We left Dublin at about four in the afternoon. My backpack was stuffed and my hopes were high. Two and a half hours later, we were in Galway, checked into our hostel, and ready to start our weekend. That night, we went on a pub crawl, where we and a group of scared-looking middle-aged Americans traveled to four pubs around Galway. The night ended at a nightclub, where we danced until 1:30 and I could no longer feel my toes.
The next morning, we went to a farmer's market in Galway's Latin Quarter. The produce was some of the freshest I'd ever seen, like, still covered in dirt fresh. I've been impressed by the quality of food in Ireland in general; they use far fewer preservatives, and everything just tastes much more natural.
We then stopped briefly in Thomas Dillon's Claddagh Gold, the home of the original Claddagh ring and the accompanying museum. These rings come with a lifetime guarantee; our guide, Caroline, told us that they replaced her brother's ring after it was damaged in a mine explosion in Australia.
Our next stop was the village of Kinvara and Dunguaire Castle. Legend says that if you make a wish, then walk the perimeter of the castle in silence while thinking about your wish, it'll come true. Yes, I made a wish. No, I won't tell. But attempts to fulfill what you think my wish might have been are certainly appreciated (gold? eternal glory? a pony? anyone?)
Our next stop was Oughtmama, Clare, the site of Caroline's family farm. That requires an entire post; stay tuned!
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