Inishmore to Galway 14

Leaving Inishmore was definitely a bittersweet departure.  It was so peaceful and full of splendor.  Our accommodation was cozy and well furnished. We took our time packing gear and walked down to the ferry terminal.  Our ferry was set to leave at 11:30am, so this was not a problem.  The weather was a little hostile, with the wind kicking up with a bit of rain.  But in the distance, we saw that the sun was out, as it often is in Ireland.  After a few minutes, it was back to a beautiful sunny day.

Our kitchen.

This place was hooked up with a nice TV and decent Wi-Fi.

The ferry ride back was about an hour and a half long, which provided a chance to just sit back and relax.  The swells were gently rocking the small ferry and made us a little sleepy.  You could see the rock fences, stone, and pasture areas clearly from the ocean.

Me checking out the bow area of the boat.

Coming into the Doolin port

Andrew enjoying the view.

Once we arrived back at the terminal in Doolin, we had to get some grub before we headed to Galway.  And I must say, we needed to go "All the Way to Galway" as the famous song suggests.  I kept making the blatant reference and any moment I could annoying the group as much as possible. 

Already knowing the pubs in Doolin, we decided to eat at McGann's.  We had not eaten there yet, and we wanted to stay away from the bus traffic.  There were no busses out front, so we thought we were in the clear.  There ended up being a tour bus group inside, but the server found us a quiet table in the back of the pub.  Since we are on our own schedule, we were not in a rush and just took our time.  It was seafood chowder and Guinness time.  Yes, please!

This essay below does a great job capturing the essence of the Irish Pub scene.   I found it so interesting... I had to take out my "snapper" and snap a picture.   It's worth the read. 

Arriving in Galway was a little bit of a chore.  Galway is a big city and quite hectic.  We had to find our parking garage and navigate without danger or attracting the Garda, the local police.  Our place had an interesting underground parking garage like the Dublin apartment.  The apartment had gate codes and door codes.  We had a little trouble using the final keypad to let us in the apartment which made for some fun.  Once we figured it out, we got in and saw our beautiful place, rested for a bit, and headed out for GREYHOUND DOG RACING!!!!

The Galway Greyhound Track

Andrew and Katherine previously secured a reserved table right at the finish line with a three course meal for all of us.  I had only seen greyhound racing live once in my life at the Ebro track in Florida.  It was very similar but in an Irish way.  You know.... as we entered, there was a group of men about to fight and tear each other apart.  No punches were thrown, but there were some choice words used and expressions I never heard before.  They seemed to calm down and the night progressed just fine.

Before each race, the dog trainers walk out the pups for inspection.

The track food was quite tasty.  Margaux and Andrew really enjoyed it.

Lucky table 21

We walked back to the apartment after the races cruising through a crowded section.  It was the "party" road in Galway and the younger people came out of the woodwork in full force.  For us, it was time to rest up and chill at the apartment.  We had a beautiful view of the Galway docks and the construction site across the road.  And if you looked closely, you could see the light poles from the dog track.

The view from the balcony.  Off in the distance, you can see Burren National Park.

Me and Andrew chilling out. 

The front room was quite nice and had access to the balcony.

Ahhhh, the kitchen.  To access the vent hood, you pull out the door above the stove at an angle.  Inside, there is a vent fan that has a real exhaust taking the fumes outside.  We also had TWO French presses and readied them for coffee the next morning.

Tomorrow, we plan to walk through the tourist areas of Galway.  We plan to see Eyre Square, Shop Street, and the Spanish Arch.  We also need to finish up with purchasing any souvenirs or gifts since our trip is coming to an end.  In particular, I am looking for a music shop and a good whiskey shop.