Day 21 – 27th August – GALWAY or Bust!
It looked like it was going to be a ‘showery’ day. Love it that they say ‘showers’ but in reality they mean torrential rain!
It took around an hour and a bit to arrive in Galway. It’s a much bigger place than we’d anticipated, so to find a parking space for not just one but two cars was testing to say the least. Eventually, after parking near the river which was ages away from the town centre, we had a family conflab and got back into the cars and threw caution to the wind and headed back into the main square. I’d originally seen parking ‘P’ as we’d come into the square but if you aren’t in the correct lane it’s almost impossible not to just go with the traffic. This is ‘especially so’ when going around the endless roundabouts (England is the worst for these). Anyway we finally parked the cars. Toilets were the first ‘port of call’ so to speak. Ah ha. We needed 50 cents (euro cents) to pass through the turnstile. Jimmy and Brian managed to get through together. But Dianne didn’t have the coinage so Tom paid for hers. All done we ventured out into Eyre Square and to find a coffee shop. Whilst we found the ‘best coffees outside Milan’ cafe-Brian and Vicki went to take a photo next to a statue of a local hero.
Fed and watered we felt we had to try to visit the Bar that was recommended by the bar tender in #1 pub but when we got there we quickly discussed whether we’d stay for a drink or not. Ok No- we had a long drive ahead so decided to just settle for having been IN it- however Jimmy had already ordered a drink! I think it’s called a ‘runner’??? We went back to the cars and made our way out of the maze of streets and headed for the Cliffs of Moher. It was really a bit past lunch time so we tried to find a pub for some vittals. Tom pulled into the car park of one that looked interesting but as soon as we went in it smelled like fish. OMG it was awful. I don’t often push my point but I really really didn’t like the smell. We left. Maybe a good thing as I believe it was called The Oyster Bar!
Onwards we go and in one or two villages further on we find ‘nellies bar’ but Nellie was sitting inside and she said there was no food today (despite all the signage) but two mins walk to the left and we would be able to eat at The Irish Arms’. Some very hot soup and plates of chips later (along with pints of beer) we left on the last leg of the journey to the Cliffs of Moher. The rain, mist and VERY slender roads had made for a very interesting and stressful trip. You could barely see the road at times and the window wipers had been struggling. Eventually we were at the site where you leave your car and do the walk. Fifteen euro each was the cost and it wasn’t a difficult decision to make that we would forgo the view as there would have been very little to see through the rain and mist. Sad but true. Heading for Bunratty now and the hour or so through equally slender roads. It’s definitely a tribute to both drivers when cars pass each other. Knowing the width of your car MUST be part of the licence process here!! Home after a quick visit to the closest general store, had varios things to eat for dinner. Later on Tom and us girls played UNO whilst Jim and Brian watched RANGERS get flogged by Bruge 6-0. They were VERY happy! Helen won the UNO. VERY happy!
5,213 steps.
Lady Boomer 