Gadding about in Galway

Apologies for my crimes against alliteration. I'm pretty knackered after my first day back at work (not all bad, though - I got my new pass card super-fast and people missed me!) with lots and lots of letters waiting for me tomorrow. I have my own email address actually properly set up now (Hooray!) and the Royal Wedding is making even more work for me to do (Boo!). Also I am getting all sorts of clearances to use various parts of the newspaper-making system. I sense a learning curve ahead...

Here is part two of my adventures in Ireland:

Sunny, student-y Galway

Galway is excellent. It may have helped that we went during RAG week and it was gorgeously sunny, but I definitely plan to go back! It's a proper university town, and has the pubs, hang-outs and noisy streets to prove it. We went to the Galway City Museum after checking into our hotel, and learned about currachs, Cromwell and ceremonial maces. Galway itself was lovely just to wander around (although driving around it almost caused a navigational disagreement on the way in) and there were lots of people out enjoying the weather. 

Me, in a hotel room

The hotel (the Spanish Arch Hotel, in case anyone is planning a trip) was quite reasonably priced (about the same as the hostels in town) but not as sound-proof as advertised. We left quite early in the morning the next day, and didn't really spend much time in it in the evening, so it served its purpose. 

When it started getting dark, we went in search of supper (the boyf's second, I shall embarrass him by adding, as he was hungry enough to get a chicken fillet roll (a visit to Ireland is worth it just for these, trust me. You'll wonder why Subway even exists) shortly after we arrived. He'll probably blame me for eating all the Doritos in the car on the way). A not-too-busy pub did very decent food for very reasonable prices. I had pizza (I think I mostly ate pizza (and chicken fillet rolls) in Ireland) with plenty of vegetables and the boyf had Shepherd's Pie and chips. 

I swear it's just the angle that's making it look so gigantic!

After a very civilised meal, we wandered off to another pub to listen to some trad and skulk in the corner. It turned out to be a very local pub. We were the first tourists not to turn tail upon entering, and it was pretty empty. I learned that they have apparently never heard of rum & coke in Galway. I got a funny look, a full bottle of coke and a tumbler of rum. I don't think I have ever seen so much rum outside of a bottle. The boyf says that Irish measures are much bigger than British ones, but even by that standard it had to be at least a quadruple (is that a thing?). London's pricy establishments must have taken my edge off, because I didn't manage to finish it, although I smelled like a pretty authentic pirate by the time I'd finished.

We stayed for a good few songs, and things got a bit livelier when some Americans who were even less observant than us set up camp by the bar. We headed home via a supermarket so I could buy a chocolate muffin.

That's your lot for now. Look out for the next thrilling episode tomorrow!