Slow Galway Weekend.

The weekend was slow but really enjoyable. I planned on getting some homework done (but isn't that always the case?), but it was such a beautiful day that I couldn't stay in doing homework. Anna and I took our time getting ready for the day and then went out on the dock behind the apartment to watch the day go by. We took some books out with us and hung out by the water for a few hours, reading and talking. We watched the boaters go by, waved to the many tourist boats and watched the local rowing teams practice.
That night was fun. I went over to Erin's apartment with Jennifer and the three of us watched the big Galway vs. Clare hurling match. Ten minutes into the game we were screaming at the television, cheering for our fellow Galwegians. They ended up losing in the second half but it was really a great time trying to learn how the game was played and how the points system worked. That took a little while.
Afterwards Lauren came down with her violin and played some tunes for us. Erin and Jennifer went to get their tin whistles so I ran across the courtyard to my apartment to get mine as well. Anna decided to join us as well. We sat around in Erin's common area and played tunes, listened to music, and danced a bit. Erin knew a simple step of Irish dancing so she spent a little while teaching us. It sounds really nerdy but we had such a great time dancing and singing, something we always end up doing when we're together like that.
Sunday was really nice. Jenna and Heather were going to walk over to Salthill, a really beautiful beach community on Galway Bay. It was the three of us, Nick from Michigan, and Sara from Nevada. It was an extremely picturesque boardwalk, slightly touristy, but really fun. We were told it was a 25-30 minute walk and it ended up being a 45-60 minute walk. (Later on in the trip, I found a slightly better way of walking there.) When we got there we just walked around the beach, Jenna and Heather collecting shells. We stopped at the Waterfront Restaurant for dinner which was really peculiar. There was this ridiculous band playing really bad American hair band covers (Let's just say I wasn't a fan of Van Halen at home, let alone abroad.) We used public transportation to get back to the City Centre. We weren't about to try and find a better way back at that point.
Lastly, I made my reservations for Venice! Heather was planning this trip since we first got each other's e-mail addresses back in the States and I had told her I was interested, if it was affordable. I decided I wasn't in Europe all the time so I made the reservation regardless. I borrowed Jenna's itinerary and went to her apartment to bring it back and I ended up staying there talking with her, Heather and Erin. Jennifer and Lauren joined us a bit later but we ended up talking until midnight or so. That was pretty much it. Very exciting.

---

---