Another warm hello from Ireland!

Shame on me, I didn't blog yesterday because I was feeling lazy. Lol. So, I'll cover the past two days. Be warned, they've been GREAT!

So after my first night in Kilkenny, I woke up to room service that cost my €5 (the front desk didn't tell me that the breakfast included in my bill was served downstairs, not in my room. Meh.) Now, the hotel room was fine (though it had no AC), but compared to the posh room in which I'm staying in Galway tonight and last night, it was a Hooverville. Check out some of the photos of my room at the Clayton Hotel Galway!

 It's like sleeping on a cloud. And the floor to ceiling windows let in gorgeous light.

 A chic wardrobe, indeed.

 Look at the shower- no base! So cool.

A beautiful, wholesome breakfast- and so much of it!

So, anyway, before heading to Galway, I enjoyed my time in Kilkenny. I started off the morning by traveling to Dunmore Cave, an underground cave in County Kilkenny in the beautiful countryside. My tour guide was a man named Michael, an elderly Gaelic-speaking gent who travels to Orlando every year to visit his daughter, a woman married to an American man. Michael stays at the Grand Bohemian every year. What a small world, indeed! But anyway, Michael showed me and an elderly couple around the cold, damp caves, for which I had not dressed properly (I wasn't planning to find the cave initially; I happily happened upon it).

Heading down into the cave...

Looking cool and feeling cool

On my way to the cave, I saw a roadside vendor selling juice and strawberries, so I bought some organic apple carrot juice from the sweet girl running the stand. She offered me strawberries to taste, and I raved about their gorgeous flavor so much that she gave me the rest of a bushel as a gift. :) It was such a kind gesture, and I'm glad to have had them, as they served as my lunch that day.

BEST strawberries in the world :) I'm saving the juice for later.

She was as sweet as her strawberries. :)

 Looking a little more refreshed, phew.

 Check out my rental: a blue Ford Fiesta

 A European set, of course. ;)

I loved the drive to and from the cave. The weather was very pleasant, and I was in good spirits. I took time to admire the rolling hills and the vast fields of sheep, cows, and horses.

He was as curious about me as I was about him.

After a delightful day in the caves, I headed to city centre. The streets I'd driven frantically the day before now didn't stress me out so much after a night of light rest. It was nice to see "familiar" streets. Lol I browsed the streets of Kilkenny, and took in the sights of vast cathedrals and Kilkenny Castle. I didn't realize photography was prohibited inside the castle (oops), so feast your eyes on my illegal photos of some of the impressive decor:

Inside the castle ring

Tiny ant people

And in the city centre, my first stop was St. John the Evangelist Cathedral.

 It's like being inside the belly of a whale.

 Kilkenny: City Centre

Of course, chips with salt and vinegar. LOVE THEM!

So after my busy and lovely day in Kilkenny, I was ready to take my two (actually 4) hour drive to my next and current destination: Galway. I had printed my directions before leaving Kilkenny, but as always happens with any great voyage, there were detours and changes in the route (i.e. I got lost). Nonetheless, I had stopped several times to find directions, and had gotten a really great map from a cabby that ended up proving crucial in my navigation later on. I had stopped in a town called Ballyragget having gotten of course and lost, and met two employees at a gas station there named Nicholas and Ashley. They were very friendly and immediately helpful, Nicholas showing a bit of interest in me. He was young, a student, maybe 22, 23, with dirty blonde hair, tall, lovely smile. I liked him immediately. Ashley was just as delightful, offering help with navigation, even printing me google directions from their location to my destination. I was so grateful and got on my way. I had considered going back to chat Nicholas up more or even, if I had felt bolder, ask him to meet me in Galway. But I didn't. This journey is mine to reset the dial, and if I'm honest with myself, I'd only be sad when I realized I couldn't take him home with me to the states, so I drove on... only to get lost again. It of course rained off and on during this drive through tiny sleepy towns and long stretches of countryside. I was so far off track, and after having a hiccuping drunk hang in my car window giving me directions (which did end up helping me later, to his credit), I began to do the impossible: navigate my own way by map. The cabby's map was far superior to that provided by my rental company that I was able to find all of the necessary roads myself and was able to map out the best routes. When I arrived at my hotel with virtually no help since leaving Ballyragget, I felt immensely proud of myself. ACCOMPLISHED. I DID IT!

I finally arrived at my hotel in Galway around 11PM (side note: it doesn't get dark here this time of year until 10:15PM. I was amazed.), and I was tired, but wanted to eat and have a drink, maybe talk to people in the hotel bar; however, EVERYWHERE with food was closed (so early for a Friday night, no?), the hotel bar band was so loud I could hardly think, and after driving around Galway in the mist with no food in my stomach, I resigned to sleep. Actually, I resigned to watching cheeky British TV shows and fell asleep to one of the disgustingly degrading American Pie movies. That was the end of my first night in Galway.

After my DELIGHTFUL breakfast today in the hotel's posh restaurant, I had intended to head out promptly thereafter. Instead, I fell asleep and didn't leave until about 2 or 3 PM. I headed to a local library I'd found down the road on my late night food hunt, and browsed some books. (To visit a library in a foreign country has long been on my list of things to do in life!).

It's funny to think that people here look at travel books for my home with longing the way I look at theirs.

The day began very windy, cold, and misty, which is what I had expected from the forecasts I'd seen before leaving the states, so I was grateful for my orange winter coat.

Because I had napped longer than expected, I changed my goal of visiting a beautiful garden about an hour away and instead opted to head to Galway City Centre to see what's what. There, I first happened upon Galway Cathedral and then headed to Galway University. Can I just say: wow. My college campus is not nearly as charming as this.

 Galway Cathedral

How do they get any learning done? Look at this courtyard!

I then headed away from college into the shopping district. Just a series of shots that I loved:

 A really great busker was playing behind that woman's head.

 Oscar Wilde, you're looking dapper.

I found a great vegetarian-friendly restaurant and stopped for lunch.

Now, here, shortly after taking these photos, a guy came in and sat at the bar beside me. His name was Marcus, a 44-year old South African who's been hosteling through Ireland for the past year and couple months. He was also a vegetarian and somewhat of a kindred spirit. I enjoy my solo trips around the town, but it was nice to have a conversation and make a friend. We later walked around the city and got him set up in a hostel for the night. The guy at the counter in the hostel, a Dubliner named Clive, was really friendly. We started talking about the local theatre scene, and he told me about how he had grown up on film sets because his dad was a set painter. He'd met Sean Connery when he was a young boy in the 70s, and his dad also did work on All Dogs Go to Heaven. :) Loved that tidbit, and loved talking with Clive.

A sign hanging in the hostel

After Marcus got changed and settled in, we headed out for a drink. On the way there, we found some great street affirmations!

 I look scared. Or constipated.

 My first pint in Ireland!

 I still look scared.

After a long and fun day, I dropped Marcus off at his hostel and headed to my hotel. In true form, I got lost, but knew I had to rely on my wits to get my home. I didn't bother digging in my bag for my map, and found my way SOLELY on memory. I got home just after 11:30PM, and was again so grateful and proud of how far I've come in only three days in Ireland.

PHEW! I've posted a lot tonight, luckily a sign that I've had a great trip so far. I know that more greatness is to come. I'm hoping to wake up in time to head to the Cliffs of Moher and the Aran Islands, maybe picking up Marcus along the way. Afterward, I'll be keen to head on another long journey to Killarney for the next two days. I'll then head back to Dublin, where I'll spend my last night of this trip in Ireland. Stay tuned for more to come... :)