachs were telling us it was time to eat! Walking back towards our hotel we scoped out all the possibilities.
We decided on place called “The Quays” for our last meal in Galway. The restaurant was packed, and the food was excellent. Both of us chose traditional Irish dishes and we were stuffed when we finished. How the Irish eat so many potatoes so often will remain a mystery to us. Reluctantly, we decided to head back to the hotel and begin packing for our departure. Arriving in front of the Residence Hotel a slight drizzle had started again. Coming from M. Fitzgerald’s was the familiar sound of a fiddle and tale being told in song. Grabbing a seat up front, we listened to the final set of the group we had heard the night before. What a great way to end a visit to Galway. Tomorrow, we head south to Killarney in County Kerry. Good Night!
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