Colorful Ireland

Happy Travel Tuesday! This is the last of my Ireland posts; as always I love sharing our experiences in Ireland, I hope you enjoyed reading them as much as I enjoyed writing them (and experiencing them!) .

Because of its climate, Ireland can be an absolutely miserable place. While I tend to love this part of it (except when it rains for almost 10 straight days on my vacation), dreary gray days, fog, a constant drizzle, and whipping winds can pretty quickly bring anyone down. Luckily, the Irish are good at festive building colors, signage, and other lovely little details that brighten the streets and make it easy to spot a business from far away.

{The Quays Pub}

{Claddagh ring shop – The Claddagh ring originates in a tiny Galway village of the same name.}

{Teac Tabairne – a bar or tavern}

{Griffin’s of Shop Street}

{Tigh Neachtain’s  – basically O’Neachtain’s house, a fabulous bar}

{Kirwan’s Lane in the heart of medieval Galway , a city once enclosed by thick stone walls, some of which can still be seen}

{Tigh Coili – another pub, one across the street from my old apartment in Galway}

And for your listening pleasure, here’s a little glimpse into what we did most nights in Galway:

http://youtu.be/3vmA6I2ec3s

{The Spanish Arch Hotel – a fantastic place for live music}

There’s another video on my YouTube channel that is a pretty awesome depiction of how a night in Galway goes; great street performer meets rowdy, excited crowds, and a sing-along ensues. I didn’t post it directly here because one of those crowd members decided to yell a profanity at the camera, and I didn’t want to offend anyone’s fragile ears.   Otherwise, it’s just a fun video of people singing.  If you have headphones or are at home, it’s an entertaining two minutes.

I have major travel fever right now and want to get started planning another trip. My wanderlust includes Napa and Sonoma (of course), Italy, Croatia, and any place where I can lay on a lounge chair where it is over 80 degrees and sunny!