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Monday, September 10’Th
Bye-bye Derry and Northern Ireland. I'm leaving with Bus Eireann at
7.20 – without breakfast – for
Galway and Ireland.
The
trip takes 5 hours through the fine views of Donegal. The trip ends
right next to my hotel, the 4-starred
Hotel Meyrick.
Much more fancy than my normal places, but they had a good 2-day
offer – and it’s my birthday tomorrow. Room 301 is nice. A huge bed,
coffee- and tee-things, and a small desk for the computer I haven’t
got another table for the coffee, paintings on the wall and a flat
screen-TV – and an enormous bathroom with the special feature of the
possibility of internet-access beside the toilet. |
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Out
to take a look around. This is not only Ireland – this is also
tourist-country. There’s a lot of tourist, and a lot of Americans on
the “see 14 European countries in 12 days tour”. They tend to stay
in the main streets in the city-center, so if you just keep away
from them, it’s a nice and decent town.
There are not that many sights in Galway. I get to see St. Nicholas
church, which dates back from 1320. Christopher Columbus took a peek
inside back in 1477. You can also see the grave of James Lynch a
former mayor of Galway in the 15’Th century. He sentenced his own
son to his death for killing a Spanish visitor. And no-one wanted to
make the execution, since the son was a nice person who just made
this mistake being a little jealous. So his father had to take care
of that part as well. Rumors are that Mr. Lynch went a little ga-ga
after this experience. |
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I
also visit Galway Cathedral. It is huge, and if you want to you can
confess your sins. I think there was something with a bishop at this
place, which should try that.
It
is clear to everyone that things are going good in Galway. All shops
are looking for employees. Economy is growing fast, and when you
talk to the persons at the shops and café’s they speak fluently
English – but when they talk to each other its Polish or Russian.
That’s quite funny in a country that used to send most of its
population overseas to America or England. |
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Tuesday,
September 11’Th
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The
day starts with a “where the feet bring you”-tour. This morning they
bring me across River Carrib via Wolfe Tone Bridge, to a small
nature reserve along Galway Bay. I can spot an island, with a
lighthouse and an embankment going out there. So I head for this
place. There are signs telling you where to walk and not to walk,
but just as I approach the island there’s a huge sign telling people
not to go on any further. That’s not nice, but it could be a prison
or some kind of military thing. But it hardly makes sense. |
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In
the afternoon I head for the races at
Galway Racecourse. There
are normal flat-races and steeplechase-races this afternoon. I
mainly spend the time by looking at the all the people – and
especially the area around the bookmakers is fun to watch. The all
keep a close eye of what is going on, and is constantly checking the
odds on the other side of the ring. And for the gamblers this is a
market that works– if odds are better on the other side, you just go
for your betting there. |
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I
only spend a few Euros. I try 5 Euro on Windbeneathmywing in the
first race – because I like the name. It’s a close second to odds
7:1. In the third race I go for the favorite Perfect Memory at 7:2.
Its way off the pace, as they head for finish, so I decide this is
not my day for betting, and spends the rest of the afternoon by just
looking.
At
6.30 I head back to the hotel. There’s a close to formal dinner
tonight, included in the room-price, so I have to give it a go. It’s
in the fancy restaurant with all the American tourists – but
honestly – I think the pub next door would have been nicer. |
To Aran Islands
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