Blogs from Aran Islands, County Galway, Ireland, Europe - page 2

Yesterday we took the ferry from Galway to the Aran Islands.... The sea's were rolling and Amber was convinced we were gonna flip the boat. And by boat I mean a pretty goodsized ship. Don't worry we didn't capsize and we got our moneys worth for the ride. We landed on Inish Mor, the largest of the three island, and rented Mountaibn bikes... more rust buckets with front suspension but at least most of the gears worked. We only got rained on for about 5-10 minutes but then the sun came out and we dried off quickly. We rode up to Dun Aengus, an ancient fort atop a cliff face that drops at least 500 feet straight down into the Atlantic. After that we toured the most of the island by bike. We found a very ... read more

We're in Inis Mor, the largest of the Aran Islands, all 14K of it. We've been so lucky with the weather, our guide Emily told me last night "you should sell your blood, you're that lucky." We spend 7 hours hiking yesterday, some it a tough slog over rock fields. It's a beautifully barren place - a limestone island where there was so little soil, the early settlers had to break up the stone fields and "create" soil with kelp and sand - backbreaking work. Once the small patches of field were cleared, the farmers built dry stone walls with what they took out and they create a patchwork around the place. It's wild and untamed and very primative here and the people, who still speak mainly Irish, are lovely. The rock cliffs take your breath ... read more

What's the craic? I'll tell you my craic: Day ?- Galway Galway is the cultural center of Ireland.If you walk the streets, there are musicians playing everywhere. They play traditional Irish music, pop music, Brazillian music, African music, etc. We had a full day in Galway yesterday. In the morning, we visited the National University of Ireland at Galway. It was an interesting college. I am so jealous of the universities in Ireland, because they are mostly built around and with ruins of castles, churches, monasteries, etc. Hmm... graduate school? I am really enjoying that most people think I am a native-born European. I guess I don't seem like a tourist and I think that's great. (I've also been picking up on the fashion... haha) Yesterday, different people asked if I was French, Irish, or Swedish. ... read more

Not going to type a whole lot, for it is after 1 am here, and I have to be up and on a ferry by half 8. What a day it's been....the Aran islands are insanely beautiful. I'm kinda ad that we have to leave tomorrow, I could stay here for weeks. To sum it up: -Got on the ferry that brought us here thismorning not feeling so well, nearly had my first physical seasick episode. -Hired a bike (again!) and cycled around most of the island -Stood on a cliff edge that dropped hundreds of feet straight down into certain death by drowning/rocky smashings/exposure -Fell into an impromtu jam session at a pub that doesn't close until the last customer decides to go home. Everything in the last 2 days has been the Ireland we've ... read more

Can you believe we had TWO FULL days of sunshine?!? In a row!!! Simply fantastic! It was just enough to lift our spirits before it went back to pissing down rain. I've heard a few times now that this summer is the worst summer on record, stealing the title from last summer. I think this Irishman said it best when referring to the global enviroment situation, 'God gave us a garden and we're just shitting in it.' I got the feeling Ireland is wising up on the whole enviro crisis. The governement has mandated a 20c surcharge on each plastic grocery bag which has prompted people to bring their own clothe bags or carry out their groceries by the armful. I've also noticed on our past two tours, both drivers proudly pointed out the new recycling ... read more