Susanne took us out to the city centre, and then we were left to explore the city for 4 hours. It was very crowded and filled with tourists. There were lots of Irish gift shops and jewelry shops that sold Claddagh rings (apparaently Galway is where they originated). Our group split up into smaller groups. Some of us went to lunch (I had to resort to McDonald's because I couldn't remember my PIN number) and some went off to get Claddagh rings. We walked around the city, looking at the various shops. We stopped in a second hand bookstore and had books for pretty cheap. Eventually we walked out of the crowded city to the water.
After walking by the water we went to a local street fair. I bought a homemade donut and ice cream and it was delicious. By then there wasn't much else to do, and we all got bored. We had to be back at the bus by 5, so we just sat around until it was time to go.
We got back on the bus and headed to the dock where we would be taking a ferry to the Aran Islands. The ride took about 45 minutes. I went outside to take some photos (and was really cold!) and then went back to my seat inside and dozed off for a bit. The island we were going to was named Inis Oirr.
By the time we got to Inis Oirr it was already night. All of us were staying in a hostel. We put our bags away in our rooms and went out to dinner at a local pub/restaurant called Rauiri's. I had fish, chips, potatoes, and apple pie for dessert. I was definitely tired after that meal. Susanne took us next door to the pub where live Irish music was playing. It was getting crowded because a concert was ending. I was too exhausted to really enjoy myself, so I went back to the hostel with some others. The hostel so was cold that night, no bueno...
The next day we had breakfast provided to us by the hostel, and then we went on a walking tour of the island. Our guide was a local who knew the history of the island and most of the people who lived there. Before the island was inhabited it was made completely out of rock. then when people came over, they moved rocks around and somehow managed to make fertile land. During our tour we saw some people building a stone wall. Apparently they do it every year. The whole island is filled with stone walls that separate the houses.
The island was beautiful. The tour guide kept us walking because it was cold, but we warmed up walking up all those steep hills. 250 people live on the island, and everyone knows each other and their family histories. It's all about the family history in Ireland.
Our guide took us through the island and to the top, where there were some ruins. There was an old school, a watch tower, and castle ruins. Our walking tour was 2 hours. It was nice though.
After the walking tour we had a horse and trap tour of the island. We split up into 2 groups and took a ride in a horse-drawn carriage of sorts. We saw even more of the island, including a lake and a shipwreck. That tour was only an hour, and then we had lunch! Soup, sandwiches, and chips (aka fries). After lunch we had 2 hours of free time before we had to take the ferry back to the mainland. I was too exhausted to do more exploring, so me and my friends played on a playground and then went to a local pub for coffee and hot chocolate.
The journey home was long. I slept for most of the ferry and bus ride. It was a great trip though. I have lots more pictures, if we're friends on Facebook you should check out the albums!
this looks amazing! I hope you're loving it over there !
ReplyDelete-kelly z