Irish Frolics

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It has been a quieter but fun week in Galway, while I’ve stayed with friends Robert and Héctor. Married in 2014, they emigrated here from Oregon in 2017, and now own a spacious and light flat in the suburb of Taylor’s Hill, which they share with their Bengal cat, Carlotta.

The timing of my visit worked out perfectly for me to connect with my “Nutcracker” friends from Richmond, Virginia. We met in 1991 for a divorce support group at the University of Richmond, and have been close ever since. They’re on an escorted tour of Ireland, so we had only a few hours in the city center, but it’s astonishing and gratifying that we were immediately our old selves together!

I’ve learned the bus routes, and walked Galway City and Salt Hill on Galway Bay extensively, all in clear, mild weather. Yesterday I took a fabulous day tour to Connemara. We visited Kylemore Abbey, Cong Village (where ”The Quiet Man” was filmed), as well as the eerie and magical ruin of the Ross Errilly Friary, with its myriad rooms and tiny doorways.

And then today, I inadvertently got a military school HAIRCUT! It’s always a crap shoot getting haircuts when traveling, so I have an album of “successful haircuts past” on my phone to show sytlists as guidance. Tina (at the unfortunately named Salon Quiff) scrolled through the photos thoughtfully, nodded, and then proceeded to do her own thing. (I believe she must have trained in the Soviet prison system, and hasn’t gotten out much since....) But, that’s one good thing about getting old: either no one sees you, or cares...?

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Photos

Nuns on a brew pedal in Galway
Actually a hen party with costumes

Kylemore Abbey
Built in the 1800s by Dr. Mitchell Henry for his wife. She died young and he eventually went broke.

Kylemore church
This is a reduced-scale of Norwich Cathedral (see my September posts, when I was staying near Norwich....)

Cong Village
Where John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara starred in “The Quiet Man.”

Ross Errilly Friary
It is a National Monument of Ireland and among the best-preserved medieval monastic sites in the country.

A series of tiny doors and passages
The idea was to keep the friars humbly bent.

My Peaky Blinders look
When in Ireland....

Comments

[Diane]

Well... you'll save on shampoo and styling gels. So does your hair stylist still live? No my dear, it's not that bad. It's not your regular feminine look but you look good in short hair and shorter hair. Love these photos. The weather looks a little bit more wintry so I suppose now you'll have a better sense of whether or not you would like living there year-round. Next week I'm off to the parliament of world religions in Toronto. Looking forward to that. Theme is spirituality and politics. We're doing some rain and cooler temps now. I cleaned my back deck furniture and brought it in for the winter as well as the outdoor rugs which are now drying in the garage before I roll them up. Also refresh the hot tub and after all that activity, my sciatic is having a field day. It should be better tomorrow. Keep enjoying your Wonderland and thanks again for sharing all the beautiful pictures and stories.

[BlueHwyGal]

Thanks for the consolation, Diane
You know how to put a positive spin on things.... ? The cut is actually way worse than the pix indicate, but I couldn’t get the right angle to show. Thank heavens it will grow out, but it may be 2019 before normal.... Sorry you overdid and aggravated your sciatica! Hopefully you’ll get some rest/restoration at the Parliament. While you’re at it, save the world, please! It’s getting really bad, everywhere.... Hugs and love!