Galway and Clifden

Galway Cathedral

This morning Michael got up, went swimming, ate breakfast, and went to work as usual, leaving Nancy to get up and eat breakfast at her leisure. However, she couldn’t dawdle too long. Because we would be leaving Galway this evening to spend the weekend driving around Connemara and County Mayo, Nancy had to repack and check all our luggage with the hotel porter before going out to explore the city.

Shops of Galway

The weather today was mostly gray, punctuated by periodic downpours—perhaps, because of the wind, they might be better described as “sideswipes.” Nancy was grateful for the protection of a good knee-length raincoat layered over a down jacket, thermal underwear, and waterproof boots. She spent most of the day becoming familiar with the maze of shops, pubs, and cafés in the town center, peering at window displays, and searching for potential souvenirs that didn’t look like they had come from the St. Patrick’s Day seasonal aisle at Walmart.

Food for Thought Cafe

At a crowded café called Food for Thought, she warmed up with a bowl of potato-vegetable soup (which tasted very much like some she had made at home last week) and a fruit scone.

The roaring Corrib

Galway’s pedestrian area ends at the River Corrib, which rushes through the city and into Galway Bay at about the speed of a class-4 rapid.

A short walk along the river and over a bridge takes you to the cathedral, which is built in a mashup of medieval styles but actually is younger than we are—its parishioners are celebrating the building’s fiftieth anniversary this year. Nancy spent a while examining the twentieth-century stained glass windows, trying to identify all the biblical figures and the stories they told.

Stained Glass at Galway Cathedral

Michael had planned to pick up a rental car and meet Nancy at the hotel by 5 p.m., but it was after 6:00 by the time they got on the road to Clifden, a little town on the Atlantic coast about an hour west of Galway. Fodor’s guide calls it “far and away the prettiest town in Connemara, … perched high above Clifden Bay on a forested plateau, its back to the spectacular Twelve Bens Mountains.” Unfortunately, we could see none of that, arriving as we did on a dark and stormy night. But there was a cheery fire in the parlor of the Dún Ri Guesthouse, and the smiling hostess offered to lend us a big umbrella so we wouldn’t get drenched on our way to Guys Pub, the place she recommended for dinner. “It’s pub food,” she explained, “but good pub food.”

Niamh O’Leary, an Irish-American colleague of our friend Kelly Austin, had warned us that “Ireland is not known for its food,” so we were likely to find the cuisine disappointing—especially the “solid and substantial” fare typically served at pubs. Tonight’s specials at Guys Pub certainly fit in the meat-and-potatoes category, but the roast lamb with mustard “mash” (the common diminutive of mashed potatoes) that Nancy ordered was absolutely delicious, as was Michael’s grilled hake with scallion mash. We also appreciated the generous helpings of sliced carrots and courgettes (zucchini) circling our plates, and the lemon tart we shared for dessert.

Although Clifden is reputed to be the liveliest spot in the area, we found it very quiet because many of its establishments are closed for the winter. With no music other than recorded American pop to keep us awake, we headed back to the guesthouse and went to bed.