Galway and Gaelic

There is a reason they call Ireland the "Emerald Isle," obviously, because it's so GREEN. Thick, mossy green grass covers the marshy ground, green moss and vines creep up the bare winter trees. It even paints the sea cliffs into a verdant marvel. Add to that the deep green paint on most of the pub signs, the tourist shops full of green merchandise, and even the national trains shamrock-y logos, and you feel like you've stepped into the Emerald City from the Wizard of Oz.

Galway will have a special place in my heart for many reasons. Located on the far Western shore of Ireland, it is also the heart of Irish Gaelic and the town where the famous Claddagh ring was first made. Used as engagement and/or friendship rings, the hands clasping the crowned heart sign is everywhere, and you can buy beautifully crafted rings for reasonable prices, along with bracelets, necklaces, cufflinks, earrings, etc. The original Claddagh jewelry shop has a small museum inside that plays a 7 minute commentary on the history of the Claddagh, and features rings from the 1700's, and the world's smallest Claddagh. I received my first Claddagh from my friend Shannon for my Christmas/birthday present, and features a turquoise heart. When I was buying some rings from a shop here in Galway, the seller admired my ring, saying he'd never seen one with turquoise before, probably made in Mexico. I am now the proud owner of an authentic "made in Ireland" silver Claddagh, complete with stamped hallmark detailing who made it and the silver content. This hallmark is required by Irish law on all authentic Claddaghs.

Yesterday it was raining in Galway, and since we had missed the tour buses for that day, Shannon and I decided to shop around and explore the city. There is a small shopping mall next to our hostel, which is located right on Eyre Square in front of the train station. The mall had some shops with pretty cheap merchandise, and served as a good shortcut to the historical downtown. The clerk in the Claddagh shop recommended some pubs in the area, ones that played live, traditional Irish music in the evenings.

We also met some girls from the US who were sharing our room in our hostel. Ashley and Kate were seniors studying in London. Kate and I shared a bond in that she'd studied in Florence her sophomore year as well, at Lorenzo di'Medici. We shared some of our favorite places to eat, and talked about adventures in the market.

Last night was an adventure; Shannon and I were invited into a pub near the creperie we had raided for dessert by some Irish boys out for a smoke. A little wary but confident they were harmless, we stepped inside. We immediately befriended Jer (short for Jerod), Sean, Marc, Keith, and some boy who's name sounded like a cough. All ranging in ages from 19 to about 26. We were treated to a night of Guiness (Shannon and I split one, don't worry Dad), traditional Irish music (which the boys rather drunkenly riverdanced to) and funny stories in their thick Irish accents. Stuff like, "Me mudder dropped me on me 'ead," and calling Shannon an "estu'ry" (estuary) because her name comes from the Shannon river near Limerick. The pub filled up quickly as the night went on, full of university students celebrating the end of finals, as well as older locals and tourists in for a night of traditional Guiness and Celtic music. We even met a cowboy from Oklahoma, who said he preferred Texas, to my delight.

Today we explored the countryside and seacliffs around Galway on a bus tour. Our guide took us through some tiny farming villages, complete with wooly black-faced sheep and thick-furred cows. The Moher Cliffs, which reminded me forcefully of the "Cliffs of INSANITY" from The Princess Bride were absolutely breathtaking, plunging 600 feet into the blue-green Atlantic ocean. White birds drifted in currents of cold air around their nests in the cliffs, and the spray was so strong that it vaulted ocean water all the way up and over the cliffs and onto our heads.

We also visited a neolithic monument, a portal tomb remniscent of Stonehenge, aone amidst pastures and empty green land atop a strange formation of flat rocks divided by deep channels. We also drove amongst the rough, limestone hills of the Burren, and explored the Ailwee cave, complete with ancient bear bones (from 900 years ago, when the last bears left Ireland) and calcite formations. The caves in the Burren were carved by rushing underground rivers tunneling through the limestone to the sea. They still flood often, and even Ailwee, the most safe and heavily visited, had spectacular waterfalls plunging from the cave roof down to pools below our manmade walkway.

More when I have more computer time!
Ciao,
Leah