Irish Wanderer: June 29 through July 1 (Days 19 through 21)

This belongs with Saturday, at the Cliffs - me, Caitlyn, Ally, Meghan. (stolen from Facebook)

Day 19: Woke up to bright sunlight and clear skies. Fell back asleep. Woke up to pouring rain. Got in the shower. Returned to bright sunlight and clear skies.

Welcome to Ireland.

Went to Mass at the Galway Cathedral of Our Lady Assumed into Heaven and St. Nicholas (GCOOLAIHASN, for short?) - that was great. It's the same Cathedral we wandered through on our Galway tour with Monica on the 23rd, that I uploaded pictures from the inside on here. It was good. Lit a few candles again and prayed, and participated in the service. (P.S. The Republic of Ireland is nearly 92% Catholic.)

Afterwards, got tea and a scone, and filled out a few postcards. Then I joined up with Meghan, Caitlyn, and Ally for some window-shopping. Window-shopping that turned into real shopping....well, not yet. I didn't have enough money on me. But I saw a couple things that would be good for my internship in the fall, so I'll go back.

Dinner at the flat, a couple phone calls, and a movie with Caitlyn and Joe (while we all pretended to read for class) rounded out the night.

These boots were made for walking, and that's just what they'll do....Yes, they did cost 20 euros, but you know what? For the vast improvement in my attitude in the mornings, not a) walking in squishy tennis shoes, or b) rubbing holes in my feet with soggy flip flops, it's worth it. And ya know, I like rain. I really do. And I like being cheerful more than annoyed. But sometimes, when it's pouring day in and day out and it's a 20-40 minute walk wherever you want to go....it starts to get to ya a wee bit. Anyways. These are my lovely Wellies. : )

Day 20: Dia duit! Cén chaoi a bhfuil tú? Translated: Hello! How are you? Pronounced: Dee-uh hoit! Keen kwee a-vheel too?

First Gaelic class today. It's immensely confusing - mainly, because most of the letters have completely different sounds than they do in English (or German, or Spanish, or....etc.). But I'll learn a few phrases, and that'll be cool.

Then it was on to Irish Society, followed by some tea drinking and studying with Meghan and an interdisciplinary seminar on emigration.

Some chill hours....

Some grocery shopping....

Went out with half a dozen friends tonight to Monroe's. Got myself a drink and chilled for a bit, but I couldn't get into it. The last few days have been a lot about filling my hours as much as possible. Starting to crack a bit, though....I decided to head back. Meghan and Caitlyn refused to let me argue when they offered to walk me back, which was really sweet, and then they ended up staying, and we made pizza and watched half of Sabrina. They're so sweet, seriously.

Monroe's is becoming a favorite hangout.

Day 21: I can't believe I've been in Europe for three whole weeks! Wow. By the end of this trip, I'll have doubled the number of countries I've been in during my life, checked off up to half a dozen croak list items, and increased my number of relatives I've met in my lifetime by a good 30-40%. Craziness.

I can't believe I actually made it to Irish Society this morning. My alarm didn't go off (again). This little cell phone CEA gave me is kinda weird, gotta admit. Things keep getting turned on and off, and I have no idea how. Anyways. I randomly woke up at 8:30, on the dot (impressive, considering my very late night). Class was at 9, and the walk is between 20 and 30 minutes (depending on the severity of the weather - wind actually does make a difference). Jeans, sweatshirt, brush teeth, go! Got there in perfect time. Afterwards, came back here and showered and all that jazz, as I didn't have another class until 2 today. Then it was time for a strawberry smoothie with Caitlyn and Irish History (which is so freakin' fascinating, seriously).

I see this every day on my walk to campus....This is just sitting by the side of a busy highway, probably centuries old, just hanging out there....pretty sweet. Note how they add scaffolding to keep it up, instead of knocking it over? Alix pointed that out to me - in America, we might just bulldoze the thing as it started to crumble.

Also see this daily....the Corrib. Cross it by bridge on the way to NUIG.

After all that, decided some downtown Galway wandering was in store, because (get this) there was sunshine! Even took some pictures....gotta take advantage of those clear(ish) skies. So away I went. Perched on a little stone wall by the canal for a while, reading James Joyce. Note carrying around my Austen in London - now I have Dubliners for here. I could save it to actually read in Dublin....but I like it. And I'm not going to Dublin for two weeks. And I'll be really busy there. And the Lit & Film class is discussing Joyce before that, and I want to go. Anyways. Did that. Then I sat outside at a cafe with a scone and read some more. Then I shopped. Had a ten minute downpour, and then it returned to sunlight again.

Bridge over the canal, with the cathedral I went to on Sunday in the background.

Here's what I was reading....in case you really wanted to see the cover....hehe.

A nice, peaceful place....ten feet away from cars careening around the corner way too fast. : )

The national drink. ; )

There are so many musicians on the streets here, especially along Shop Street, where there's only foot and bike traffic.

Went back to the apartments, then decided I wanted to go out again, though I didn't know where. I wandered a bit....found a grassy hill that was pretty high up, and snapped a few photos of the town....had my first Garda (police) encounter....saw a gorgeous sunset....ran into Caitlyn, Ally, and Joe, on their way to Monroe's and pizza, and tagged along....met up with folks there and hung out there for a bit....then back for the night.

My rather windy hilltop perch.