Day one, May 22, 2013
JFK to Shannon to Galway
Sundy and I arrived from
JFK into Shannon airport at 6 a.m., a little groggy from only a few catnaps on
Aerlingus, but raring to go. As we flew in over Ireland, my eyes teared up a
bit. Everything was so rural and green and the sun was shining in welcome. At
last, I was here.
By the way, Aerlingus was
great. We sat on the side where only two seats were and enjoyed the extra room.
We also enjoyed the free television in the seat-back in front of us where we
could choose movies or TV, games or music to keep us occupied. Aerlingus also
believes in keeping you fed, unlike American planes that dole out a peanut or
two. The pilot landed us beautifully with hardly a bump.
Getting through the
immigration line was fast and easy at Shannon. Since the airport is very small,
everything is accessible and easy to maneuver. We found the ATM which only gave
out 150 Euros at a time. But there are two machines which worked out okay. A
money exchange booth is also present, for a fee, course. Once we had some
Euros, we headed outside, breathed the fresh air, and boarded a bus for Galway.
We discovered immediately that we enjoy bus rides through the gorgeous
countryside. No stress of finding out way or inability to gaze out the window.
We loved driving through quaint, often colorful and always tidy villages and seeing
the landscapes which are simply picture postcards everywhere you look.
Arriving in Galway, we
walked two blocks up to Eyre (pronounced “air”) Square, a park surrounded by
lots of small shops. A walk around found the Meteor shop where we met Dave, a
delightful young man who gave us an introduction to the Irish warmth and
friendliness we encountered numerous times. Dave worked very hard to fix up our
phone and with 10 Euros the Blackberry was up and running at 35 cents per local
call minute and 15 cents for international. Cheaper to call across the ocean. Isn’t
that weirdly interesting?
Off we went, only a few
blocks walk, to meet Galway Tours for an afternoon exploring the Cliffs of
Moher and a number of antiquities and more stunning scenery. Among other
things, we saw Dunguire Castle, the Poulnabrone Dolmen, an ancient tomb. That's it in the photo. It dates back several thousand years before Christ.
We also visited the Burren, a
strange, barren landscape of limestone that didn’t do much for me. The air was
chilly to us and we were wishing for more clothes!
In mid-afternoon, the bus
stopped in Doolin, a small village with a pub and a few stores. Not hungry, we
walked around the village and explored a bit. The weather was quite cold here
and windy but sunny. Sundy and I were tired but pushing through, loving every
minute, and so glad to be on a bus instead of driving!
We reached the Cliffs of
Moher and walked up a long flight of stairs to the top of a rise where we could
look down at the sea and the cliffs. Magnificent, stunning, breathtaking! Down
below we could see seabirds flying above the waves crashing against the cliffs.
They looked as small as butterflies. The wind was the strongest we encountered
on our trip, so strong that it pushed at our backs and made us have to hold on
to keep from falling. And did I mention it was cold?! No rain, though, for
which we were grateful.
Our tour price included the visitor’s center
but if it hadn’t we would not have paid to go in. It’s just photos and videos
of the more spectacular outside! A waste of money. There is also a climbing
tower for another charge but the steps are steep and narrow. I guess the
biggest disappointment is the way the area has become commercial, losing its
wild beauty. But nonetheless, I am glad I saw this magnificent handiwork of
God.
After the tour, Galway
Tours trusty (and extremely knowledgable) driver, Ken, dropped us at our bed
and breakfast, Coolin House in Salthill. Here we met Marion who showed us to
very clean, very small room with a larger bathroom. It was nicely adequate but
not fancy. No washcloths or toiletries but we weren’t expecting either.
After a few moments of
unwinding, we were off to find food. Now, remember, we have not slept in a very
long time and we are growing weary, but still pressing on. The Salthill area
was bare of pubs and easy eating places—no fast food joints here or anywhere in
Ireland that we visited. Thank goodness. As we walked, searching, we met a pair
of Irish girls who directed us to Lohan’s Pub—3-4 minute’s walk, they said. We
learned that an Irish minute is much longer than an American one but finally
found Lohan’s after about 20 minutes and had a nice bowl of hot soup to warm
our chilled Okie blood. Refreshed, we walked along the promenade beside the silvery
waters of Galway Bay before heading back to the bed and breakfast where we
collapsed for the night.
Day one in Ireland was
fabulous!
